We all know what we’d like to see in a non-profit organization:

• A culture of innovation, quality, and compassion
• Effective work on the issue at hand
• Conservative financial stewardship

That’s the idea, anyway. Unfortunately, this is a rare combination, and nonprofits are as prone to mission drift as any other institution. So, whenever we find a 501(c)That’s the idea, anyway. Unfortunately, this is a rare combination, and nonprofits are as prone to mission drift as any other institution. Last week’s edition studying non-profit executive compensation revealed as much. So, whenever we find a 501(c)(3) that is able to consistently fulfill the three criteria listed above, it is worth paying attention.

Today, we’re going to look at one of the best-run crisis pregnancy care clinics in the country: Choices.

A Culture of Innovation, Quality, and Compassion

At first blush, the name “Choices” and its marketing might seem out of place – but this is part of their brilliance. Long ago, this Chattanooga, Tennessee-based ministry decided that they wanted to reclaim the term “choice,” empower the people they intended to serve and use an outside-in mentality to effectively reach people. That means some of their billboards don’t come across as very conservative or pro-life in their messaging, such as a sign that depicts a positive pregnancy test with text that reads “Back to School Blues?” It then lists their information.

“We look at it as a search and rescue mission instead of waiting for them to come to us,” says Michele Cheresnick, the client services director for the organization. “We have to be so much more innovative than we’ve ever been, because you have all of the answers on your phone, and you can get a pregnancy test at the dollar store, so why should people come to us if they didn’t need someone to walk the journey with them?”

Whatever one thinks of the approach, the marketing works. Many abortion-minded women searching for hope, resources, and help come to Choices rather than finding an abortion clinic. The humility and wisdom of speaking the clients’ language in advertisements has taken some out of their comfort zones, but it’s necessary for being true to what they feel is the call of God on their organization.

“Part of being obedient is being willing to be stretched and go outside the typical boundaries of a pregnancy resource center,” Jennie Landreth, the developmental director, says.

To that end, everything at Choices is thoughtful, considerate, and deliberate. The examination tables are upholstered and gently heated, the free clothing and baby supplies room is organized like a chic boutique, and even the layout of the center is designed so that each kind of client Choices works with has their particular needs attended to. The medical wing has a prominent plaque listing the names and certifications of all of the medical staff so that women know they are walking into a professional organization with real RNs and certified technicians. The lobby of the medical side has a very feminine design so that the women who arrive feel that this is a safe space for them; the lobby of the family services side is more masculine to let the men know that they belong with their families in this time, and they are welcome too. The waiting area for post-abortive women seeking counseling is separate from the other lobbies so that they do not have to see pregnant women or small children when they arrive.

The list of services and resources that Choices offers for women grows year by year, always with a mind on how to reach people wherever they are in a critical moment.

“We’re giving them hope,” says Jess Donawald, the patient care coordinator. “That’s what Jesus does.”

Effective Work on the Issue

The marketing, design, and compassionate approach are more than mere theory – it’s a powerful combination that works. Fully 89% of abortion-minded women who set foot in Choices ultimately choose life for their babies. Post-abortion counseling helps to short-circuit the cycle of repeat abortions for women who unfortunately went elsewhere in the past and had an abortion. They still receive love, help, and mental health support at Choices, and they leave with healing and hope.

“Choices really is changing this city,” says Judy, a 14-year veteran volunteer. “The Lord is in this place – that’s all I can say.”

Over their 40-year history, Choices and its partners have been instrumental in closing down Chattanooga’s abortion clinic in 1993, in bringing churches of various denominations together for good works, and for breathing life into the most vulnerable families in their city.

Today, Choices helps women in need obtain insurance, apply for WIC and other programs, find housing, get into education or job training programs, find mentors, acquire financial assistance, get connected with a church community, find an OB-GYN, go through birthing, parenting, and nutrition classes, go through counseling – to say nothing of the ultrasounds, medical follow-ups and examinations, pregnancy tests, STI tests, and other medical services they provide. Choices puts to shame the lie that the pro-life movement only cares about birth; Choices offers services and aid to families from pregnancy all the way until the child is three years old.

“Every time we’ve added a service, it’s because we’ve identified a need for an abortion-minded woman,” Jennie says.

Evidently, that approach is working, and it has kept them fiercely on mission. Choices has one thing in mind at all times that drives all decision-making:

“How can we serve women in families in crisis pregnancies to influence them for life?”

Conservative Fiscal Stewardship

Before touring Choices, I looked over their form-990. It looked good. Choice brings in nearly $2.5 million a year – 80% of which comes from individual donations. 20% comes from churches and businesses, and they receive a modest amount from grants here and there. They do not take any federal or state money, and consequently, they are not subject to the strings that always come tied to those dollars. They stay on mission operationally but also fiscally.

Top directors share offices with one another to save on space and expenses. Their top executive, Carol Ann Ferguson, makes a modest salary, and the board members receive no compensation at all. There are no six-figure jobs at Choices because they are dedicated to prioritizing the mission above all else.

How are they able to do this when so many organizations end up becoming about the comfort of those who run them?

For one thing, their board is very strict, fully bought into the cause, and made up of diverse experts, including a lawyer, a CEO, an accountant, and a banker.

“Our board is extremely professional, our board meetings are very long, and they require us to do our due diligence and come to them with numbers,” one of the staff members tells me.

In other words, there are no rubber stamps at Choices. The default setting is that decisions will be made slowly, thoughtfully, and any significant change is going to take time and precision. Amazingly, when a dire circumstance arises that requires flexibility, Choices has shown its ability to act fast, but this is purposely the exception, not the rule. Prudence rules the day.

When I told Jennie Landreth that Sent to Win would be interested in talking about the numbers, she quickly excused herself from the room, then returned with a document which she handed to me.

“This is our budget,” she said. “Carol Ann is very pro-transparency – I have a green light to share any financial information, whether it’s with donors or whoever needs to know. I don’t have any restrictions in that.”

I was impressed – both by the openness, as well as by the disciplined budget that I read over.

Lessons Learned

There is much to learn from this organization, which has been called the best pregnancy care clinic in the country by a prominent pro-life activist (who asked that I not say his name for fear of offending other excellent centers). We can all learn from their culture of quality and innovation, which is to be willing to go outside of the typical messaging and strategy of others in their ministry space. We can learn from their vertical integration, so to speak, which allows the organization to expand its services in such a way that supports the mission instead of distracting from it. And, perhaps most importantly, the financial transparency that Choices practices leads to financial discipline, something that all non-profits, churches, and ministries would do well to imitate.

Ultimately, these three things – a culture of innovation and quality, effective work and focus on the mission, and financial transparency and stewardship – all work together to create an excellent organization doing important kingdom work.

If you’d like to support the work that Choices is doing, or simply learn more about the organization, click here.

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