2016 was certainly an interesting year. We frequently address prolife legislative and political action achievements in Michigan as we approach the end of the year, but what about just our educational efforts? What about that third, critical leg of our prolife stool?
The Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund had another excellent year. There are many educational programs that are daily, never-ending activities. Of course these continued throughout the year: making educational resources available (most for free and available 24/7 on our website), daily social media activity, resource centers across the state, directing people online to pregnancy help resources, etc.
There were some unique and interesting accomplishments, however, worth highlighting individually.
Both Michigan’s state report and the annual CDC report released in 2016 showed abortion continued it’s long-term decline. In both cases abortion ratios also declined, meaning a higher proportion of women chose life for their children. Those numbers are the ultimate way we measure our educational success. Prolife education literally saves lives in ways other educational efforts simply can’t!
One example was the infamous (depending on who you ask) prolife Doritos ad during Superbowl 50. The ad showed an unborn child via ultrasound, and some hapless media staffer at NARAL freaked out via their social media account on Twitter, creating a wonderful educational opportunity that prolifers took full advantage of. The Ed Fund’s reach through social media, technology, and communications allows us to take such educational opportunities and amplify them greatly.
New resources were created:
- We debuted a bi-weekly podcast, LifeBeat.
- Our information on doctor-prescribed suicide and euthanasia were overhauled in the face of renewed pro-suicide advocacy.
- A new free Powerpoint presentation compares abortion methods with fetal development.
- We created a new poster that highlights fetal development, as well as updating the free flyer that goes along with it.
- We created a new brochure to help churches understand how 501(c)3 nonprofits can educate people involving election activities.
Two new ground-breaking educational ads made their debut. Back in January, our 30-minute documentary "Life Uninvited" aired statewide on television. The documentary was a capstone for our Compassion Project TV ad campaign run throughout 2015 that delved into the difficult issue of rape and abortion.
"War on the Unborn” was a radio ad that debuted just before the election, receiving overwhelmingly positive responses. Called “the BB ad" by most, "War on the Unborn" was another example of the Ed Fund taking a prolife opportunity and amplifying its effect. The ad was based on a popular YouTube video by Peter Heck, and we were able to take his video and turn it into an ad heard throughout the state; it was an ad powerful enough to cause people to pull their cars over as they were overwhelmed by the sound of abortion.
Before these resources and opportunities can be utilized by volunteers and the public, they first need to be created. Besides helping prolife educational efforts using your own time and effort, you too can help play a part in the creation stage.
Now is our opportunity to finish the year strong! Please help the Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund meet the goal of $50,000 in year-end online donations. Thank to generous support those donations will be matched, doubling your impact for life! Help us finish strong and lay the groundwork for greater achievements in 2017.
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