A pro-choice activist complained about how Planned Parenthood discounted volunteers like her and pressured its supporters for money. She explains why she will no longer volunteer at PP:
“I have been volunteering for Planned Parenthood for the past three years. … I cannot afford to attend $85 luncheons, let alone write a $250 check. The core volunteer group that I work with has similar motivations – we love Planned Parenthood, but sometimes it feels like our contributions are completely overlooked, especially when we constantly get emails from PPFA asking for more and more money.
My problem doesn’t just reside with Planned Parenthood. Every nonprofit that I have ever worked for, either as a volunteer or a staff member, seems to discount the donor who can only afford to give $5 or $10. Volunteer hours are never calculated in terms of their economic value to the organization. And staff who already contribute to the organization by working long hours for very little pay are also disrespected when they are hit up for money by the development officers. When you’re only making $27,000 a year, how in the hell are you supposed to afford spending $250 a month in financial contributions to your employer?
Here’s the scoop: if PPFA didn’t spend so much money on fancy pink posters and snazzy T-shirts, they might not need to shake the money tree so often….
My tenure as a Planned Parenthood volunteer is rapidly coming to a close.”
“How effective is corporate feminism?” Abortion Gang Nov 21 2011
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