Some have written, asking if I'm sure certain donors on my list really have given to pro-abortion groups, because they wrote a company and received a reply denying a donation.
I thought I'd explain a few things here, as it appears many do not realize how some donations are handled, how the information is made public, that not all donations are published at every source, etc.
First of all, be assured that I, as a Christian, would never post something that was untrue. That would actually cause harm, not accomplish anything good. Second, I am certain my information is accurate; I'm very exact about such things. Some donors, however, might lie about their funding patterns. (Think about it: If they think killing innocent little babies is okay, lying probably seems insignificant to them!)
My list was compiled, as my web site states, from public records, annual reports, publications of The Foundation Center -- The Chronicle of Philanthropy, etc. In addition, I have found that some information published nowhere else is made public in Planned Parenthood's own Annual Reports, though these are hard to come by.*
Also realize that:
1) Not all grants are listed by all sources. That's why some sources cite them as "sample grants."
2) It's important to consider the overall giving pattern established by a donor. (Some might give a certain amount each year or every couple years, then suddenly make a big donation another year specifying it includes the current plus next year, then skip a year, etc. Example: donating $18,000 per year for many, many years, then giving $68,000 in advance to cover the next couple years or so.) That's why I specify the years of donations, description, etc. I've been following the giving patterns of abortion funders since the 1980s, when my employer, the local newspaper, fired me because of my pro-life position (claiming it made them "appear" biased to have a pro-lifer in the newsroom!) -- and the corporation itself was found to be a regular donor to Planned Parenthood, largest abortion provider in the world.
3) Annual reports, published by the company or foundation itself, do not list -- and are not required to list -- all donations.
4) Publications only cover donations already made public. (Not only is the current year still "happening" -- in fact, many 1998 grants are still just becoming public in some books.)
5) Many donors give to a fund that distributes the money (they earmark where funds are to be directed but funnel it through another source). Some of these are harder to track, but not impossible. The grant might not appear in the donor's annual report, but the recipient might publish a "Thank You" in its report!
If you really want to check things out yourself, and have lots of free time, find the Foundation Center nearest you (there are several throughout the country, in many cities). There you will be able to track the giving patterns of many of the major donors.
Hope this helps clarify the questions some have raised.
-- Diane Dew
* Planned Parenthood's own Annual Reports, though difficult to obtain, also list many donors never mentioned in companies' annual reports or even publications of the Foundation Center, etc.