About Us
NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri, the state's largest grassroots pro-choice organization, has been working to protect choice for 35 years. Our mission is to develop and sustain a constituency that uses the political process to guarantee every woman the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. To accomplish our mission, we have the NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri Political Action Committee (PAC); NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri Foundation, a section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization; and NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri Affiliate, a section 501(c)(4) tax exempt organization. Each of these entities has its own board and strategic plan. Although separate, they work together to promote and safeguard women's reproductive health in the state of Missouri. NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri Affiliate Founded in 1969, the Affiliate is the head of the organization. It oversees the PAC and the Foundation and is responsible for managing the office and staff. NPCM engages in educational, lobbying and political activities around a broad range of reproductive health issues. Each election year, NPCM endorses, through the recommendation of its PAC, fully pro-choice candidates and publishes and widely distributes a voter’s guide. The Affiliate also provides expert legislative analysis, testimony and organizing and bill support services. NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri Foundation Formed in 1997, the Foundation is a nonprofit social welfare organization devoted to educational activities. The Foundation conducts public education, trainings and outreach programs aimed at empowering people to become active in the political process. The Foundation also educates candidates on reproductive health issues. The Foundation operates the Clinic Escort Program and recruits and trains volunteers to assist women and their significant others get safely past anti-choice protests as they enter and leave PP’s Reproductive Health Services in St. Louis and Hope Clinic in Granite City, IL. The Foundation also operates the Campus Organizing Program which mobilizes pro-choice students. In 2005, the NPCM Foundation released the groundbreaking Pharmacy Access Project—the most comprehensive report of its kind. The Pharmacy Access Project found a lack of access to emergency contraception in Missouri pharmacies. In response to this report, the Foundation has embarked on a massive statewide organizing project to educate women and pharmacists about the availability and health benefits of emergency contraception. The Foundation can testify as to its research findings upon legislative request. NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri PAC NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri PAC was formed in 1987 to assist in the election of pro-choice candidates. During the 2006 election cycle, NPCM PAC: recruited and trained nearly 100 new volunteers through online, community, and campus outreach; engaged a total of nearly 200 volunteers who worked approximately 750 hours for targeted candidates; communicated with approximately 20,000 pro-choice voters statewide through direct mail, phone banks, and email; sent over 16,000 pieces of direct mail to pro-choice voters statewide; phoned nearly 10,000 voters through volunteer phone banks; held candidate trainings in St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia to prepare pro-choice candidates to win; mailed Pro-Choice Candidate Guide DVDs to all endorsed candidates statewide; engaged in canvasses and phone banks with other community and labor organizations; participated in extensive GOTV operations including providing volunteer poll workers to targeted campaigns, phoning every pro-choice ID in targeted districts and canvassing infrequent voters in HD 94 all day on Election Day as well as the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before the election. PAC Endorsement Process NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri PAC & NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC The process is different for candidates seeking endorsement from the national organization, NARAL Pro-Choice America, versus our state affiliate, as we each have separate PACs. NARAL Pro-Choice America has a federal PAC and we have only a state PAC and each organization has its own guidelines. Both, however, require the completion and return of a candidate questionnaire for endorsement of any candidate. STATE CANDIDATES: If you are a State Candidate looking for the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri, contact us at 314.531.8616 FEDERAL CANDIDATES: If you are a Federal Candidate looking for the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice America, contact: Julie Stitzel, Deputy Director-PAC at 202.973.3050. **********************
Staff Contact Information: Political & Field Director: Vanessa Crawford, Ext. 11 Office Manager: Joyce Robinson, Ext. 10 ********************** Affiliate Contact Information: NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri 1210 S Vandeventer St. Louis, MO 63110 Fax: 314-531-8615 Phone: 314-531-8616 www.prochoicemissouri.org |