The Life Education Council was started 23 years ago with the objective of sponsoring billboards that would provide a pro-life message and a help line number for mothers-to-be who are having difficulties and may be contemplating abortion. Virtually without interruption, the billboards have been on display for the entire 20 years.
We are a 501 (c)(3) organization which relies on donations from a list of supporters. Those donor names are acquired by referral or personal contact. Donations vary, with the average being in the $25-$50 range, and often rise past $1,000. We solicit donations by fundraising letter, on average, three times a year.
Our fiscal health fluctuates, as does that for most non-profits, with the economy, but we have been able to sustain the billboard which at times has seemed miraculous. LEC is 100% volunteer. There are no salaries, or overhead. As we remind donors, they will always be able to see where their money is spent by looking at the billboard.
Our combined long-time experiences in other pro-life organizations and endeavors have convinced us that the strategy of going directly to the pregnant woman is far more effective and cost-efficient in preventing abortions than the lobbying/political routes. It has immediate life saving results and does not entail organizational expenditures.
