FIRE

Foundation for Individual
Rights in Education

 

F?end,

I am writing to you today as chairman of the Board of Directors of the
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).

In my day job, I manage an investment fund.

In my philanthropic work, devote a lot of time and money to FIRE, and I
respectfully ask that you consider joining me by supporting FIRE this year.

FIRE has many attributes of an incredibly compelling (if not-for?profit)
investment. Here are just six of them:

1) FiFiE's Market is Enormous

Today there are more than 20.5 million people attending American colleges
and universities, and over 1.5 million professors teaching in academia.
Despite the fact that campuses should be a vibrant marketplace of ideas,
they end up being hotbeds of censorship where using the politically correct
term of the day is more imponant than engaging in serious discourse. This
leads to an illiberal culture affecting millions?but FIRE has the opportunity
and the ability to reverse that breakdown.

2) Business is Booming (not a good thing!)

In 2016 alone, FIRE received more than 825 case submissions from students
and faculty members in need of help?once again exceeding the
number of submissions received in the previous year. Right now, more than
90% of schools rated by FIRE maintain restrictive speech codes. And then
there are some of the things I recently wrote about in The Wailr Street
Journai, like bans on ?microagressions,? demands for trigger warnings,
disinvitations of controversial speakers, and ?Bias Response Teams? popping
up on so many campuses. There is much that needs to be done to defend
and preserve free speech and FIRE is the only group positioned to do it.

3) Great Management Team and Empioyees

With 40 people on staff, FIRE is able to educate, litigate, lobby, advocate,
inspire, and research. Our staff members dive deep into the trenches of
constitutional law while still reporting on the day-to-day news surrounding
mission. They manage to get video crews to breaking campus
situations, craft pristine amicus briefs in support of the First Amendment, host
hundreds of students at conferences, get critical speech protective legislation
passed, win legal settlements and court victories, and so much more. And
they are truly some of the most competent, smart, and dedicated people I
have come across.

4) Tremendous Efficiency

FIRE has an annual operating budget of approximately $6 million. Its impact
is extremely large given its financial resources and I would compare its
workload and capacity to organizations many times its size. FIRE has won
100% of its litigation cases, attracted over 820 media mentions just this
year, visited more than 100 campuses in the last academic year, won 31
policy reform victories so far in 2016, and the list goes on and on.

5) Undertaking Growth Projects

In 201?, FIRE will embark on ambitious new initiatives because its staff,
board, and donors are determined to do what it takes to win. Starting in the
new year, FIRE will coordinate polling surveys, add a research arm dedicated
to examining the history and of censorship, and introduce
outreach staffers to engage with alumni, faculty, and high school students and
teachers.

6) Rigorous and Principied Focus on Mission

Unlike so many organizations in both the for-profit and advocacy sectors,
FIRE strictly focuses on its goals?with principle and without fear or favor. It is
perhaps the most principled, important, and indispensable civil liberties
organization in America today.

We could not do what we do?and pursue so many new initiatives?without
your support. I respectfully ask you to consider supporting our mission with a
100% tax-deductible gift before December 31. I assure you we will put your
contribution to good and efficient use.

I am confident that the return on investment?not in dollars but in
societal impact?will be among the best you earn.

Thank you for your consideration, and best holiday wishes.

Daniel Shuchman
Chairman of Board of Directors

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)
510 Walnut Streetl Suite 1250 I Philadelphia, PA 19106