Yesterday as reported by media everywhere, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a measure imposing some of the nation's tightest restrictions on abortions and making Indiana the first state to cut off taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood, which immediately went to court in an effort to stop the law. Daniels is considering a run for president in 2012. Adding his signature to the abortion bill will likely help his image among social conservatives who were upset over his previous calls for a Republican "truce" on social issues.
Should the Indiana and National Boards of Planned Parenthood be proud that bashing and defunding them has become the new "it" political statement? Is there nothing more than going to court that Planned Parenthood can do?
One answer is to remind ourselves about the paradigm that defines the role of the nonprofit sector: to fill the void where public does not have a mandate (lowest common denominator of needs) and for-profits have no incentive. So, I could argue that such bashing and pulling of money from Planned Parenthood would suggest that the public no longer places Planned Parenthood services on the list of lowest common denominator of needs.
But is this true? Has the public really come to the place that the Governor of Indianna represents? And what are the alternatives? Well, many nonprofits that are not government-funded do survive through individual gifts. Take Amnesty International or some of the big environmental groups.
Maybe this defunding trend is really an opportunity for Planned Parenthood to recreate itself as the "People's Choice" demonstrated by a legion of donors. Afterall, while the money from the public sector is appealing, perhaps the strings and the negative messaging coming from those who question such allocations just isn't worth it. A good board conversation, don't you think?