WASHINGTON, D.C. Few people would have predicted it. Many were skeptical. Nevertheless, Life Decisions International (LDI) announced today that as of January 2004, at least 100 corporations have agreed to stop funding Planned Parenthood since the origin of the Corporate Funding Project (CFP) just over a decade ago. It is estimated that the CFP has kept a minimum of $25 million out of Planned Parenthood coffers. The CFP has been LDI’s cornerstone project since the organization’s inception in 1992.
The CFP has had its share of challenges as well as successes. It initially received a cynical response from many people in the Pro-Life Movement. And despite its great success, some pro-life leaders are still unwilling to change their minds.
Soon after the CFP began, one prominent pro-life leader refused to participate unless LDI would select just one product made by a single corporation and “make a public example” of it. The suggestion was rejected by LDI leaders because they were unwilling to let the many other corporations that were funding Planned Parenthood off the hook. And what would have happened if LDI had selected the “wrong” product and the parent company never agreed to stop funding Planned Parenthood? The latter scenario would have effectively ended the CFP and made a laughing-stock of the Pro-Life Movement.
There were other compelling reasons why LDI leaders chose to stick with the initial plan. If only one item had been boycotted, pro-abortion people could easily minimize the effect by purchasing it. Furthermore, many corporations that have agreed to stop funding Planned Parenthood over the years would never have done so until one of their products was targeted. (To his great credit, the pro-life leader who refused to participate eventually saw that the management of the CFP was indeed wise and he has enthusiastically endorsed it ever since.)
The CFP took its share of unexpected hits, even from allies in the Pro-Life Movement. Two organizations that had actually endorsed the CFP chose to do business with at least one boycotted corporation at the same time. The action undermined LDI’s work because corporate leaders could see that the Pro-Life Movement was not united; there were indeed some pro-life leaders who were willing to support corporations regardless of whether or not they gave money to the chief enemy of the Pro-Life Movement. But thanks to the dedication of other pro-life leaders (local, state and national), and pro-life people throughout the world, American Express eventually stopped supporting Planned Parenthood, despite the harmful actions of the pro-life groups.
Another trying time for the CFP occurred when an internationally-known televangelist asked to work with LDI to spread the word about the boycott. LDI leaders were initially thrilled, but it soon became clear that the televangelist’s network wanted to control the administration of the CFP. This was confirmed when the network told LDI to drop the Walt Disney Company from the boycott list because the televangelist’s program was aired on the stations of several ABC affiliates, which were owned by Walt Disney. Consequently, the televangelist could not have purchased air time on such stations without looking rather hypocritical. LDI refused to agree to the demand.
The televangelist was planning to announce that he had come up with a brand new idea, possibly through divine revelation: boycott corporate supporters of Planned Parenthood. It did not take long for LDI leaders to realize that the desire to help spread the word about the boycott had more to do with raising money than ending funding of Planned Parenthood. (LDI leaders were given a draft copy of the network’s letter that was to announce the “new” boycott strategy, which was primarily a fund-raising piece.)
Another bump along the path was the atrocious messages LDI received from pro-abortion zealots who believed that sending hate mail and pornography would make us see their point and end the CFP. (LDI continues to receive between 30 and 50 such messages every day via e-mail.) This was all in response to the announcement that Berkshire Hathaway, which is owned by rabidly pro-abortion Warren Buffett, would end corporate funding of Planned Parenthood. Of course, no one can forget the role that thousands of pro-life Pampered Chef consultants, led by the incredible Cynthia Coughlon, played in convincing Buffett to change his mind.
What else has the CFP overcome? Receiving threatening letters from corporate lawyers is commonplace at LDI. But LDI’s reputation for publishing only factual material has always won the day.
Despite such challenges, great successes have been seen. Who could forget when General Mills, Berkshire Hathaway, Target and AT&T (the first victory) stopped funding Planned Parenthood? “LDI congratulates its allies and pro-life people everywhere who have steadfastly fought all corporate giving to Planned Parenthood,” said Douglas R. Scott, president of LDI. “With their courageous and selfless work, no victory would have been possible. And with such work, we can look forward to many more victories!”
(This article courtesy of Life Decisions.)