512-10th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004

NRLC MOVES, REMAINS NEAR CAPITOL HILL

By Dave Andrusko

Determined that National Right to Life would not allow a proposed doubling of its rent to slash crucially important educational programs, the NRL Educational Trust Fund has purchased a building just three blocks from its current location halfway between the White House and Capitol Hill.

NRLC will rent space for legislative and lobbying activities from the NRL Educational Trust Fund and thus all of the funds that previously went to rent will go to pro-life activities.

"We simply refused to cut our educational outreach in order to pay an additional $200,000 in rent," said Executive Director David N. O'Steen, Ph.D. "Ask anyone in public policy circles here in Washington - - we are legendary for being frugal with the money sent us by grassroots pro-lifers."

O'Steen explained that NRLC had stayed where it had on 7th Street Northwest for over 20 years because the rent was a real bargain by D.C. standards. When that changed, he said, "we took a tough, tough look and then took what we believe is clearly the most fiscally responsible route: we found a building that guaranteed the same immediate access to Capitol Hill at the lowest possible price."

NRLC's new address, as of December 1, is 512-10th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20004.
It is NRLC's hope that its faithful supporters will donate enough extra to pay off the $4 million cost of the building and the approximately $500,000 in relocation and renovation costs.

"If that could happen, it would free up the $200,000 we had to spend previously for rent to devote to needed programs," O'Steen said. "What a great way to enter 2002."

Already two generous friends of the unborn have issued "challenge" grants totaling $1 million. They will match, dollar-for-dollar, what is raised for the building by the end of the year.

In keeping with its philosophy of getting the most bang for the buck, NRLC's new building is "not showy, ornate, or ostentatious, but will be configured in such a way that the hard-working staff can keep performing the activities which have been so effective in helping to save lives for 28 years," said NRLC Director of Education Randall K. O'Bannon, Ph.D. "And we know that people respond to pro-life education - - we know it by correspondence, by phone calls, by letters."
NRLC President Wanda Franz, Ph.D., told NRL News of the many letters she has received in response to her daily Pro-life Perspective broadcasts. "NRL's educational outreach efforts, such as Pro-life Perspective, command a large audience and make a real difference," she said.

Pro-life education makes a huge difference in the states as well. Franz spoke about one Florida pro-lifer who hung an NRLC " Stop Abortion Now" sign in her yard.

"One day a woman knocked on her door and explained how she had seen that sign every day," Franz said. That sign had persuaded her not to have an abortion.
"Then the woman took the pro-lifer out to her car where she showed her twins -- two lives that were saved because the sign convinced her not to have an abortion," Franz said. "Education saves lives."

One of the areas that will be bolstered in the new building is information technology.

"Computers, e-mail, the web -- these are marvelous tools to get the pro-life message out to millions of people," Franz said. "We want to use information technology to its maximum."

O'Steen told NRL News that NRLC's move, like that of any organization, may result in some difficulties over the first month or so. "We would ask that you be patient with us," he said. " We will fix any problems with phones or correspondence just as quickly as humanly possible."

Franz reiterated one more time how crucial location is to NRLC. " Literally, today we were running up to Capitol Hill to take part in vitally important strategy sessions," she said. "These last- minute legislative twists and turns - - you have to be able to get to the hub of the action at a moment's notice."

O'Steen noted that pro-life champions such as Congressmen Henry Hyde and Chris Smith have long described NRLC as "the flagship of the pro-life movement."

"But to maintain that leadership role, and to use your contributions in the most responsible manner, we needed to find a new permanent home," O'Steen said.
"And that's what we did."

Editor's note. Contributions to help pay off the mortgage are tax deductible. Please make your check out to the NRL Educational Trust Fund and earmark it for the Building Fund. The new address once again is 512-10th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004.