With the current brouhaha over Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s

defunding of breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood, the backlash, the

reversal, and the exposure of the source of the initial decision, it’s obvious

that Planned Parenthood is in a constant storm of contentious political struggle (even if the most recent dust-up was an unplanned branding bonanza).

And, it’s been happening for a long time.

Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, one can easily recognize

that Planned Parenthood is at the center of the abortion debate. To constantly

swim in a turgid sea of conflict has its costs. As business owners we know a

battle like this prevents a 100% focus on the mission and effectiveness of the

institution. What is the mission of Planned Parenthood?



You can see its official mission here. But despite its prominent role in the abortion debate, if you look at the numbers you will see that only 3 percent of Planned

Parenthood’s services are abortion services. The rest of their time goes

towards serving women (largely) who can’t afford medical care including breast

cancer screenings, pap smears, STD testing, sex education, and pregnancy

prevention. Seems like a win-win for our society in general. We recognize that

supporting women’s health is about supporting society in general.

Branding for peace versus

war

We believe Planned Parenthood is about the health of women. Why

is their name still Planned Parenthood? If the organization has such a range of

services, why are they still being branded by a name that is a relic of the

1960s? Perhaps it’s time to change the name to reflect what the institution is

really all about.

The current name is a lightning rod. Pro-life constituents hear

the name as an affront to their values and beliefs. And they are right. But the

brand is potentially so much more than an affront to opposing factions. While

the nonprofit world is focusing on empowerment of women and girls as the

solution to future poverty, we are shooting ourselves in the foot with the conflict around Planned Parenthood.