Recovering From Religion
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
We provide mental health and peer support to people who have lost family and community income and other support due to a change in beliefs We also provide support for people who are exploring doubt or coping with their own changing beliefs Our programs include a call and chat support line where people may talk with trained volunteers a network of support groups who meet up in person and are facilitated by a trained volunteer Secular Therapy Project which allows clients to find licensed mental health professionals who only use evidence-based practices and are vetted by our own team of volunteers online programming that provides educational content and virtual support for clients and the Fall Excursion which is an intensive weekend workshop for those exploring other beliefs
- Income
- $162,132
- Spending
- $111,122
- Reserves
- 15.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 89%
- Highest pay
- $24,000, executive director
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 89% of charities in its peer group (religion, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 15.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 31% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (7)
- $12,105 spent. Support Groups provides a meetup membership and trained volunteer facilitator for each support group Support Groups meet monthly and discuss mental wellness techniques as well as share struggles in the process of adjusting to changing beliefs There were approximately 47 virtual and in person support group meetings per month supported by 76 volunteer facilitators An average of 301 clients were served by the monthly meetings occurring throughout the year
- $22,412 spent. The Fall Excursion is a weekend-long intensive program to help people learn about forming healthy relationships and pursuing happiness without religion in its entirety or within their changed belief structure Meals and lodging are included The program workshops and events are led by both peer support volunteers and licensed mental health professionals 85 clients and volunteers including volunteer workers and speakers attended the Fall Excursion The program was held from Friday evening to Sunday morning and included workshops on Identifying Values Religious Trauma and Sexual Identity a musical performance and a song writers workshop and healing through movement and dance Other activities included guided meditation sessions support group meetings games and outdoor activities a guided nature hike bonfire and Karaoke as well as childrens programming
- $599 spent. The Helpline Project provides callers with a trained callchat taker to listen empathetically to caller needs and refer them to relevant programs and resources The Helpline has implemented the ability to schedule calls and chats in advance so that they can be handled at a time that suits both client and agent resulting in improvements in call handling The Helpline is supported by 13 trained agents who answer calls and 12 trained agents who answer chats
- $1,093 spent. The Secular Therapy Project helps connect non-religious or secular persons who need mental health services with outstanding mental health professionals such as psychologists psychiatrists counselors and others who are screened to ensure that they are appropriately licensed in their state or country are secular in nature as well as practice and use evidence-based treatments which have been shown to be effective at helping improve mental health problems in controlled clinical trials As of December 2024 a total of 33976 clients and 957 therapists had registered to participate in the service
- $680 spent. Online Programming provides weekly live-streamed educational and informational content such as the weekly RfRx Talks which feature a wide variety of speakers including experts in religious trauma relationship issues community building grieving science-communication critical thinking and more The RfRx talks take place on Zoom and are also livestreamed to YouTube Each show begins with our guests presentation or interview which is allocated up to an hour Next comes a QA session utilizing questions the co-hosts collect from the chat After the show attendees may stay to enjoy a moderated video hangout with the guest and co-hosts where additional questions can be asked and any topic of interest can be discussed In 2024 a total of 53 live RfRx Talks were recorded serving an average of 64 live attendees each week
- $2,001 spent. Recovering from Religion RfR Ambassadors are trained volunteers who represent the organization in local communities and online offering peer support to those navigating doubts or leaving faith They raise awareness of religious trauma promote resources like the Helpline Project and Support Groups and help connect individuals with community rather than engaging in religious debates In 2024 trained RfR Ambassador volunteers attended a total of 64 events and maintained a total of 46 trained volunteer ambassadors
- $50 spent. The Recovering From Religion Blog is called ExCommunications The blog serves as an extension of the organizations mission by allowing doubters and ex-believers to share their own experiences or read about others Writing about a personal journey can help bring a sense of peace and resolution and it reassures those who have been down a similar road that they are not alone In 2024 the blog published 96 new stories and received 12014 reads of blog stories
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 2012.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.