With the battle cry of “Stay out of the abortion business,” the Christian Action Council (CAC) and an ad hoc coalition of 24 prolife groups last month launched an international boycott of corporations donating money to Planned Parenthood. “The American public does not support abortion on demand, which Planned Parenthood vigorously advocates, and the public has little tolerance for corporations which use their profits to support abortion,” said CAC executive director Tom Glessner at a Washington news conference.
Glessner said grants to Planned Parenthood were chosen because it operates the largest chain of abortion facilities in the nation and also because it “has done more to create a need for abortion than any other group in the world.” The prolife groups released a list of 43 corporations targeted for boycott based on their philanthropic donations in the last five years. Topping the list was American Express, which the groups highlighted with the slogan, “Leave home without it.” During the press conference, several of the prolife organizations announced they were canceling their American Express charge accounts.
Toni Maloney, vice-president for American Express corporate communications, told CT her company gave Planned Parenthood programs only $7,500 out of $16 million in philanthropic grants last year. The two programs that got money, she said, were educational projects aimed at teenagers. “We have never funded any abortion-related activities, and we take no stand on abortion,” Maloney said. “It seems as if some groups are trying to involve us in a political battle in which we will not be drawn,” she said, adding, “We are very proud of our philanthropic program.”
Glessner admitted American Express is being highlighted more for its national prominence than for the amount of its grants. “While American Express does not give Planned Parenthood the most money, it has a pattern of giving that reflects strong support for those groups that support abortion rights,” he said. Two groups cited by the CAC as receiving American Express funds are the National Organization for Women Legal Defense Fund and the Children’s Defense Fund. Other well-known corporations on the boycott list include General Mills, Citicorp, H.J. Heinz, Honeywell, Nationwide Insurance, Pillsbury, Prudential, the New York Times Corporation, and Scott Paper.
According to CAC research, Prudential gave Planned Parenthood $90,000 between 1985 and 1989. A Prudential spokesperson confirmed there were donations, but refused to give specific amounts. Pillsbury acknowledged a $9,000 grant this year to Planned Parenthood of Minnesota. Citicorp last year gave $24,500 to various Planned Parenthood projects, and the New York Times Corporation gives $10,000 annually, according to the New York Times.
All of the corporations contacted by CT defended their grants to Planned Parenthood, saying they were made for philanthropic educational programs, most of them aimed at combating teen pregnancy, and not for abortion services.
However, Glessner dismissed that argument as merely a matter of bookkeeping. “If Planned Parenthood is offering ‘education’ program X, which costs $50,000, and a corporation agrees to fund the program, this action releases the original and unrestricted funds of $50,000 to be used for abortion and/or abortion advocacy,” he said.
Last year the CAC began a letter-writing campaign to corporations contributing to Planned Parenthood. Glessner said ten companies agreed to stop the donations, including AT&T, J.C. Penney, Eastman Kodak, and others. AT&T officials cited the unprecedented number of letters from customers and stockholders expressing concern about its support of Planned Parenthood.
Many companies maintained that the boycott will not affect their philanthropic choices, but the prolife coalition is optimistic about its prospects of success. Said boycott supporter Gregg Cunningham, director of the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, “Our message to corporate America is that if you’ve got blood on your hands, we’re going to turn your bottom line red.”
By Kim A. Lawton.
