Elliot Institute Major Accomplishments for 2007 Through your support, we were blessed to accomplish the following activities during the last year: We have undertaken the data preparation and initial analyses of a database encompassing more than 1 million women over a 20-year period. This data will allow us to examine both the physical and mental health effects associated with women’s reproductive experiences—including childbirth, abortion, miscarriage, and no history of pregnancy—while controlling for the entire mental health and reproductive lives of the women prior to each pregnancy. Our UnChoice ads and outreach materials were used and distributed in a variety of states, including Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, Indiana, California, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee. We continued to develop our “Abortion is the UnChoice” campaign—a comprehensive, multimedia public relations, advertising and outreach campaign—and web site at www.unchoice.info with new research and user-friendly materials, including:
Creating a new kit for political leaders and activists that includes fact sheets about unwanted, unsafe and unfair abortions and a “Key Messages” guide to help political candidates talk about abortion in a clear and consistent matter. We sent out a serialized version of our guide for political candidates to more than 4,000 email recipients. Updating other kits and materials to incorporate the newest research about the impact of abortion and new information that debunks widely held presumptions about “choice.” These materials are being utilized by pro-life activists, educators, clergy, counselors, students and others to help raise awareness of coerced, unwanted abortions and the risks of abortion. Creating new materials to help leverage the efforts of pro-life activists and other concerned citizens to educate the public about unwanted, coerced, and forced abortions and abortion-related trauma. These materials include an online public relations calendar to help link activities to timely, newsworthy events; sample letters for the media and political leaders; a guide to professional and effective advertising; and ideas for low-cost or free ways to reach the public. A version of our model legislation, the Prevention of Coerced and Unsafe Abortions Act, has been introduced as a voter initiative in Missouri. If passed, this initiative would make it easier to hold abortionists liable for failing to screen women for coercion and for known factors that put them at risk for problems after abortion. To learn more, visit www.stopforcedabortions.org. We have published the paperback edition of Forbidden Grief: The Unspoken Pain of Abortion. The new version includes discussion of the latest research showing the injustice of abortion to all involved and the detrimental effects of abortion. We distributed hundreds of books, pamphlets, fact sheets, and other resources, including Hope and Healing (our 12-page newspaper insert our post-abortion healing) and The Post-Abortion Review. We sent out our free email newsletter, The Elliot Institute News, to more than 4,000 subscribers, along with news releases and related commentary on research and other issues. Our three major websites (www.afterabortion.info, www.unchoice.info, and www.elliotinstitute.org) had over 3 million hits, delivering pages to over a quarter of a million unique visitors.
In January, the New York Times Magazine published a cover-page article titled “Is There a Post-Abortion Syndrome?” It confidently assured readers that the answer is “No.” Instead, the author argued that the growing number of post-abortion ministries popping up around the country are simply taking advantage of women—particularly, women who had prior mental health problems which are erroneously blamed on abortion. The article goes on to accuse the Elliot Institute of publishing studies that are completely out of step with the American Psychological Association’s official position that abortion does not contribute to mental health problems. In April we were “dissed” by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her dissent to the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding a partial birth abortion ban. Reacting to an argument in the majority opinion that women who have abortions may suffer from “severe depression and loss of self esteem,” Ginsburg insisted that studies linking abortion to psychological distress, including two Elliot Institute studies, are nothing more than anti-abortion propaganda. In opposition to these peer reviewed studies she cited (1) a policy analyst for Planned Parenthood’s Alan Guttmacher Institute, (2) a position paper by the American Psychological Association’s internal pro-abortion advocacy division and (3) the aforementioned New York Times Magazine article. In July, PBS’s NOW program aired “Post Abortion Politics,” which echoed the same charges printed in the New York Times. The thrust was that quack scientists and post-abortion ministries are working to convince emotionally disturbed women that all their problems are due to abortion. Elliot Institute director David Reardon was identified as the principle “villain” behind this conspiracy.
In reaction to the growing number of studies linking abortion to psychological problems and the Supreme Court’s interest in this subject, the American Psychological Association has set up a new task force to prepare a position paper on the effects of abortion on women. The report is due out in 2008. The task force includes noted proponents of abortion within the APA and failed to include any critics of abortion. One of the task force members, Nancy Russo, has previously stated that, “As far as I'm concerned, whether or not an abortion creates psychological difficulties is not relevant...it means you give proper informed consent and you deal with it.”
People like you are the backbone of our ministry. The accomplishments described above are the accomplishments of everyone affiliated with the Elliot Institute. Whether you are one of our generous donating partners or one of our three staff members, we thank you. We are especially thankful for, and proud of, our sustaining partners. Their faithful commitment to provide ongoing support not only sustains us financially, but also boosts our spirits through the long years. For the last fiscal year, our total expenses were $161,994—a record high. This was substantially more than our total revenue of $134,277. This high for expenses was largely due to our funding the new series of studies described at the beginning of this report, which have required $40,000 just to access and prepare data. Plus, we had a $9,000 drop in revenue compared to the previous year, due to slower sales because many of our book titles are aging. While we were able to cover our shortfall with money from our cash reserves, the slower book sales means that in 2008, we will need to rely even more on donors to meet expenses. For those of you reading this report who are already among our donating partners, we again extend our thanks. We pray that you will continue to participate in this ministry in 2008. Please also consider sharing this report with friends and family members. Perhaps they will join us in this work. For those who have not yet joined our efforts, we ask that you will prayerfully consider doing so. With a ministry as small as ours, whether you give $30 or $10,000, your donations make a huge difference. And no matter what you give, we will work to make sure that when you read our next year-end report in 2008, you will be proud of your part in this great effort. Please donate today ... if you wait until tomorrow, you might forget. The best time to commit yourself to a better future is now—before you’re distracted with other matters. Thank you so much for your support. And please remember us, our efforts, and our families in your prayers. In turn, we continue to remember you, and all of our supporters, in our prayers. Soli Deo Gloria – To God Alone the Glory To make a donation: 1. Click here, or 2. Call 1-888-412-2676, or 3. Mail to: Elliot Institute, PO Box 7348, Springfield, IL 62791. Thank you! The Elliot Institute is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. 
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