The Alliance Defense Fund is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth, through strategy, training, funding, and litigation. ADF is focused on three key issues: Religious Freedom, Sanctity of Human Life, and Traditional Family Values.
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Frequently Asked Questions


Select a question from the list below to view the answer. If you don't see the answer to your question, please contact us directly.

Note: This section provides general information, not specific legal advice. The material contained in this section does not create or imply the existence of any attorney-client relationship with the Alliance Defense Fund, Inc. or any of its attorneys or allies. It is also noted that the statements of law are based on current court decisions, which are in fact often more limited, or different, in their application and scope than the original vision of the Constitution envisioned by those who wrote it.

General
  1. What is the Alliance Defense Fund?
  2. What is your purpose?
  3. What is your faith mission?
  4. What do you do?
  5. Why is this important?
  6. How are you funded?
  7. What organizations do you partner with?
  8. Why don't all organizations with similar missions unite and work together?
  9. Who are your founders?
  10. Who opposes the work of ADF?
  11. Why doesn't ADF become involved in helping to pass legislation?

Church & State
  1. What does current case law say about displaying the Ten Commandments?
  2. Is the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional?
  3. Tell me about "separation of church and state"?

Financial & Funding
  1. How much does each case cost?
  2. Why do you maintain cash on hand?
  3. What is your annual budget?
  4. How can I receive a grant for a legal case?
  5. Why doesn't ADF belong to the Better Business Bureau?
  6. Is ADF evaluated by any other groups?
  7. Is ADF regularly audited by an independent accounting firm?

Churches
  1. Are churches allowed to worship in public school facilities?
  2. What are the guidelines for what a pastor can say from the pulpit about state and federal elections?

The Workplace
  1. Are Bible studies allowed at work if you do it on your own time (i.e., before or after work)?
  2. I've been the target of religious discrimination at work – can ADF assist me?

Homosexual Agenda
  1. It seems that radical homosexual activists want the courts to advance their agenda - especially with regard to same-sex "marriage." What is ADF doing to stop them?
  2. Has ADF ever come to the defense of the Boy Scouts of America?

In the Courts
  1. My state allows citizens to vote on judges, but I can find no information about them. Can ADF help inform voters about the judicial records of judges?

The Opposition
  1. Why does it seem we have different "rights" in different parts of the country?
  2. Where does the ACLU get its funding?
  3. It appears the ACLU is trying to have the Ten Commandments removed from all public property. Is ADF defending these lawsuits?
  4. Why doesn't ADF just sue the ACLU for religious discrimination?
  5. Why must ADF work so hard to defend against the onslaught of the ACLU and its allies? Why don't you just go on the offensive?

Education
  1. Are students allowed to bring the Bible to school?
  2. Is it legal for a student to pray at school?
  3. Under current case law, is prayer at public school graduation ceremonies constitutional?
  4. Why does ADF support school choice? If we allow public tax money to be used in private, Christian schools, it could open up the door to government involvement and control.
  5. Can students present books or videos of a religious nature for class assignments of show-and-tell?
  6. What does the law say about singing Christmas songs at school programs?
  7. What is ADF doing to help educate public school teachers and administrators about religious expression on campus?
  8. My child is doing a project on the religious heritage of America. Do you have any information that would be helpful?

Requests
  1. Please do not sell or rent my name to other organizations.
  2. I receive "too much" mail from ADF.

Getting Involved
  1. How can I volunteer to help ADF?
  2. Can ADF help me oppose a pornographic outlet seeking to move into my community next to my children's school?
  3. I'm interested in pursuing a job opportunity at ADF - how should I proceed?
  4. Do you have information that would help educate landlords about their rights to not assist behavior contrary to scripture?
  5. I've enclosed a copy of my book - would ADF like to help me sell it?
  6. I am getting older and I receive so many requests for donations that I feel overwhelmed. I cannot currently give to ADF, but I strongly support your mission.


GENERAL

  1. What is the Alliance Defense Fund?
    The Alliance Defense Fund is America's largest religious liberty legal alliance, not just a "law firm," that works to protect and defend traditional family values, religious freedom, and the sanctity of human life through strategy and coordination, training, funding, and litigation.

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  2. What is your purpose?
    The Alliance Defense Fund is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.

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  3. What is your faith mission?
    The Alliance Defense Fund is a servant organization that provides the resources that will keep the door open for the spread of the Gospel through the legal defense and advocacy of religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and traditional family values.

    Read our guiding principles and statement of faith.

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  4. What do you do?
    ADF was founded for a unique purpose: to aggressively defend religious liberty by empowering our allies, recognizing that together, we can accomplish far more than we can alone.

    This means we do not duplicate our allies' work nor aid them in areas outside the scope of our mission. We work tirelessly to assist them in their efforts through strategy, training, funding, and, where necessary, direct litigation through our own ADF legal team.

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  5. Why is this important?
    When ADF was formed in 1994, despite outstanding efforts by many, our founders saw a battlefield in disarray with inadequate resources to win. There were allies, but no alliance. Limited unity of effort. Limited common strategy. No organized method to recruit and train Christian attorneys in the methods of modern legal warfare. Inadequate funding allowed much territory to be lost by default. And one big myth: Many believed that the ACLU and its allies could never actually be defeated.

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  6. How are you funded?
    ADF is a donor-supported ministry. We are entirely dependent on the generosity of our ministry friends for our sustenance. We accept no government funds.

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  7. What organizations do you partner with?
    The Alliance Defense Fund has joined forces with hundreds of attorneys who share our commitment to keeping America the land of the free. We have worked with more than 300 organizations and provided services including strategy, training, and funding. Organizations include American Liberties Institute, Christian Legal Society, the Marriage Law Project, Family Research Council, and many more. For a longer list, visit our ADF Allies section.

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  8. Why don't all organizations with similar missions unite and work together?
    Almost every legal entity serves in a unique "niche." In reality there is very little duplication or overlap by those participating in strategy through the alliance.

    The goal of the Alliance Defense Fund is to serve these organizations and the Body of Christ in four primary ways: Through strategic planning and coordination, through training an