James Randi Educational Foundation

File:Randi 1983.jpg in 1983]]

The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) officially came into existence on February 29, 1996, when it was registered as a nonprofit corporation in the State of Delaware in the United States.{{cite web |title=Department of State: Division of Corporations – Entity Details – The James Randi Educational Foundation |url=https://delecorp.delaware.gov/tin/controller?JSPName=GINAMESEARCH&action=Get+Entity+Details&frmFileNumber=2597632 |access-date=2012-03-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110091437/https://delecorp.delaware.gov/tin/controller?JSPName=GINAMESEARCH&action=Get+Entity+Details&frmFileNumber=2597632 |archive-date=2014-01-10}} Delaware Dept. of State, Division of Corporations official website, Corporation Name Search: "The James Randi Educational Foundation. Incorporation Date / Formation Date: February 29, 1996. Entity Type: Non-Profit or Religious." On April 3, 1996, James Randi formally announced the creation of JREF through his email hotline.{{cite web |title=James Randi Educational Foundation |website=JREF |url=https://web.randi.org/}}

{{blockquote|THE FOUNDATION IS IN BUSINESS! It is my great pleasure to announce the creation of the James Randi Educational Foundation. This is a non-profit, tax-exempt, educational foundation under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, incorporated in the State of Delaware. The Foundation is generously funded by a sponsor in Washington D.C. who wishes, at this point in time, to remain anonymous.|The Foundation, Randi Hotline, Wed, April 3, 1996}}

JREF is now headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia.{{cite web |title=Los Angeles Office Closed |date=September 1, 2014 |publisher=James Randi Educational Foundation |url=https://web.randi.org/home/los-angeles-office-closed |access-date=2014-09-02}}

Randi stated that Johnny Carson was a major sponsor, giving several six-figure donations.{{cite web |title=A Good Friend Has Left Us |author=James Randi |publisher=JREF |url=http://archive.randi.org/site/jr/carson.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090709215947/http://www.randi.org/jr/carson.html |archive-date=2009-07-09 |quote=John was generous, kind, and caring. The JREF received several checks — 6-figure checks.}}

From 2003 to 2015, JREF annually hosted The Amazing Meeting (styled as The Amaz!ng Meeting), a gathering of scientists, skeptics, and atheists. Perennial speakers included Richard Dawkins, Penn & Teller, Phil Plait, Michael Shermer, and Adam Savage.

In 2008, the astronomer Philip Plait became the new president of JREF, and Randi became its board chairman.{{cite web |title=Phil Plait New JREF President |url=http://archive.randi.org/site/index.php/jref-news/208-new-jref-president-phil-plait.html |access-date=February 7, 2025}} In December 2009, Plait left JREF due to involvement in a television project, and D.J. Grothe assumed the position of president on January 1, 2010,{{cite web |title=Exciting Times at The JREF |work=JREF News |author=James Randi |url=http://archive.randi.org/site/index.php/jref-news/798-exciting-times-at-the-jref.html |access-date=February 7, 2025}} holding the position until his departure from the organization was announced on September 1, 2014.

The San Francisco newspaper SF Weekly reported in August 2009, that Randi's annual salary was about $200,000.{{cite web |title=The Demystifying Adventures of the Amazing Randi |date=26 August 2009 |url=https://www.sfweekly.com/archives/the-demystifying-adventures-of-the-amazing-randi/article_ce5ab0c2-5700-5813-86d6-e599075955e7.html |access-date=February 7, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011200041/http://www.sfweekly.com/2009-08-26/news/the-demystifying-adventures-of-the-amazing-randi/1/ |archive-date=2012-10-11}} SF Weekly, August 24, 2009, online version, p. 2: "One of his friends, Internet pioneer Rick Adams, put up $1 million in 1996."

Randi resigned from JREF in 2015.{{cite web |title=About James Randi |publisher=JREF |date=2015 |url=https://web.randi.org/about-james-randi.html |access-date=2016-12-26}}

As of January 2024, JREF leadership consisted of:{{cite web |title=Clerk's Information System |publisher=Commonwealth of Virginia |website=scc.virginia.gov |url=https://cis.scc.virginia.gov/EntitySearch/BusinessInformation?businessId=154110&source=FromEntityResult&isSeries%20=%20false |access-date=18 January 2024}}

• President: Banachek (Steven Shaw) of Las Vegas, Nevada
• Secretary: Daniel Denman of Silver Spring, Maryland
• Treasurer / Assistant Secretary: Richard L. Adams Jr. of Fort Lauderdale, Florida

{{Main|One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge}}

In 1964, Randi began offering a prize of US$1,000 to anyone who could demonstrate a paranormal ability under agreed-upon testing conditions. This prize was later increased to US$1{{nbsp}}million in bonds and was administered by JREF. Since its inception, more than 1,000 people applied to be tested.

The Challenge was eventually terminated,{{cite web |title=The Million Dollar Challenge |website=randi.org |url=https://web.randi.org/the-million-dollar-challenge.html |access-date=September 7, 2024 |quote=The James Randi Educational Foundation's Million Dollar Challenge has been terminated.}} with JREF noting in 2015, "We can no longer justify the resources to interact with these people."{{cite web |title=JREF Status |publisher=James Randi Educational Foundation |website=randi.org |url=https://web.randi.org/home/jref-status |access-date=15 October 2016}} No applicants managed to demonstrate their claimed abilities under the testing conditions, with all applicants either failing to demonstrate the claimed ability during the test or deviating from the foundation conditions for taking the test such that any apparent success was held invalid; thus, the prize was not awarded.

The foundation produced two audio podcasts, For Good Reason which was an interview program hosted by D.J. Grothe, promoting critical thinking and skepticism about the central beliefs of society. It has not been active since December 2011.{{cite web |title=For Good Reason podcast Episode Archive |publisher=James Randi Educational Foundation |date=December 12, 2011 |url=http://www.forgoodreason.org/archives/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421213646/http://www.forgoodreason.org/archives |archive-date=April 21, 2015}} Consequence was a biweekly podcast hosted by former outreach coordinator Brian Thompson in which regular people shared their personal narratives about the negative impact a belief in pseudoscience, superstition, and the paranormal had had on their lives. It has not been active since May, 2013.{{cite web |title=Consequence Podcast |publisher=James Randi Educational Foundation |date=May 15, 2013 |url=http://consequencepodcast.com/ |access-date=2013-07-02 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130709055009/http://consequencepodcast.com/ |archive-date=July 9, 2013}}

The JREF also produced a regular video cast and YouTube show, The Randi Show, in which former JREF outreach coordinator Brian Thompson interviewed Randi on a variety of skeptical topics, often with lighthearted or comedic commentary.{{cite web |title=The Randi Show |publisher=Youtube.com |url=https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22the+randi+show%22%2C+playlist&lclk=playlist/a |access-date=2013-07-02}} It has not been active since August 2012. In November 2015, Harriet Hall produced a series of ten lectures called Science Based Medicine for the JREF. The videos deal with various complementary alternative medicine subjects including homeopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, and more.{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Harriet |title=Science Based Medicine |website=JREF |date=26 November 2015 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNzOOAiiaNs&list=PL8MfjLNsf_miVcNu6eJMNigAMNwQkk_B9 |access-date=14 June 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/VNzOOAiiaNs |archive-date=2021-12-11}}{{cbignore}}

The JREF posted many of its educational videos from The Amaz!ng Meeting and other events online. There are lectures by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Carol Tavris, Lawrence Krauss, live tests of the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, workshops on cold reading by Ray Hyman, and panels featuring leading thinking on various topics related to JREF's educational mission on the JREF YouTube channel.{{cite web |title=JREF Video Channel on YouTube |publisher=Youtube.com |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/JamesRandiFoundation |access-date=2013-07-02}} JREF past president D.J. Grothe has claimed that the JREF's YouTube channel was once the "10th most subscribed nonprofit channel of all time",{{cite web |title=Enjoy the JREF on YouTube |author=D.J. Grothe |url=https://archive.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/1531-enjoy-the-jref-on-youtube.html}} though its status in 2013 was 39th and most non-profits do not register for this status.{{cite web |title=YouTube Top 100 Most Subscribed Non-Profit & Activism Channels List – Top by Subscribers |url=http://vidstatsx.com/youtube-top-100-most-subscribed-nonprofit-activism-channels |access-date=2018-12-14 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404094002/http://vidstatsx.com/youtube-top-100-most-subscribed-nonprofit-activism-channels |archive-date=2018-04-04}}

The foundation produced its own "Internet Audio Show" which ran January–December 2002 and was broadcast via a live stream. The archive can be found as mp3 files on the JREF website{{cite web |title=Internet Audio Show |publisher=The James Randi Educational Foundation |date=3 January 2002 |url=http://www.randi.org/radio/radiorss.xml}} and as a podcast on iTunes.{{cite web |title=Internet Audio Show |author=The James Randi Educational Foundation |date=3 January 2002 |publisher=iTunes |url=https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/2002-james-randi-internet/id373871673|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112034338/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/2002-james-randi-internet/id373871673|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 12, 2012}}

As part of the JREF's goal of educating the general population about science and reason, people involved in their community ran a popular skeptic based online forum{{cite web |title=Forum Homepage |website=forums.randi.org |url=http://forums.randi.org/ |access-date=2014-04-04}} with the overall goal of promoting "critical thinking and providing the public with the tools needed to reliably examine paranormal, supernatural, and pseudoscientific claims".{{cite web |title=Educational Resources on Critical Thinking |publisher=randi.org |url=https://web.randi.org/education1.html |access-date=February 7, 2025}}

On October 5, 2014, this online forum was divorced from the JREF and moved as its own entity to International Skeptics Forum.

Skepticality Interview of Julia Sweeney 2007.jpg|Swoopy from Skepticality podcast interviews actress and comedienne Julia Sweeney at The Amazing Meeting.

Van Praagh Zombies JREF million dollar check October 2011.jpg|Two zombies hold a check for one million dollars for James Van Praagh if he can prove he can talk to the dead.

Origami Pigasus.jpg|Origami Pigasus invented for the JREF by Richard Saunders

The JREF has also helped to support local grassroot efforts and outreach endeavors, such as SkeptiCamp, Camp Inquiry,{{cite web |title=Finance Camp |website=Finance Camp |url=https://www.campinquiry.org/}} and various community-organized conferences.{{cite web |title=JREF Offers a Number of Scholarships and Grants for Students, Educators, and Local Skeptic Groups |publisher=Randi.org |url=http://archive.randi.org/site/index.php/jref-news/1840-jref-offers-a-number-of-scholarships-and-grants-for-students-educators-and-local-skeptic-groups.html |access-date=February 7, 2025}} However, according to their tax filing, they spend less than $2,000 a year on other organizations or individuals.{{cite web |publisher=Guidestar.org |title=JREF tax filing 2012 |url=https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2012/650/649/2012-650649443-0924dfee-9.pdf |access-date=February 7, 2025}}

File:James Randi on JREF Gerbic prize 2017.webm

The JREF Award "is given to the person or organization that best represents the spirit of the foundation by encouraging critical questions and seeking unbiased, fact-based answers." Some of the recipients include the following:

• 2017: Susan Gerbic{{cite web |title=2017 JREF Award |website=JREF |url=https://web.randi.org/home/2017-jref-award |access-date=February 7, 2025}}
• 2018: Jen Gunter{{cite web |title=2018 JREF Award |language=en |website=JREF |url=https://web.randi.org/home/2018-jref-award |access-date=February 7, 2025}}
• 2020: Sarah McAnulty{{cite web |title=2020 JREF Award |language=en |website=JREF |url=https://web.randi.org/home/2020-jref-award |access-date=February 7, 2025}}
• 2022: Kathleen Dyer and Raymond Hall{{cite web |title=JREF Award |language=en |website=JREF |url=https://web.randi.org/home/jref-award |access-date=February 7, 2025}}
• 2023: Janyce Boynton{{cite journal |last1=Romhany |first1=Paul |title=Project Alpha |journal=Digital Vanish Magazine |date=2024 |issue=Special Edition |page=26 |url=https://digitalvanishmagazine.com/6q0d |access-date=February 7, 2025}}
• 2024: Office for Science and Society{{Cite web |date=21 January 2025 |title=2024 JREF Award |url=https://web.randi.org/home/2024-jref-award |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250213220400/https://web.randi.org/home/2024-jref-award |archive-date=13 February 2025 |access-date=13 February 2025 |website=James Randi Educational Foundation}}

{{Div col}}

• An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural (by Randi)
• Debunker
• List of prizes for evidence of the paranormal
• Pigasus Award
• Rationalist Prabir Ghosh increases his challenge amount to $50,000 against any claim of paranormal, after surviving nine assassination attempts.
• The Skeptic's Dictionary, by Robert Todd Carroll

{{Div col end}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book

|last1=Christopher |first1=Milbourne |author-link=Milbourne Christopher

|year=1975

|title=Mediums, Mystics, & the Occult

|publisher=Thomas Y. Crowell Co.

|isbn=0-690-00476-1}}

• {{cite book

|last1=Polidoro

|first1=Massimo

|author-link1=Massimo Polidoro

|year=2003

|title=Secrets of the Psychics: Investigating Paranormal Claims

|publisher=Prometheus Books

|isbn=1-59102-086-7

|url-access=registration

|url=https://archive.org/details/secretsofpsychic0000poli

}}

• {{cite book

|last1=Randi

|first1=James

|author-link1=James Randi

|year=1982

|title=Flim-Flam!

|publisher=Prometheus Books

|isbn=0-87975-198-3

}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website|https://web.randi.org/}}
• [https://internationalskeptics.com/forums/ International Skeptics Forum]

{{Skeptic organizations}}

{{Pseudoscience}}

{{James Randi}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Articles containing video clips

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Falls Church, Virginia

Category:Organizations established in 1996

Category:Prizes for proof of paranormal phenomena

Category:Skeptic organizations in the United States

Category:1996 establishments in Delaware

Category:501(c)(3) organizations