About the Foundation

Value Proposition

The Stiefel Freethought Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit private foundation that fosters a world based on love and reason.

About the President and Founder

Todd Stiefel

Todd Stiefel lives in Raleigh, NC, and is the founder and president of the Stiefel Freethought Foundation and president of Heretical Reason Productions. He is the founder and chair of the ScienceSaves campaign. In 2009 he transitioned from Chief Strategy Officer of Stiefel Laboratories to activist and philanthropist. Todd has gifted over $8.7 million to charitable causes, including $7.7 million dollars to nonprofit organizations in the secular movement.

Todd graduated cum laude from Duke University. He worked for 14 years for Stiefel Laboratories, holding positions in marketing, sales operations, and strategy. During his tenure, the company’s revenues quadrupled. He was the Chief Strategy Officer, the Enterprise Leadership Team chair, and a member of the Board’s executive committee. He was responsible for 250 people including the finance, strategy, risk, facilities, administration, and program management functions. Todd co-led the teams that sold equity to Blackstone and Stiefel Laboratories to GlaxoSmithKline.

Todd’s mission is to secure humanity’s future by ensuring public policy decisions are based on love and reason rather than bias and dogma. His activism has been covered by CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, ESPN, CBSSports, Fox Sports, The Daily Telegraph, Christian Science Monitor, Christianity Today, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Blaze, The Guardian Express, Salon, AlterNet, and Raleigh News & Observer. He has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, The Young Turks, HuffPost Live, The Takeaway, Christian Broadcasting Network, SiriusXM, and NPR. His writing has been published in On Faith, Friendly Atheist, and Free Inquiry magazine. An accomplished public speaker, Todd was one of the keynote speakers for The Reason Rally, Reason Rally 2, and Rock Beyond Belief.

From 2012-2013 Todd spearheaded the Foundation Beyond Belief international team that raised over a million dollars for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In 2012, he was the Light The Night National Top Individual Fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

When not raising funds and advocating for the principles he is passionate about, Todd executive produces independent movies including Super Troopers 2 and Catch The Fair One. He is also an avid music listener who loves to make people laugh.

Please see Donations for more details on the gifts made by Todd Stiefel and the Stiefel Freethought Foundation.