With ongoing political and legislative assailing of pregnancy help organizations in the U.S. following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision the need for unified defense in the pregnancy help movement has driven the rise of pregnancy center state coalitions.
State coalitions come in many shapes and sizes.
Some are informal gatherings and others are 501(c)(3)s or other type of non-profit. Some manage their state’s Alternatives to Abortion (A2A) or family support funding programs, distributing the funds to qualifying pregnancy centers. Some focus on pregnancy clinics, others on both non-medical centers and clinics, and still others on all types of pregnancy help organizations. Some states have multiple coalitions with different approaches.
In each case, in every state it’s beneficial to unite pregnancy help leaders for sharing industry standards and proven methods, media strategy, encouragement, networking, prayer, and more.
As state coalitions have continued to form and grow, the need for fellowship among the leaders of those coalitions was recognized. Collaboration and effectiveness increase if the leaders of each state also talk to each other, and for awareness of which states have coalitions.
The idea for a coalition of the coalitions began several years ago during a gathering of state coalition leaders who met while traveling for the Care Net conference. The effort has now taken on a newly formalized form as a program of the organization Life Matters Worldwide called the Coalition Leadership Network.
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Life Matters has a 40-year history of support for pregnancy care workers and has assisted individual states. The organization believes that this uniting through the Coalition Leadership Network can also help pregnancy centers contend with criticism from abortion proponents.
Coalition Leadership Network’s founding documents state: “Not only do we become stronger together - we become harder to disregard, discredit, or close down…It's also important to remember the principle of unity. As Psalm 133:1-3 reminds us, there is a unique blessing in coming together.”
The Coalition Leadership Network plans to support and be present at national pregnancy center conferences as well as support each coalition’s state and regional pregnancy center conferences. For states without coalitions or those wanting to formalize their structure, Coalition Leadership Network can help provide guidance.
The core values of Coalition Leadership Network emphasize a posture of humility as coalitions learn from one another. The values include to “build community through relationship,” “foster unity not uniformity,” “share resources generously,” and “avoid duplication of services.” With this posture, centers and coalitions can respect one another’s differences and engage in healthy dialogue.
The Coalition Leadership Network will be structured around three pillars or goals - Support, Strengthen, and Connect. They explain these pillars in their founding documents:
- Support: Collect and provide resources for excellence, training, and practical formation tools to State Coalition Leaders.
- Strengthen: Provide coaching, encouragement, team building, and soul care/spiritual enrichment to state coalition leaders.
- Connect: Build unity through relationships, communication, and collaboration among state coalition leaders and national partners.
In concert with this effort, Choose Life Marketing has assisted with the development of a new technology portal - a Coalition Community Hub - which will allow state coalition leaders to chat with one another and share resources. The plan is to provide a legislative information page, a directory of coalitions, a resource/links page, and opportunities for comments and conversations.
Amy Ford, founder and president of Embrace Grace, stated that the entire ecosystem of pregnancy help is strengthened through collaboration.
“We are stronger when we work together,” Ford said in an endorsement letter. “I believe the Coalition Leadership Network will help unify and fortify the life-affirming movement in a way that ultimately serves women, protects life, and builds a future rooted in compassion and courage.”
Jim Sprague is the CEO of PRC Grand Rapids, Board Chairman of the Michigan Coalition for Pregnancy Wellness, and he serves on the advisory board for the Coalition Leadership Network.
“State coalitions are one of the most strategic investments our movement can make,” Sprague said.
“Coalition Leadership Network is such an important initiative,” he said. “It will strengthen established coalitions by connecting leaders with one another, sharing proven practices, and fostering a spirit of collaboration across the country. At the same time, it will help emerging coalitions build on a solid foundation, providing guidance and encouragement regardless of where they are in their development.”
Sprague believes the ultimate purpose is the families who will benefit.
“When we strengthen coalition leaders, we strengthen state coalitions,” he said. “When we strengthen state coalitions, we strengthen pregnancy resource centers. And when we strengthen pregnancy resource centers, more women, men, and families are served with excellence, compassion, and hope. That's a vision worth investing in.”
Heartbeat International Director of Affiliate Services and former President of the New York State Coalition for Life Kathy Jerman also serves on the Coalition Leadership Network Advisory Board, and she offered support for the new national coalition network as well.
“As someone who served both as President of the New York State Coalition for Life and as Director of Affiliate Services for Heartbeat International, I've seen firsthand how valuable state coalitions are,” Jerman said.
“Coalition leaders often carry tremendous responsibility, but many have done so without a dedicated network of peers who truly understand the unique opportunities and challenges they face,” she said. “The Coalition Leadership Network fills that gap in a meaningful way.”
Jerman also underscores how this effort is a bridge between national, state, and local levels of pregnancy support.
“I also see this as an incredible opportunity for greater unity across the pregnancy help movement,” she said. “The Coalition Leadership Network creates a way for our national organizations to come alongside coalition leaders, working together to provide support, training, and resources that strengthen state coalitions across the country. When we work together, we all become stronger.”
Tweet This: The Coalition Leadership Network creates a way for national organizations to come alongside coalition leaders & strengthen state coalitions.
The Coalition Leadership Network is now welcoming state coalitions of all kinds from across the country to join at no cost, stating that the priority is “to ensure broad participation from as many states as possible.” Coalitions can join the Coalition Leadership Network from its website.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
