Incorporated in 1978 in Wisconsin, the Freedom from Religion Foundation is intended to promote the constitutional principle of separation of state and church, and to educate the public on matters to nontheism. The Foundation publishes the only freethought newspaper in the United States, Freethought Today. They sponsor annual high school, college, and grad student essay competitions with cash awards and conduct lively, annual national conventions, honoring state/church, student, and freethought activism.

The Foundation and its staff attorneys act on countless violations of separation of state and church on behalf of members and the public including: Prayers in public schools, payment of funds for religious purposes, government funding of pervasively sectarian institutions, and the ongoing campaign against civil rights for women, gays and lesbians led by churches. Their victories include winning the first federal case challenging “faith-based funding” of a pervasively sectarian social agency, and winning the first court order to a U.S. Cabinet revoking federal funds to a pervasively sectarian agency.