Over the years, advances in scientific knowledge made possible through basic research have had a definite impact on the average citizen, but the magnitude of this impact is difficult to predict at the time the research is proposed. As a result, much of the basic research funded by the public often sounds ridiculous to the majority of those who pay for it. Gradually, this has led to a growing reluctance by the public to fund basic research, and the annual budget of the National Science Foundation has stagnated as a consequence. To combat this trend in our own field, we formed a non-profit organization in July 1999 to serve as a direct link between the public and the leading researchers who study individual stars.