WORKPLACE GIVING: A WIN-WIN OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYEES

By Marie Hagan

Like to know an easy way you can help save lives? Sound too easy to be true? It isn't, as thousands of people have learned over the past 13 years.

Each fall there is an opportunity for federal, state, and private sector employees to donate at their workplace to the charity of their choice. You can help address the plight of the unborn, the elderly, and the mentally and physically disadvantaged by pledging to the National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund. Working and sharing with NRLC's state affiliates, the result is to greatly advance right to life educational efforts in the United States.

Pro-life education does make a difference. Randall K. O'Bannon, Ph.D., director of education and research for the National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund, told NRLNews that there were 1.6 million abortions in 1990. That number, he said, dropped to 1.36 million by 1996.

"That's 1.36 million too many," O'Bannon declares, "but it also means hundreds of thousands of babies are surviving who would have been aborted five years ago." Indeed, cumulatively, that annual decline means that as many as a million children are alive today who would not have been had abortion rates remained the same.

"Having a couple of dollars taken out of each paycheck may not seem like a very big deal to your average employee," says O'Bannon, "but it sure makes a big difference to the cause of unborn babies."

Each year hundreds of thousands of dollars are generated by the National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund through the generous contributions of federal and state government and private sector employees.

For those unfamiliar with the workplace giving campaigns in America, they may think first of the United Way. But there are several other venues available.

First, there is the Combined Federal Campaign, whereby federal employees can contribute to their favorite charity. There are also a number of state employee campaigns for state government employees to contribute through. In addition, private sector employee campaigns are emerging around the country providing further workplace giving opportunities.

All of the activity comes to a head in the fall. During September/October, employees receive a list of 501(c)(3) organizations from which to select, which means their donations are used strictly for educational purposes.

And, of course, employee workplace campaign funds generated by the NRL Educational Trust Fund are shared with NRL's affiliate groups. They utilize the money quite effectively to educate the public about the deleterious affects of abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia.

Florida Right to Life President Lynda Bell, for example, reports of educating communities last year by producing and distributing articles, reports, books, brochures, and newsletters on the subjects of abortion, human experimentation, euthanasia, informed consent, and related matters within the scope of bioethics.

Michigan RTL Education Fund Director Polly Schuler informed NRL Ed Trust Fund that her state was able to fund a particularly successful educational outreach with their television ads. They featured a toll-free number to connect women and men with pregnancy and post-abortion counseling help in their local areas.

Other activities included Michigan RTL's annual Professional Day, state conferences, and students for life day, events which feature pro-life leaders educating on life issues. Michigan RTL also published and distributed a newsletter and many other educational brochures and pamphlets.

Pat Coyle of the New Jersey Committee for Life Education Foundation told NRL News that her state has a wonderful Spanish outreach program that reached over 12,000 last year in the United States and Central America, conducted by their outstanding Spanish Outreach Coordinator Rosa Isabel Acuna. New Jersey Committee for Life also sponsored an information booth at the 10-day New Jersey State Fair, where they displayed thousands of pieces of pro-life educational literature, fetal models, and ran a videotape continuously, showing ultrasound film of unborn babies at various stages of development. The fair was a huge success.

All of these marvelous educational efforts are making a difference as evidenced by the reduced number of abortions in the United States over the last several years. Whatever your workplace environment, federal or state government or private sector, chances are good you can help protect the innocent by pledging or "writing in" National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund, agency #0447 (currently under the federation America's Charities). Your support helps enormously.

Contact Marie G. Hagan, workplace campaigns coordinator, for further information at 202-626-8800, ext. 112, or via e-mail: mhagan2@compuserve.com.

To all employees who have contributed to the NRL Educational Trust Fund in the past through workplace giving, thank you!