Foundations
Here's a look at documents from U.S. foundations
Featured Stories
FFRF's Chicago Chapter Puts Up Secular Display at the Daley Center Plaza
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 3 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on April 2, 2026:
* * *
FFRF's Chicago chapter puts up secular display at the Daley Center Plaza
The Freedom From Religion Foundation's Metropolitan Chicago Chapter has set up a display at the Daley Center Plaza in Chicago to counter Easter activities there.
Each year, the chapter erects a banner display to protest a Catholic prayer shrine and worship service taking place annually on the city plaza during the Christian "holy week." The Catholic organization responsible for the service has insisted
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 3 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on April 2, 2026:
* * *
FFRF's Chicago chapter puts up secular display at the Daley Center Plaza
The Freedom From Religion Foundation's Metropolitan Chicago Chapter has set up a display at the Daley Center Plaza in Chicago to counter Easter activities there.
Each year, the chapter erects a banner display to protest a Catholic prayer shrine and worship service taking place annually on the city plaza during the Christian "holy week." The Catholic organization responsible for the service has insistedon using taxpayer property as a platform to proselytize its religion and convert others to its belief system. The Freedom From Religion Foundation has long disagreed with and fought to prevent such public forums, which serve mainly to provide a voice to religion. Proving that point is the fact that the FFRF banner was stolen last year in broad daylight, showing that such so-called public forums are viewed as belonging to the dominant religion.
The banner proclaims quotes supportive of the separation of state and church by Presidents Kennedy and Reagan and reads:
Keep religion in a place of worship -- Not on secular government property
* * *
"I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute."
John F. Kennedy, Sept. 12, 1960
* * *
"We establish no religion in this country. ... Church and state are and must remain separate."
Ronald Reagan, Oct. 26, 1984
* * *
Thanks to the awesome team of volunteers who braved the cold, windy temperatures, the FFRF banner was set up on Wednesday, April 1, in the afternoon at Chicago's Daley Center Plaza, and will be on display for one week.
FFRF thanks chapter members for their work in setting up the display, pictured from left to right: Brian Emerick, Bob Hunter, Jeff Kramer and Manuel Beltran. Not pictured are Steve Foulkes, who also assisted with the setup, and Bob Elmore, who kindly took the photos.
"Taxpayers of all faiths, and no faith, should be free from government influence regarding their religious beliefs, or lack thereof. Just as important, religions of any tradition should have no influence regarding the legislation of our laws and public policy," FFRF Metropolitan Chicago Chapter Associate Executive Director Tom Cara says. "Our deepest appreciation goes out to each of [the volunteers] for their staunch activism toward maintaining the wall of separation between state and religion. Our thanks as well to the national Freedom From Religion Foundation for funding the required (and costly!) permit fee for Daley Center Plaza displays."
* * *
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 41,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 1,400 members and a chapter in Illinois. FFRF's purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
* * *
Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrfs-chicago-chapter-puts-up-secular-display-at-the-daley-center-plaza/
[Category: Religion]
FFRF Blasts Florida's Unconstitutional School 'Prayer Hotline'
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 3 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on April 2, 2026:
* * *
FFRF blasts Florida's unconstitutional school 'prayer hotline'
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is warning that a newly announced Florida Department of Education complaint system threatens to undermine constitutional protections.
In a letter sent to Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas, FFRF outlined serious concerns about the department's new reporting process, which invites parents and community members to file complaints alleging that prayer or
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 3 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on April 2, 2026:
* * *
FFRF blasts Florida's unconstitutional school 'prayer hotline'
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is warning that a newly announced Florida Department of Education complaint system threatens to undermine constitutional protections.
In a letter sent to Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas, FFRF outlined serious concerns about the department's new reporting process, which invites parents and community members to file complaints alleging that prayer orreligious expression is being restricted in public schools. FFRF is cautioning that this encourages religious activity in public schools while ignoring the right of students to be free from religious coercion. While the department claims the system is intended to safeguard religious freedom, FFRF says that it presents a dangerously one-sided view of the law.
"As the U.S. Department of Education's own guidance acknowledges, schools may not sponsor or appear to favor religious activity," FFRF Legal Counsel Chris Line writes. "Yet the [Florida] Department's new reporting mechanism focuses exclusively on alleged restrictions of religious expression, without any parallel mechanism to address violations of the Establishment Clause."
This imbalance, FFRF contends, risks misleading school officials and emboldening unconstitutional conduct. "The department's approach sends a clear message that the state is more concerned with expanding religious activity than preventing its unconstitutional imposition," the letter states.
FFRF notes that students already have the right to engage in private, voluntary religious expression. However, the Constitution prohibits public schools from endorsing or promoting religion, particularly through the actions of teachers and staff, whose authority can exert coercive pressure on students.
Each year, FFRF receives numerous complaints from Florida families regarding violations of state/church separation in public schools. In 2025 alone, the national watchdog received more than 80 complaints about entanglements in Florida schools, many of which concerned school-sponsored prayer and staff-led religious activity. "Given the inherent power imbalance between students and school officials, even subtle religious activity can become coercive," FFRF emphasizes.
The organization is particularly concerned that the complaint system could encourage educators to push the boundaries of the law, mistakenly believing they are permitted to lead or participate in religious activities with students. "The result will likely be increased religious coercion, especially affecting younger students," FFRF warns.
"Longstanding Supreme Court precedent affirms that public schools must remain free from religious indoctrination," notes FFRF Co-President Dan Barker, "and ensures that families, not government officials, have the right to direct their own children's religious upbringing."
FFRF is urging the Florida Department of Education to reconsider the complaint process and to ensure that any guidance fully reflects the Constitution's requirement of neutrality. If the department fails to uphold students' constitutional rights, FFRF stands ready to step in to protect freedom of conscience and urges parents and students to report violations directly to FFRF's legal team.
* * *
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 41,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 2,000 members and a chapter in Florida. FFRF's purposes are to defend the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
* * *
Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-blasts-floridas-unconstitutional-school-prayer-hotline/
[Category: Religion]
With $2.3 million grant, OMRF will study cell's 'powerhouse' with an eye to Alzheimer's
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, April 2 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:
* * *
With $2.3 million grant, OMRF will study cell's 'powerhouse' with an eye to Alzheimer's
*
An Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist, backed by a $2.3 million grant, will investigate the many roles of the mitochondria, often called the powerhouse of the cell.
The National Institutes of Health awarded the grant to Tommy Lewis, Ph.D., whose lab studies the importance of mitochondria in brain function.
"Mitochondria are best known for generating the energy a cell needs," Lewis
... Show Full Article
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, April 2 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:
* * *
With $2.3 million grant, OMRF will study cell's 'powerhouse' with an eye to Alzheimer's
*
An Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist, backed by a $2.3 million grant, will investigate the many roles of the mitochondria, often called the powerhouse of the cell.
The National Institutes of Health awarded the grant to Tommy Lewis, Ph.D., whose lab studies the importance of mitochondria in brain function.
"Mitochondria are best known for generating the energy a cell needs," Lewissaid. "But they also have other purposes, and we've learned over the past decade that there are different types and shapes of mitochondria, even within the same cell."
By the end of his five-year grant, Lewis hopes to better understand those purposes and how mitochondria interact with each other. His findings could lay the groundwork for better treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and for traumatic brain injuries.
Each neuron contains hundreds and often thousands of constantly adapting mitochondria. Some make energy, some protect the cell, and some have potentially undiscovered roles, Lewis said.
"This raises important questions, like how do they communicate, how do they move to the right place within the cell, and what happens when something goes wrong?" Lewis said.
Answering such questions has been extremely challenging because scientists lacked the tools to watch mitochondria closely or to distinguish one type from another. But recently developed technologies, including high-resolution microscopes and advanced protein analysis, have opened the window for Lewis's studies.
This research is particularly important in neurons, the brain's primary cells, because unlike cells in most other parts of the body, neurons don't regenerate if damaged. This leads to permanent damage in conditions ranging from Alzheimer's to traumatic brain injuries.
By developing a deeper understanding of the mitochondria, Lewis hopes he can pave the way for strategies that might one day allow for the repair or regeneration of neurons.
And while his project focuses on neurons, Lewis also hopes to test his findings in the mitochondria of muscle cells. That aspect is of particular interest to OMRF scientist Benjamin Miller, Ph.D., who leads the foundation's Aging & Metabolism Research Program.
"Dr. Lewis' research is quite relevant to my own work," said Miller, whose lab studies ways to prevent or reduce the muscle loss that accompanies aging. "Like the neurons in the brain, the muscle has different populations of mitochondria that perform different tasks. We're still in the infancy of understanding this fascinating division of labor."
Lewis's grant, R35GM137921, was awarded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of the NIH. He previously received funding from the Presbyterian Health Foundation to purchase equipment that proved critical toward this grant.
***
Original text here: https://omrf.org/with-2-3-million-grant-omrf-will-study-cells-powerhouse-with-an-eye-to-alzheimers/
FFRF Court Victory! Federal Judge Rules Arkansas Ten Commandments Monument Unconstitutional
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on April 1, 2026:
* * *
FFRF court victory! Federal judge rules Arkansas Ten Commandments monument unconstitutional
The Freedom From Religion Foundation and its co-plaintiffs have secured a major First Amendment victory after a federal court's ruling that a Ten Commandments monument at the Arkansas Capitol is unconstitutional and must be removed.
In a sweeping decision issued late Tuesday, March 31, U.S. District Judge Kristine G. Baker struck down the state law mandating the monument and ordered
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on April 1, 2026:
* * *
FFRF court victory! Federal judge rules Arkansas Ten Commandments monument unconstitutional
The Freedom From Religion Foundation and its co-plaintiffs have secured a major First Amendment victory after a federal court's ruling that a Ten Commandments monument at the Arkansas Capitol is unconstitutional and must be removed.
In a sweeping decision issued late Tuesday, March 31, U.S. District Judge Kristine G. Baker struck down the state law mandating the monument and orderedthat it be taken down, concluding that both the law and the display violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The ruling marks the culmination of nearly eight years of litigation brought by FFRF, the American Humanist Association, the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers and a diverse group of Arkansas plaintiffs alongside a parallel challenge by the ACLU of Arkansas. Separately, the Satanic Temple and its members had brought First Amendment and Equal Protection claims.
"Based on the undisputed record evidence," the court held, "the Display Act and the Ten Commandments Monument violate the Establishment Clause." The court further found that the state's actions failed to avoid "excessive government entanglement with religion" and that the monument was "discriminatory and coercive."
Arkansas lawmakers passed the Display Act in 2015, spearheaded by then-state Sen. Jason Rapert, to install a privately funded Ten Commandments monument on Capitol grounds. The monument was first installed in 2017, destroyed a day later, and replaced in 2018. Lawsuits followed immediately, challenging the display as an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion.
The court agreed, emphasizing both the inherently religious nature of the Ten Commandments and the state's clear preference for Christianity. Evidence showed that Arkansas officials rejected requests from non-Christian groups seeking equal access to place their own monuments, reinforcing the court's conclusion that the state engaged in unconstitutional religious favoritism. The decision distinguishes Arkansas' display from monuments upheld in other contexts, noting that this stand-alone religious monument does not reflect a broader historical tradition but instead advances a specific religious message.
"The state of Arkansas has no business telling citizens which gods to worship -- or whether to worship at all. The First Commandment is a direct violation of the First Amendment," says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "We are delighted the court recognizes that placing a biblical monument at the seat of government violates one of our most fundamental constitutional protections."
FFRF Senior Counsel Sam Grover adds, "This ruling reaffirms that the government must remain neutral when it comes to religion. That neutrality is essential to protecting the rights of all citizens, regardless of their beliefs."
"We celebrate this monumental victory for true religious freedom," says American Humanist Association Legal Director Amitai Heller. "State capitols should be welcoming to all citizens, and this ruling rightfully rejects this effort to promote one specific set of religious beliefs above all others -- including the right to not believe at all. This decision affirms the First Amendment's bedrock constitutional principle of church-state separation, which ensures these very freedoms."
The plaintiffs in the case reflect a broad cross-section of Arkansans. Anne Orsi -- longtime member of FFRF -- is an agnostic atheist. Eugene Levy is a rabbi. Gale Stewart is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.. Teresa Gryder is a Wiccan. All of them have the necessity and occasion to visit the Capitol grounds regularly, and come into contact with the biblical monolith.
The order to remove the monument is stayed pending appeal.
Attorney Gerry Schulze of Little Rock alongside FFRF Senior Counsel Sam Grover, FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott and attorneys from the American Humanist Association represented the plaintiffs.
* * *
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With more than 41,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including hundreds of members and a chapter in Arkansas, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
* * *
Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/breaking-ffrf-court-victory-federal-judge-rules-arkansas-ten-commandments-monument-unconstitutional/
[Category: Religion]
FFRF Applauds Federal Court Dismissal of Johnson Amendment Challenge
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on April 1, 2026:
* * *
FFRF applauds federal court dismissal of Johnson Amendment challenge
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is cheering a federal court decision yesterday that dismissed a lawsuit seeking to undermine a longstanding provision of federal law preventing charitable nonprofits from engaging in partisan political activity.
In the March 31 ruling, a federal district court in Texas rejected an attempt by the National Religious Broadcasters -- backed by the federal government
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on April 1, 2026:
* * *
FFRF applauds federal court dismissal of Johnson Amendment challenge
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is cheering a federal court decision yesterday that dismissed a lawsuit seeking to undermine a longstanding provision of federal law preventing charitable nonprofits from engaging in partisan political activity.
In the March 31 ruling, a federal district court in Texas rejected an attempt by the National Religious Broadcasters -- backed by the federal government-- to effectively nullify the Johnson Amendment through a proposed legal settlement. U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker held that the plaintiffs lacked jurisdiction under the Tax Anti-Injunction Act, which bars courts from intervening in disputes over potential tax liability before enforcement occurs.
The decision, for now, prevents a sweeping effort to allow churches to endorse political candidates while retaining their tax-exempt status. This is welcome news for advocates of state/church separation who realize that the proposed settlement would have opened the door to widespread partisan politicking by churches or other tax-exempt organizations. FFRF strongly criticized the IRS' attempt to openly abandon enforcement of the Johnson Amendment against churches when the agreement was announced last summer.
"We're pleased the Trump administration's campaign to undermine the Johnson Amendment has been halted," says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "Preventing 501(c)(3) organizations -- including churches -- from using tax-deductible donations for partisan electioneering is simple common sense. Contributions to political candidates aren't tax-deductible, so nonprofits should not be allowed to funnel tax-exempt donations into politics."
Adds FFRF Co-President Dan Barker, "Churches, unlike other 501(c)(3) nonprofits such as FFRF, are uniquely exempt from reporting to the IRS on income and expenditures, meaning churches are already financial black holes. Without the Johnson Amendment, the danger is that some churches could essentially become tax-free PACs."
Earlier this year, the National Council of Nonprofits, along with FFRF, the American Humanist Association, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Interfaith Alliance, Public Citizen and others, launched a national sign-on letter urging the federal government to preserve the Johnson Amendment. More than 1,800 nonprofits signed the letter, warning that weakening this law invites partisan interests into nonprofit spaces, distorts priorities, and jeopardizes long-standing community trust.
"Nonprofits exist to serve the common good, not partisan politics," says Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits. "For now, the court has kept in place a foundational protection for the nonprofit sector and the communities we serve. The court's decision maintains federal protections that keep partisan political manipulation out of charitable organizations, strengthening public confidence in nonprofits at a time when their vital work in communities across the country is more needed than ever."
The lawsuit, brought by the National Religious Broadcasters with several Texas churches and national Christian groups, argued that the Johnson Amendment violates their First Amendment rights by restricting political speech from the pulpit. In a highly unusual move, the federal government had agreed with the plaintiffs and sought court approval of a settlement that would have barred the IRS from enforcing the law against the specific churches involved. If approved, the agreement would have created a major loophole, allowing houses of worship to engage in partisan campaigning while continuing to receive the benefits of tax-exempt status, effectively transforming them into unregulated political actors subsidized by taxpayers.
Thankfully, the court declined to approve the arrangement. The court also rejected arguments that the case qualified for a narrow exception to the law, noting that it was not "certain" the government would fail on the merits.
Although the ruling leaves open the possibility of future challenges in other forums, it stops, at least for now, a coordinated effort to dismantle a key protection that has been part of the federal tax code since 1954.
"Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right," says Gaylor. "Organizations that choose to engage in partisan politics are free to do so -- but they cannot receive special tax benefits while doing it."
* * *
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With more than 41,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
* * *
Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-applauds-federal-court-dismissal-of-johnson-amendment-challenge/
[Category: Religion]
Asia Foundation: Getting Detached - How Coal-to-Solar Is Moving Beyond Mongolia's Gers
SAN FRANCISCO, California, April 2 -- The Asia Foundation issued the following news on March 31, 2026:
* * *
Getting Detached: How Coal-to-Solar Is Moving Beyond Mongolia's Gers
In Ulaanbaatar, where winter temperatures regularly fall below -30 C, heating systems are literally a matter of life and death. For decades, coal-fired stoves have both facilitated and burdened daily life in the city's ger districts. The ubiquity of the smoke-belching stoves reflects the lack of modern infrastructure or affordable alternatives. Making matters worse, coal stoves contribute 70 to 80 percent of particulates
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, April 2 -- The Asia Foundation issued the following news on March 31, 2026:
* * *
Getting Detached: How Coal-to-Solar Is Moving Beyond Mongolia's Gers
In Ulaanbaatar, where winter temperatures regularly fall below -30 C, heating systems are literally a matter of life and death. For decades, coal-fired stoves have both facilitated and burdened daily life in the city's ger districts. The ubiquity of the smoke-belching stoves reflects the lack of modern infrastructure or affordable alternatives. Making matters worse, coal stoves contribute 70 to 80 percent of particulatesin one of the world's most severely polluted urban areas in winter.
Thus, finding safe, affordable alternatives that function in the harsh environment and fit within people's homes and routines has been a top priority for The Asia Foundation (TAF) in Mongolia. Over the past several years, the Coal-to-Solar initiative implemented by TAF in partnership with URECA LLC and Ger Urguu NGO has been piloting alternatives with transformative impact.
From Idea to the First Pilot
Coal-to-Solar launched in 2022 with pilot funding from TAF and a simple but ambitious idea: to make clean energy solutions not only technically viable, but accessible and scalable for everyone, including ger district households.
As explored in In Mongolia, A Quest to Democratize Carbon Credits , the early phase focused on testing whether integrated systems combining solar power, electric heating, and battery storage could replace coal while also generating verifiable carbon reductions. But technology alone was never the solution. From the outset, the initiative recognized that lasting change depends on how well innovation fits into people's daily lives, their routines, livelihoods, economic realities, and aspirations.
In the years since, families have jumped at the opportunity to rid themselves of their coal stoves and the backbreaking labor of feeding the beasts. In 2024, with generous funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, TAF launched the Women's Climate Resilience project to expand the initiative through TAF's Women's Business Center.
The early results, captured in How Transitioning from Coal to Renewable Energy Transformed a Mongolian Family's Life , revealed something critical: the success of renewable energy transitions is not just measured in emissions reduced, but in daily lives improved, especially for women entrepreneurs.
A New Milestone: First Pilot of Coal-to-Solar in a Detached House
While the initiative expands to transition more gers, there is a bigger challenge: decarbonizing the estimated 134,000 detached houses in the district. Due to their larger size and higher heating demand, these houses typically consume 30 to 50 percent more coal and emit higher emissions and air pollution than gers. Plus, the houses vary widely in construction, insulation, and layout, making it difficult to apply a standardized solution.
Transitioning detached houses to solar heating requires not just technology but also close collaboration between innovators and households to adapt solutions to fit real conditions in Ulaanbaatar ger-districts.
On a cold March 2026 morning, that innovation became a reality inside the home of Ms. Davaakhuu and Mr. Namsraidorj. Just days earlier, the family had removed their masonry coal stove that had stood at the center of their home for nearly 30 years. While it had been essential, it came with a tremendous cost of endlessly hauling coal, tending fires, cleaning ash, and living with toxic invisible indoor smoke.
Now, for the first time since 1998, it was gone. When we visited the household on March 18, the moment marked more than a household upgrade but reflected how innovation, when applied thoughtfully, can reshape daily lives of a family.
Where Technology Meets Daily Life
Ms. Davaakhuu, a client of TAF's Women's Business Center, and her spouse Mr. Namsraidorj had long accepted coal heating as a necessity. Like many families, they had even considered moving into an apartment to escape the burden and outdoor air pollution during winter peaks.
That changed when they were selected as the first pilot household to test Coal-to-Solar in a detached house, supported by the British Embassy Ulaanbaatar through the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office. Under this pilot, in February 2026, their home was equipped with an integrated system, including a cold-climate heat pump for primary heating, solar photovoltaic panels generating renewable electricity, battery storage for energy reliability, and a smart monitoring system verifying coal reduction in real time.
Developed and implemented by URECA, the system reflects an important shift of innovation being no longer tested in isolation, but it is embedded into everyday life of this family.
What Change Looks Like in Practice
The impact was immediate and deeply practical. "We sleep longer now", the family shared.
Without the need to wake early to light the stove or tend fire throughout the day, their routine has fundamentally changed. The transition has created space not only for comfort, but for opportunity. Ms. Davaakhuu now dedicates more time to expanding her handmade soap business. Mr. Namsraidorj, a retired welder, is finally able to rest and plan time with family after years of labor-intensive work, including maintaining their greenhouse business in their plot.
"We were especially fortunate to work with Ms. Davaakhuu and Mr. Namsraidorj's family", the URECA team said. They were an exemplary household, and Mr. Namsraidorj brought rare practical knowledge through his welding work and his experience at CHP-4 [Thermal Power Plant No.4] in Ulaanbaatar. He even helped build some components of the solar system himself. In many ways, he felt like part of our engineering team.
The household shared how their home now feels healthier; the air is clearer and the effort once required to maintain warmth has disappeared. This is how change happens. Not only through systems installed, but through lives made easier.
Building a Path to a Smoke-Free Future
This pilot is more than a technical milestone. It demonstrates how collaboration between innovators, communities, and development partners can turn possibility into practice. Early results show that renewable energy can supply a substantial share of household electricity demand in winter while reducing heating costs. At the same time, real-time monitoring systems make emissions reductions measurable, opening pathways for carbon financing.
A small survey conducted in collaboration with Breathe Mongolia NGO in 2025 highlights that average 2.5 micrometer particulate matter level was 3.5 times lower in solar heated households. Findings were similar for 1 and 10 micrometer particulate matter. Converted households met Mongolian air quality standards 98.3 percent of the time compared to 25.4 percent for coal-heated households.
But perhaps most importantly, the project shows that a smoke-free future in Ulaanbaatar is not a distant vision as it is already being built, one household at a time.
Looking Ahead
Coal-to-Solar's expansion into detached housing is not the end of the journey. The next step is understanding how clean energy transitions can scale across diverse conditions. It is crucial to understand that technology alone does not create change. Change happens when technology is designed, adapted, and deployed with the input and involvement of families.
Through continued collaboration with partners like URECA, and with the support of initiatives such as the FCDO-funded pilot, the expansion of the DFAT funded Coal-to-Solar project is demonstrating how innovation can move beyond pilots and change more people's lives.
* * *
Original text here: https://asiafoundation.org/getting-detached-how-coal-to-solar-is-moving-beyond-mongolias-gers/
AIDS Foundation of Chicago: "We Don't Wait. We Stand Up" - Advocacy Day 2026 Meets the Urgency of This Moment
CHICAGO, Illinois, April 2 -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago issued the following news on April 1, 2026:
* * *
"We don't wait. We stand up": Advocacy Day 2026 meets the urgency of this moment
On Tuesday, March 24 at 8:30 a.m., HIV advocates from across the state, along with AIDS Foundation Chicago's (AFC) Policy & Advocacy team, arrived at AFC's downtown offices to travel to Springfield for our annual Advocacy Day. The excitement and energy of the team was on full display. We got on a bus and set out for Springfield, chatting and rehearsing our advocacy pitches for the following day.
Each
... Show Full Article
CHICAGO, Illinois, April 2 -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago issued the following news on April 1, 2026:
* * *
"We don't wait. We stand up": Advocacy Day 2026 meets the urgency of this moment
On Tuesday, March 24 at 8:30 a.m., HIV advocates from across the state, along with AIDS Foundation Chicago's (AFC) Policy & Advocacy team, arrived at AFC's downtown offices to travel to Springfield for our annual Advocacy Day. The excitement and energy of the team was on full display. We got on a bus and set out for Springfield, chatting and rehearsing our advocacy pitches for the following day.
Eachyear, AFC and Illinois HIV advocates join together for a day in Springfield to connect with legislators directly in support of essential policies promoting health equity and justice in Illinois. This year in particular had a potent aura of urgency, as the consequences of the Trump administration's cuts to health and housing services cast a dark shadow over everyone in Illinois, especially those living with and vulnerable to HIV. Despite this, and perhaps also because of it, our advocates were fired up.
On Wednesday, March 25th, we set out for the Capitol. Advocates were eager to meet their elected officials and tell their story. Whenever they were faced with ambivalence or hesitation from a lawmaker, our advocates did not waver in their determination to have their voice heard.
While our team in Springfield was working within the Capitol, many more advocates were emailing their legislators through our Action Center. In the month of March alone, over 880 emails and social media posts were sent to state officials, demanding their support for our Advocacy Agenda.
The day concluded with a press conference featuring AFC's Policy team, advocates with lived experience, and elected officials. "We don't wait. We stand up," said State Senator Mike Simmons in his remarks. Speakers highlighted the urgent need for policy to be passed to support increased funding for HIV and housing services in Illinois'sstate budget, open an overdose prevention site in the West Side of Chicago, remove prior authorizations for HIV-related medications from insurance plans in Illinois, and establish a LGBTQ & HIV long-term care Bill of Rights.
Experienced participants often say Advocacy Day can be the fastest long day of your life, and this year was no exception. Once legislators were called to the floor, we gathered for a celebratory lunch before heading back on the bus. Our spirits were high, and the energy on the ride home was palpable.
To everyone who acted, whether in person or digitally (or both), thank you. If you haven't yet, there is still time! Lawmakers are hearing from us, and we must maintain our momentum and volume throughout the Illinois Spring Legislative Session. Continue to take action through the link below. There is no limit to how many times you can act. Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your loved ones to join you in making Illinois a better and more just place for everyone.
Don't forget to take action on all four campaigns!
Click here to visit our Action Center and contact your state legislators (https://aidschicago.quorum.us/actioncenter/).
* * *
Original text here: https://www.aidschicago.org/we-dont-wait-we-stand-up-advocacy-day-2026-meets-the-urgency-of-this-moment/
