Dear Pro-Life Student Leader,

Students for Life of America is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting

and training pro-life students across America. Our mission is to identify, edu-
cate, and equip pro-life students to abolish abortion in our lifetime.

Our team has created this Advanced Strategy Guidebook as a continuing

resource for you, and your club. We hope it will encourage you to continue to
impact your campus and help you to strengthen the vision of what you can
accomplish at your school and in your community.

Please know that our full-time team at SFLA is here to help you every step of
the way as part of this nationwide movement to abolish abortion.

Since abortion became legal in 1973, over 56 million babies have been killed.
That is one-fourth of our generation lost. This is our battle, and with your help,
we will abolish abortion in our lifetime.

For Life,

Kristan J. Hawkins
President

Contact Us
Students for Life of America
9900 Courthouse Road
Spotsylvania,VA 22553

540-834-4600
info@[Link]
[Link]
 Table of Contents
WELCOME

PRO-LIFE HISTORY 4
Timeline
Lessons from History

WHAT YOU CAN DO 6

On Campus Activism
Resources
Academic
Community Engagement

EVENT PLANNING 10
Planning Your Year
Advertising Your Event
Pre-Event Checklist CLUB CHALLENGES 26
Post-Event Checklist Legal Rights
Rapid Response Recruitment
Retention
PUBLIC RELATIONS & MEDIA 16 Measuring Your Effectiveness
Sample Press Release Uninvited Pro-Life Groups
Social Media Counter-Protesting
Media Tips
Responding to Negative Media CREATING A NETWORK 35
Community Media At School
In the Community
ADVANCED FUNDRAISING 20 Wisdom of Pro-Life Experts
Fundraising Proposal
Methods TRANSITIONING LEADERSHIP 38
Fundraising Letter Growing New Leaders
Event Ideas Passing on the Legacy
After Graduation

A WORLD WITHOUT ABORTION 41

SFLA Fellowships
Contact Students for Life of America Further Training
We have Regional Coordinators all over the nation
Students For Life |

whose sole purpose is to help you start and maintain SFLA LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIPS 47
your student group. Email info@[Link]
to find out who is in your area to help!

3
PRO-LIFE HISTORY 1970s Pre-Roe:
• New York, Alaska, Hawaii and Washington repealed
bans on abortion after viability, allowing abortion up
Why start a pro-life strategy manual with history? to 24 weeks. (“Timeline of Abortion Laws and Events”)
While most pro-life people know basic abortion
facts and can explain the effect of Roe v. Wade, • In 1971, the Comstock Act was repealed.
most are unaware of the history surrounding the
abortion battle. In order to effectively move January 22, 1973
forward in ending abortion, you must critically The Supreme Court handed down Roe
examine the history of the fight for life. One v. Wade & Doe v. Bolton decisions.
must be aware of what strategies and tactics Abortion became legal through all nine
failed and succeeded in the past in order to learn months of pregnancy,for any reason,
from mistakes instead of repeating them. in the entire United States!
1870-1890:
• Supported by the American Medical Association, the 1970s Post-Roe
Comstock Act bans the dissemination of information • Nellie Gray began garnering support for a Human
on abortion or birth control. (LA Times, “Timeline of Life Amendment. She organized the first National
Abortion Laws and Events”) March for Life. (St. Louis Review, “84-year-old Nellie
Gray is the ‘Mother of the March for Life’”)
• In an 1875 speech called “Social Purity,” feminist and
suffragist, Susan B. Anthony, spoke out against • The Human Life Amendment and Bill were
abortion. Other feminists also openly opposed introduced.
abortion. (Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony by Ida
Husted Harper, also visit [Link]) • National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) was
started as a deliberately non-religious group.
• In 1890, abortion was outlawed except if
necessary to preserve the life of the mother. 1980s:
(“Timeline of Abortion Laws and Events”) • After the 1984 election, Congress and the White
House were both majority pro-life. Congress
1960s: worked to pass a Human Life Amendment and a
• Abortionists Lawrence Lader and Dr. Bernard Human Life Bill (in case the Amendment failed
Nathanson helped found the National Association for during ratification).
the Repeal of Abortion Laws, now called NARAL
Pro-Choice America. Nathanson later renounced • Pro-life activists divided their support between
abortion and admitted to falsifying statistics in order to the bill and amendment. They actively lobbied
garner sympathy for the pro-abortion cause. (Aborting against each other, resulting in the failure of both.
America by Bernard N. Nathanson) This created a general disillusionment with the
political process amongst pro-lifers.
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• News coverage of Sherri Finkbine provided an

emotional face for the quest to legalize abortion. While • The pro-life movement turned to the grassroots
pregnant, she took thalidomide, a drug later found to level and began opening Pregnancy Help Centers
cause severe birth defects. She requested a therapeutic (PHCs).
abortion and was denied. (TIME, Oct 5, 1983, “Abortion
and the Law: Thalidomide)
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 2000s:
PRO-LIFE HISTORY • After 21 years in litigation and three hearings by the
Supreme Court, NOW v. Scheidler (2006) affirmed the
free speech rights of pro-life activists and sidewalk
counselors. Ruling against NOW’s claim that all pro-lifers
1988 were responsible for criminal activity perpetrated by a
American Collegians for Life is started! few people.
In 2006, the group is renamed Students
for Life of America. • Colorado, Massachusetts and Montana implemented
“buffer” or “bubble zone” laws, which restrict the areas
where pro-life demonstrators can be outside of
1990s abortion clinics.
• Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs) continued
to spring up, allowing pro-lifers to support pregnant • States continue to pass laws restricting abortion such
women in their communities. as parental notification, waiting periods and ultrasound
requirements. Congress passed a partial-birth abortion
• The Supreme Court reaffirmed Roe in Planned ban, which the Supreme Court upheld in Gonzales v.
Parenthood v. Casey (1992), BUT upheld that some Carhart (2007). This ban restricts one type of late-term
restrictions, like parental notification and informed abortion (D&X), forcing abortionists to create
consent laws, are constitutional, thus opening the alternative methods for aborting older unborn babies.
door to incrementalist pro-life legislation, Pro-life
division followed over this legislative tactic. • In 2009, Gallup released polling results that, for the
first time, more Americans identify themselves as
• Violence against abortion facilities and “pro-life” – 57%!
abortionists by a few fringe anti-abortionists led
to fear, mistrust and stereotyping of the pro-life • Planned Parenthood, in reaction to the economic
movement. hardships of smaller, mostly private, abortion facilities,
starts building “mega-centers,” instead of neighborhood
• Operation Rescue created the “rescue” – a tactic clinics.
of peacefully blocking access to abortion facilities by
linking arms, while a few sidewalk counselors send • Texas legislators passed HB 2, banning abortion at 20
the abortion-minded women to PRCs. As a result, weeks, when the preborn child can feel pain, and
Congress passed the Freedom of Access to Clinic requiring abortion facilities to meet the same basic
Entrances Act (F.A.C.E.), which made “rescues” a health and safety standards as other ambulatory surgical
federal crime, and they essentially ceased. centers. The national attention brought by the
opposition’s tactics showed America how radical and
• Sidewalk counseling and prayer vigils became the- out of step the pro-abortion movement is.
main form of clinic pro-life activism.

Lessons Learned From Pro-Life History

o As Abraham Lincoln said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Infighting by the pro-life
Students For Life |

community is counter-productive. So much so that division among pro-lifers thwarted an opportunity to

end abortion.
o Life and death issues can unite people of all backgrounds,races, nationalities, religions, etc.
o In order persuade politicians, we must break through party barriers. Abortion is not a conservative vs.
liberal or Republican vs. Democrat issue – it is a human rights issue!
o Effective changes start at the grassroots level. What you do is valuable!
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 Activism
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Every club and school is different. Hosting an event at a public high school will often look very
different from hosting an event on a private college campus. However, whether you’re
homeschooled, at a university, high school, community college or private college, these are
ideas to help you generate events for your school. There are four main ways that students
impact their community and their schools. The first is Activism! You need educate your school.

Flyering
Flyers are effective ways of getting truth out to your school. Post a series of fetal development flyers on your
campus and “grow a baby” for everyone to see the miracle of life. Post facts about Adoption, Planned
Parenthood or Post Abortion Healing. Check out [Link] for free, customizable, downloadable flyers.

Topic Cards
Hand out postcards on your school. Get the information about abortion and resources directly into people’s
hand. Make your own club handouts or check out Students for Life’s free topic cards about planned parenthood,
myths about safe sex, hard cases and more.

Tabling
Your group should schedule regular tabling events to help create a visible, consistent public presence at your
school. Tabling may involve a display of abortion statistics, pregnancy resources, a variety of pro-life materials,
and even fetal model displays. Poll or survey tables are also effective. Ask your campus to answer the question
“Should Abortion Remain Legal?”

Displays
Host a Cemetery of Innocents or the Planned Parenthood Project on your campus. Displays are great at stir-
ring up sustained and productive conversations on campus. Contact your Regional Coordinator for help.

If there is an idea you like but you know

won’t work at your school or in your
community, don’t be afraid to try the event
while switching up the elements you know
won’t work. Be creative, be courageous, be
Students For Life |

willing to try new [Link]

[Link] for more event ideas.

6
 Resources
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Whether its organizing a diaper drive, hosting a baby shower, or posting fliers with
information about local Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs), your pro-life group
can make a significant difference in the lives of pregnant and parenting students. While our
Pregnant on Campus Initiative is designed for college campuses, many of the individual
projects are suitable for high school clubs as well, so look through the event ideas below.

Survey Your Campus

Our survey was designed by Students for Life of America (SFLA) and Feminists for Life (FFL) with the
intention of aiding you in expanding pregnancy resources on your campus and in your community. By
completing this survey, you will be able to effectively identify and promote the local and national
resources for pregnant and parenting students and create a personalized Pregnant and Parenting Resource
Guide for your school. The information you gather will also be added to our national pregnancy resources
[Link] [Link]

Pregnant On Campus Initiative (PONC)

In September 2011, the Pregnant on Campus Initiative was launched as the long-awaited answer to the need
for pregnant and parenting outreach on college campuses. Through this initiative, students bring hope and
help to college campuses by identifying, improving, and expanding resources for pregnant and parenting
students on their college campuses and in the surrounding community. By committing to both simple and
challenging projects, you can shape your communities to be supportive, life-affirming environments for
• Pregnancy Resource Website • Baby Shower
• Diaper Decks • Pregnant Athletes
• Lactation Room • Campus Support Groups
• Community Baby Shower Drive • Pregnant and Parenting Assistance Fund
• Diaper Drive • Resident Advisor Kits
• Meals for Moms • Free Pregnancy Tests
• Babysitting
• Help local PRC

44% of abortions in America are obtained by

college-aged women (age 18-24).Too often,
pregnant and parenting students feel forced to
choose between continuing their education or
dropping out to raise their child. It is up to us,
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the students, to encourage our administration

and our peers to identify, advertise, improve, and
expand resources for pregnant and parenting
students on our college campuses.

7
 Academic
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
You can also engage you school in the academic sphere. Too often pro-lifers are silent in the
world of [Link] group has the perfect opportunity to engage your school in this arena.

Speakers
Bring in a professional respect speaker who can talk to your school about the links between breast cancer and
abortion, adoption, planned parenthood, pregnancy resources, perinatal hospice, For a list of speakers visit
[Link]

Debate
A well hosted debate can often be the best way of getting a new audience to hear your [Link] can team
up with the secular club at your school to host a debate and get all of their members to hear the truth. Make
sure you have someone defending the life position who is a good debater. [Link]
ogetics

Panels or Speak Outs

Bring in a panel to speak on a particular topic. Invite women from your local post abortion healing ministry to
share their experiences with your campus. Host a panel highlighting the different resources for pregnant
women in your community.

Editorial
See if you can get a pro-life article into your school paper. Ask questions of the community about where the
pregnant women on campus find help? Or challenge the stereotype that you can’t be pro-life and a feminist.

Papers or Classroom Presentations

Don’t be afraid to write about or present about abortion. If your teacher tells you can’t write about or present
on this topic, this is viewpoint discrimination, and you should contact SFLA immediately. Check out [Link]
[Link]/term-paper-topics/ for term paper topics

You and your school group are a part of the

pro-life generation and will play a key role
in abolishing abortion in our nation. Never give
up! Stand strong in the face of adversity
and you will change your school culture, and
Students For Life |

ultimately bring a culture of life to America.

Let’s do it!

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 Community Engagement
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
You must be willing to engage in your community as well as your school . Not only do you need
to be building bridges to the resources in your community, there are places in the community
that need young people to take a stand.

Sidewalk Counseling
Get your club members out to the sidewalk of your local abortion clinic to offer help and resources. Join your
local 40 Days for Life or begin hosting one. If you’re intimidated by the idea of sidewalk counseling, ask an SFLA
representative for training or start by just going out to pray on the sidewalk

Volunteering with Pro-Life organizations

Help your local PRC (Pregnancy Resource Center) to get their message on to your school and into the
community. Host a fundraiser or a diaper drive to help with their lifesaving work. Many times PRC’s need
volunteers to help with their fundraising banquets and events.

Pro-Life Campaigns and Ballot Measures

Get involved in local pro-life campaigns and ballot measures. Help phone banking or door knocking as a club.
Prove to your community that young people do notice when candidates vote pro-life.

Marches, Rallies and Walks

Most communities have a Life Chain Sunday in the Fall and Marches or Rallies in January commemorating the
anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Show up as a club to tell your community that you have not forgotten.

Lobby
Learn how to lobby. Go to the capitol to tell your legislators what you think. When important legislation is
going through your state government, call and write your representatives. Be a voice for the voiceless.

Be sure to attend your local

SFLA Regional Leadership Summit and
the National Students for Life
Conference! For more information on our
National Conference, visit
Students For Life |

[Link]

9
EVENT PLANNING
When planning an event make sure that you know what you want out of that event.
Every event you host should serve not only as an event for achieving your mission, but
also as a means for recruitment, retention, fundraising and advertising your club’s
presence on campus. Let’s face it, events take [Link] want to get the most mileage
out of your work [Link] want to work smarter, not harder! Here are a few tricks
to maximize your event potential.
Always Invite People to the Next Event
Never have an event without inviting people to come to the next event. Strategize ahead of time to ensure
that you have a segue into your next events. Are you tabling at the freshman fair? Don’t just have a table
announcing your club exists. Have an event or meeting to invite the interested freshmen to. Are you having
a pro-life movie night? Take the time at the beginning of the movie to invite people to your next meeting or
event.

Branding
Make sure your club is well branded at the event. As simple as it sounds, it’s important people who attend
the event know that it’s put on by your club. Make sure you have a banner or poster with your club name
prominent. Start each event by introducing the club and saying that the “Students for Life at Sesame
University welcomes all to the event and would love to talk to anyone interested in the club after the event.”

Bring Food
Don’t forget to have food at your event. Our society becomes a community around food. Just look at some
of the holidays we love most, Thanksgiving: food, 4th of July: food. People like food. Whether its candy,
popcorn or pizza, have a little something for people to enjoy.

Delegate
Utilize the event to draw on less involved members. Events take work. Learn to delegate. Small tasks like
flyers for events, or helping to table before an event, or greeting people at the doors of the event or perfect
ways to draw in the members of your club who have been hanging back or aren’t involved.

Vision Casting
Remember and remind people of the big picture! You
want your club to be a movement. Movements need
direction. At every event set the vision for where you are
headed next or what you hope to accomplish on your
campus. Instead of just saying “thanks for coming to our
event everyone” remind people why they need to come
Students For Life |

join you. “Thank you for coming to our event, we are

excited about the change that our club is bringing to this
campus. Our mission is ___(your club’s vision)___ and
we want you on board with us. Come join us!” Don’t be
afraid to get a little enthusiastic in your invitation!!

10
PLAN YOUR YEAR
One of the key aspects of a successful group is planning ahead! Before the school year,
or as your group is forming, sit down with your adviser and other club leaders to plan
your year. This is simply to create a structure and should be flexible. Ask your Regional
Coordinator for a Plan Your Year Guide to help!

How to Make a Plan

1. Use your SFLA Plan Your Year Guide or another calendar to mark the following dates:
• Freshman Orientation
• First day of class
• All major holidays, breaks, or school events (football games, homecoming, etc.)
• Exam week
• Last day of class

2. Next, fill in all national pro-life events and campaigns, such as:
• Respect Life Chain Sunday
• National Day of Silent Solidarity When deciding on events, use your vision and
• Pro-Life Cupcake Day mission statement to guide your discussion.
• Fall and Spring 40 Days for Life Campaign What events can you do that will help you
• March for Life accomplish your goal? This keeps your group
• Students for Life National Conference focused and makes event planning easier.
• Students for Life Regional Leadership Summit
• Pro-Life T-shirt Day If you want to host a speaker, show a pro-life
• National Pro-Life Chalk Day movie, or find more ideas on exciting pro-life
• National Community Baby Shower Day
events, visit [Link].
• National Adoption Day
• Elections

3. Now that you have an idea of what your year will look like, propose a few meeting times. Do you
want to meet twice a month? What day of the week works best for the majority of members? What
time? Go ahead and mark your meeting times on your calendar so that everyone can plan ahead.

4. Next, plan recruitment events for the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Have a tabling
display or event specifically aimed at recruiting new members. Plan to attend club activities fairs for
incoming freshmen! (See pages 29-30 for information on how to recruit.)

5. Most importantly, set goals for events. We recommend that your group has at least one event per
Students For Life |

month. This can include a flyering campaign, a baby item drive or baby shower, a fetal development
display, etc. Propose at least two days per month for possible events and ask your members what
best fits with their schedules. Solidify those dates as soon as possible so the group can plan.

11
ADVERTISING YOUR EVENT
Advertising may be hard for some of your groups. Be sure to stress the importance of good
advertising to your group when planning your next event.

Pick a Cool Name

Names and titles of events are important! Give your event a name or title that will catch peoples’ interest. At
many schools, saying “Pro-life speaker” won’t get people to your event, but saying “Women’s Rights Speaker” will
get people.

Double Check the Details

Every piece of advertising you make must have ALL the correct details. Please double check before you print,
post, or share about your event, make sure all the correct information is available. Changing event details is a sure
way to lose credibility and people’s interest in your event and club. Details You need: Time, Date, Place, What,
Why, and Who is putting on the event

Trendy Flyers
Create trendy, cool flyers. Think of advertising as the face of your group. It’s a good idea to print double the flyers
you will need for an event to have them on hand in case your flyers get torn down or vandalized. SFLA offers a
number of flyers that your group can download, customize and print to fit your [Link] [Link]-
[Link]/flyers or [Link]/flyers and click on the flyers for a high resolution and
printable image. Print these out and use them at your school!
Create a Facebook Event
Take advantage of the relationships that group members have. Have everyone in the group add their personal
friends to the invite list. Be sure to also invite community members and other local organizations. Be sure to
invite like minded clubs or groups at your school to your events.

Be Creative
Chalk around your school the day of the event announcing the time and location. Tag the corner of all the
whiteboards in the different classrooms with a small announcement about your event. Table during the morning
of your event or in the days leading up to it and give people a handout with the event details.

For more information on SFLA’s

Event-in-a-Box resources for high
school and college students visit
Students For Life |

[Link]

12
12
PRE-EVENT CHECKLIST
Before your event, print off and run through this checklist to make sure that you are ready to
rock!

Post-Event Checklist

Did You…?

• Reserve space or a room

• Check IT/AV needs (e.g. video, microphone)
• Confirm volunteers
• Notify volunteers of expectations
• Assign someone to take photos/video
• Notify speakers of expectations, schedule, location, and contact information
• Confirm food orders
• Check access to buildings, rooms, etc.
• Assemble materials (e.g. handouts)
• Create displays
• Create a Facebook event
• Post announcements on Facebook,Twitter, etc.
• Post flyers around campus
• Advertise in the school newspaper
•
Don’t Forget to Bring....

• Signs and banners (for rooms, tables, or display)

• Displays (e.g. fetal models, display boards)
• Handouts (e.g. literature, freebies)
• Sign-up Sheets
• Clipboards
• Pens
• Tape
• Scissors
• Cash (if needed for change)
• Computers
• Chargers for computers and phones
• Camera
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• Food/ Drinks
• Bins/boxes for material donations
• Secure box or file for monetary donations
• Transportation

13
13
POST-EVENT CHECKLIST
Great job with your event! Now it’s time to pack up and celebrate another successful event. Here
are some items to remember.

Post-Event Checklist

Did you… ?

• Thank attendees for coming

• Make your final announcements (e.g. next meeting/event, group contact information, before you leave)
• Clean up space or room
• Take down displays (e.g. tables, display boards, flyers)
• Walk through your event area to make sure that everything is picked up and returned to order
• Return any borrowed or rented items
• Return keys of buildings or rooms
• Thank speakers and volunteers (in person, card, email)
• Bring donations to the designated recipient (e.g. PRC)
• Deposit cash or hand over to the appropriate person
• Post photos/videos on social media (e.g. Facebook,Twitter, blog)
• Post on Facebook (“Thank you for coming!” –or- “Tonight we collect X number of items!”)
• Celebrate!!

Take Time to Evaluate Your Events

What Worked / What Didn’t Work

Event Evaluation Form

Event: ___________________
Organized by: ___________________
Date: ___________________

Notes: ____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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________________________________

Event will be (Circle one): continued revised retired

14
14
 RAPID RESPONSE
As pro-life activists we need to be prepared for how abortion supporters may respond. We
should not only be prepared how to respond to questions and comments from a philosophical
standpoint, but also from physical standpoint. These instructions will help you better prepare
yourself and your team from the threat of theft, vandalism or even physical abuse.

Beforehand
• Make sure you have the phone number and contact info for campus security & Students for Life headquarters.
• Make sure you have a device that records video along with a separate device for pictures, have them fully
charged.
• Let SFLA know if you’re hosting an event that may draw protesters.

During Your Event

• Be aware of your surroundings, and be on the look-out for the unexpected.
• Always have several people at the display at all times with at least one person not engaged in dialogue with the
purpose of keeping an eye on everything.

If You Are Harassed or Your Event is Vandalized

• If you or your team member is in any physical danger, remove yourself from the situation immediately. Your
safety is our NUMBER ONE CONCERN!
• Roll video tape as soon as possible (horizontally), get the camera pointed at the action (unless it needs to be
undercover for some reason).
• CALL CAMPUS SECURITY - have someone WHO IS NOT videotaping make this phone call. Do this on
speaker phone and make the call nearby the camera taking footage so we get the conversation recorded as
well.
• CALL US - Let us know what is going on so we can give advice and seek legal guidance if needed.
• Take pictures - keep the video tape rolling but now is a good time to photograph a heated debate, attempted
theft, physical abuse, vandalism or just how the scene looks at the moment. The more pictures, the better
• Once campus security arrives - take notes and listen to instructions. In most cases do what campus security
says unless you are asked to leave or move your display - seek SFLA guidance.
• Keep video tape rolling during campus security discussions, undercover style if needed - we need to record
the conversation to ensure equal treatment.

Remember your safety is our number one concern.

We are here for YOU!

Students For Life |

Contact SFLA for Help!

If your event is vandalized call us.
We want to help! 540-834-4600

15
15
PUBLIC RELATIONS & MEDIA
The PR and media coverage you receive can make or break your group. It can help increase your
membership and spread your message or it can result in a loss of support. The public’s opinion
of a subject is based more heavily on perspective rather than truth. Because of a few fringe
individuals, the media and general public see pro-life groups as violent, mean and angry. To fight this
(inaccurate) image, you must ensure that any coverage your group receives is good coverage by
acting with professionalism, courtesy and kindness.
Newspapers
Since dialogue and exposure are keys to changing your school for life, you want to reach as many people as you
can through your school’s publication(s). Campus newspapers will often publish a blurb about upcoming events
for free if you send them a press release and pictures. The best way to nurture a working relationship with a
newspaper is by building relationships with the staff. Know WHO to send it to, HOW to send it (usually
embedded in email, not attached) and WHEN to send it. Deadlines are crucial! Know them, and stick to them.

Know school reporters and invite them to your events. Don’t let the newspaper ignore your group. If they
repeatedly ignore your events. Call the editor and ask why you haven’t received coverage (they may be unaware).
You can also submit editorials as a follow-up to your events and as is appropriate with related current events. This
allows you to stir up debate, and control the conversation using your own words.

Make sure your events are newsworthy – well attended, unique and provocative!

Sample Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sara Smith

123-456-7890 (cell)
ssmith@[Link]
Roe to Speak at Georgia State University
Norma McCorvey, from the 1973 Roe v. Wade, will be speaking at GSU.

September 27, 2006—On Wednesday, October 4, 2006, at 7 p.m. in room 145 in Cedar Hall on
the Georgia State University campus,Norma McCorvey will speak about her life, the 1973
Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, and why she became pro-life and is now a pro-life advocate.
This event is open to the public.

Norma McCorvey, made infamous under the pseudonym “Jane Roe,” will be speaking at Georgia State
Students For Life |

University, in a speech sponsored by Georgia State University Students for Life.

“The decision made in Roe v. Wade was a miscarriage of justice,” said Sara Smith. “We hope that after hearing
from Ms. McCorvey people will see just how wrong abortion is.”

For more information about this event, or the Georgia State University Students for Life, please contact Sara Smith at
(123) 456-7890, or through email at ssmith@[Link]. 16
16
SOCIAL MEDIA
Use every aspect of technology to your advantage, for recruiting, fundraising, networking and
activism. While an exorbitant number of social networking sites exist, the main ones your group
should focus on are: Twitter, Facebook, blogs and group websites. Particularly focus in on
Facebook and Twitter. Learn how to use them effectively.

Using Social Media Effectively

• Create a Facebook group for your club members to use internally. Create a Facebook page to be your public
face to the school and community.

• Photos and graphics get the most play on social media. Use as few words as possible – more people access
social networks on their phones than any other means – no one wants to read a novel on a phone.

• Keep your Facebook and twitter accounts active. Choose a PR officer for your club to post new and relevant
posts on your Facebook and twitter accounts.
• Ask members to share your pro-
life group posts, FB event pages, etc.
Have a week when every member
changes their profile pictures, or ask
everyone to share the same image or
post.

• Post a short, inviting message on the

Facebook pages of other groups on
campus to tell them about upcoming
events.

Be Aware of Your Audience

Are your friends mostly pro-choice?
Then don’t post content that is begging
the question that abortion is killing an
innocent human being. Post content that
proves the preborn is a person worthy of
life.
Students For Life |

Are you friends mostly apathetic about

abortion but they know that abortion
kills? Post content encouraging them to
get active.

17
17
 INTERVIEWS
MEDIA TIPS
Being interviewed can seem a little intimidating. Whether you are getting ready for a radio, TV or
newspaper interview you’ll want to spend some time preparing talking points that express your
mission and [Link] goal during any interview should be to inject two or three key message
points into the interview answers.

Before an Interview
• Contact SFLA if you need help
• Understand the story angle and the interviewer’s background
• Practice your talking points with a friend or your Regional Coordinator

Do Your Research
Before you accept a media request, do your research on the organization and the reporter to see the leanings of
the outlet, Look up the reporter on the internet to see the type of articles they’ve written and what they’ve writ-
ten about abortion in the past.

Stick to Your Talking Points

The reporter will want to ask you tough questions and try to trap you, you can avoid falling for this by sticking
closely to your talking points. When there’s a question you don’t want to answer, say, “That’s not the real issue, the
real issue is (insert talking point here)” If it is a recorded interview, it is most important to stick to your talking
points, repeat them, even when you feel ridiculous doing so. They are only going to pick and choose short
soundbytes – force them to use the points you wanted to get across.

Keep it Short
Don’t be afraid of silence, once you’ve made your talking point, stop. Allowing an awkward silence between
questions is a media tactic - Reporters have admitted in the past that some of their juiciest stories have come
when they’ve just sat silently and their subjects felt pressure to talk to fill the silence.

Never Let Your Guard Down

Always assume everything is on the record, even when it’s been agreed upon not to be. Just because the camera
is down or the recorder is off does not mean the interview is over. Keep your own recording of the interview so
you can prove if you’ve been misquoted.

Don’t Be Afraid to Turn Down an Interview

If you know a media source is unfriendly, don’t let them trip you up and put pressure on you to do an interview.
It’s best to simply refer them to a prior statement or write a concise statement that has the talking points you
Students For Life |

want to get across, they will be forced to include them in their [Link] do not have an obligation to answer
their questions, your obligation is to protect your organization and put it in the most positive light.

Contact SFLA for Help

If you have any other questions on handling media, contact your Regional coordinator at Students for Life of
America info@[Link] or 540-834-4600.
18
18
RESPONDING TO NEGATIVE MEDIA
While its easy to panic when your club is the object of negative media, remember, that if responded
to rightly, even negative media can end up as good publicity for your club!

Ways to Respond
• Call the writer and ask what happened. It’s not always the writer’s fault, sometimes the editor changed
things in the article to make it negative.

• Write a letter to the editor about the mistakes.

• Cite the faulty article in your letter, and only correct the major fallacies.

• If the mistake was on TV, ask them to air a retraction or conduct another interview.

• Their resistance to correcting an error can sometimes be overcome if several people write letters
complaining about the coverage.

• Make a note of media sources that refused to give you fair coverage. Don’t invite them to future events.

• Remain respectful and cordial.

Control Who Covers Your Event

You can control who covers your events if you are in a room or public structure. If there is a media source that is
not friendly to your organization, tell them that only invited media is allowed at the event. They may not like you
for refusing them entrance, but they won’t have pictures or skewed interviews to use in a story.

COMMUNITY MEDIA
Don’t be afraid of community media. It can prove a very powerful tool for getting your name in
front of possible donors and new members. As with on school media, make sure your events are
newsworthy. Off campus media is much more competitive than on campus.

• Give reporters and their photographers plenty of advanced notice of your events
Students For Life |

• Send out media alerts at least one month in advance

• Keep them updated with reminders at two weeks and one week before an event
• The day before the event, call media sources you have alerted and see if they plan on coming
• At your event, set-up a press tent where media know they can check in and get information
• Each media guest should get a media folder with information about the group, its officers and the event.
• Put a group member in charge of signing-in media, pointing out media representatives for interviews and
highlighting ideal picture locations
19
19
 Methods
ADVANCED FUNDRAISING
Your level of passion for the cause will determine how much money your group fundraises. Let your
passion for the cause and your group inspire potential donors to invest in you and your group.

Develop Your Fundraising Team

Designate one group officer such as the Treasurer or Fundraising Coordinator to establish and lead a Fundraising
Committee. The members of the Fundraising Committee should be focused on fundraising activities, not planning
activism events. However, all general members should assist with the fundraising efforts as decided upon by the
Fundraising Committee.

Budgeting
Before you fundraise, determine how much it will cost the group to fulfill its mission on campus. Construct a
budget. Use your group calendar (that should list the events planned for the year) to develop your budget. Create
an itemized budget for each event, and use those totals to create your total annual budget.

Anticipate unexpected and additional costs. More than likely you will forget to budget for some aspect of
the event, so make the budget as detailed as [Link] annual budget should also be inflated with the
anticipation that unforeseen events will come up during the year.

Throughout the year, refer to your budget before and after each event. After the event, fill in the actual costs. If
there were additional purchases not included in the original budget, add them to the document for reference next
year.

Create a Donor List

Create an Excel spreadsheet to record all contact information for potential and actual donors.

• Write out the names of your friends, family, church members and neighbors. Then add the names of
pro-lifers in your community. Have each group member do the same.
• In addition to basic contact information, include notes about their personal life, such as children’s names,
personal hobbies, occupation, etc. This information will help you establish rapport with donors.
• List conservative and pro-life alumni from the university and your group.
• As your group members graduate, make sure to transfer their contact information into your donor
database. Alumni will have a vested interest in seeing your group thrive.
• List conservative and religious organizations in your area. Approach these organizations about mailing a
letter on your group’s behalf using their mailing list.
• Consider approaching those who have recently donated to conservative political campaigns in your area.
• Visit your local Board of Elections office and ask for the campaign finance report for a conservative local
Students For Life |

council member or state representative. Ask for the reports for the year leading up to their previous
election. These reports are open to the [Link] will have to pay a small fee for copies. Most likely the
people who donated to their campaigns will have similar values and will be willing to donate to you. Begin
forming relationships with these potential donors by attending your local conservative meetings and events.

20
20
 Proposal
ADVANCED FUNDRAISING
Fundraising Proposal
When you meet with a donor you will want to be prepared. A fundraising Proposal is the perfect
way to do that! If you are meeting in person your Fundrasing Proposal should be nicely typed and
presented in a clean folder with your group’s name, logo, and contact information.

“The mission of Jones High School Students for Life is to establish an active pro-life
culture among the youth of our community by educating our peers on life and by
actively promoting the right to life for all persons (pre-born and born).”
Transform Our School
At pro-life lobby days, marches, and community events, seeing students is no longer a novelty.
Today, it’s the [Link] people, now more than ever, consider themselves pro-life.

Jones High School Students for life is playing a pivotal role in this revival and expansion of the
pro-life movement at your local school, growing from a club which started with 3 dedicated
members to 15 active and passionate students. We know that the majority of abortions are
performed on high school and college-aged women and that Planned Parenthood targets our
generation. We are the voices of the pro-life generation to our peers and our friends.

However, as our club has grown, our needs for funding to host successful events and train our club
members has also increased. We need your help to send our club members to the National March
for Life and the National Students for Life Conference in D.C. this January.

Currently, Students for Life at Jones High School is hosting a bake sale and a car wash to raise money
for our members to head to D.C. However, we only have the funding to cover 2 of our 15 member’s
trips. We want all of our members to be equipped and trained for the upcoming school year.

$15,000 Club Rock Star $100 Club Benefactor

Sponsor 15 Students to attend National March Sponsor 2 Students Food for trip to Attend
for Life, National Students for Life Conference. National March for Life and National Students
All expenses Paid for Life Conference.

$1000 Club Hero $50 Club Supporter

Sponsor Flights for 3 Students to Attend Sponsor 1 Student Registration Fee to the
Students For Life |

National March for Life and National Students National Students for Life Conference
for Life Conference

Join Us
Invest in Jones High School Pro-Life students and send us to DC for the training we need to
empower and equip our members. We are changing the conversation about abortion at our school!
Contact us at JonesSFL@[Link]. 21
 School Funding
ADVANCED FUNDRAISING
Student Government
Designate one group officer such as the Treasurer or Fundraising Coordinator to establish and lead a Fundraising
Committee. The members of the Fundraising Committee should be focused on fundraising activities, not planning
activism events. However, all general members should assist with the fundraising efforts as decided upon by the
Fundraising Committee.

If you are at a public high school your school may not have club funding, but it’s always good to ask. If you are at a
private high school, college or university, the most important thing to remember in applying for funding from your
Student Government Association (SGA) is to figure out the timeline for when all of your information is due. Often
there are packets you can pick up or download online from the Activities Office or from SGA that can help you in
this process. Most often your applications will be due at the very beginning of the semester, so make sure to come
back from summer prepared and submit the application on [Link] SGA may only let you apply at two times
during the year (in August or September and January).

The next important aspect to applying for funding is figuring out what should be included in your application. Make
sure to submit a detailed plan on what you intend to do for the semester as well as your projected budget. It will
help the SGA figure out who should get more funding or not by looking at different events you will be hosting and
how much you will be spending throughout the semester. This means that you will need to prepare before you meet
with the person who will be in charge of the club budgets for the year.

One other aspect you need to consider is asking how much the pro-abortion/Vox groups are getting on campus.
If you go to a state college or university, by law you have to receive the same amount of funding as these groups. If
there is a discrepancy, and the SGA or Student Activities office refuse to remedy the situation, they might be liable
and your group could win a lawsuit. If you go to a private college or university, it may be harder to find this
information out. Just ask the SGA or Activities Director what kind of funding “similar” groups are receiving such as
VOX/pro-abortion groups or other ministry or politically-based groups.

If you do not receive the exact amount of funding you request, don’t worry. There are always ways to find more
funding for events throughout the year, such as asking other clubs to co-sponsor events with you or holding a
fundraiser for your group on campus.

The most important aspect to getting funding is being organized and prepared to turn in your finding information on
the day that it is due. Make sure to go online over the summer or before school starts to download all of the

Direct Solicitation and Church Solicitation

Students For Life |

• Pinpoint donors for in-person meetings. Using your Donor List, determine the donors from which you
would likely reap a high pledge by an in-person meeting. Send the donors an introductory letter about
your group. A few days later, call them and schedule a meeting. When they ask why you would like to
meet, tell them that you would like to ask for their advice and discuss working together in the future.
Securing the meeting is the hardest part.

22
 Donors
ADVANCED FUNDRAISING
• Prepare for the in-person meeting by researching your donor and memorizing details that may come in handy
when building a relationship with them. Carefully assess which group members would be best suited to attend
the meeting. If a group member has a personal relationship with the donor or similar interests, bring him/her
along. For example, if you know the donor is an avid golfer, bring a fellow golfing guru. The stronger connection
and more rapport you can build with your potential donor, the more likely he or she is to donate to your group.

• Tackle the in-person meeting by bringing your Fundraising Proposal, dressing professionally and arriving five
to ten minutes early. Bring no more than three people to your meeting. If possible, bring a male and female
group member to the meeting. Throughout the meeting, express how highly you value the donor’s opinion and
involvement with your group.

• Accept money, goods and services. If the donor owns a restaurant, ask him/her to donate food for a big event
or a percentage of sales one evening. Ask a doctor for medical supplies to use as props for activism events
(doctor’s masks, scrubs, instruments) or ask for a donation of time as a guest speaker at a group meeting or
event. Additionally, a physician can also be an invaluable resource for advising your group on medical topics.

• Contact local churches and ask if you can collect money after each service for a week or two. Or see if they
would take up a special offering for your group. Whenever people donate, collect their contact information so
you can thank them and update them on upcoming events. Ask churches for goods and services, as well. They
may provide helpful items such as candles (for a vigil) or crosses (for a Cemetery of Innocents display). Send let-
ters to your home church asking if they would donate and/or post a blurb about your group in the bulletin asking
for donations.

Other Items For Potential Donors Fundraising Tips:

• Reports on past successful events
• Listen intently to the donor
• Emails, quotes, and campus newspaper articles
about your group (positive and negative
responses may appeal to your donor) • Ask them for input on your
proposal and what they would like
• Activism Calendar for the rest of the to see your group accomplish
school year with the description of planned
events • Make them feel invested before
• Stories of babies saved or mind’s changed
you make “the ask”
Students For Life |

• After you make “the ask”, do not

speak. No matter how awkward,
wait for them to respond first

23
 Mailing
ADVANCED FUNDRAISING
Direct Mailing
Sending out a letter (snail mail or email) asking for club funding can also be an effective fundraising
strategy. Below is a sample “Ask Letter.”

Dear Gloria,

We need your help.

So far, this year our Students for Life Club held a successful diaper drive donating 2,000 diapers, hosted 3 tabling
events highlighting fetal development, adoption and Planned Parenthood’s lies, volunteered 15 hours at the pregnancy
center, and reached hundreds of students with the message of life on our [Link] are dialoguing with our friends
and peers about one the hardest issues there is --- [Link] want to save women on our campus from making a
mistake that will haunt them their entire lives.

Just a few months ago, most people told our group that it was crazy to expect students at The University of
Somewhere to stand up for Life, risking criticism from their professors and peers. But now, we have a club of 15
dedicated members that are willing to give time an energy to abolish [Link] are proving that we are the
pro-life generation.

And now more than ever, it’s imperative for us to get our message out on [Link] only 4 more weeks left in the
winter semester, we are turning our eyes toward bringing in a speaker in the spring to impact our school even more.
We want to bring a former abortionist now turned pro-life OB/GYN to expose the truth about abortion. We need to
raise $1,500 to cover the costs of this event.

Can you send a rushed gift of $50 today? Your gift of $50 will enable us to raise the money we need to reserve a
room on campus, pay for Dr. A and his travel fees and launch a massive advertising campaign for our event on
[Link] only need 30 generous donors to support this event, to help us abolish abortion.

You are a vital part of our success on this [Link] you for supporting our mission to make abortion an
unthinkable option for the women at our school. Please prayerfully consider joining us in our biggest event of the year.
I can guarantee that we will be prepared for a successful spring semester!

For Life,
Sarah Smith
Students For Life |

President
Students for Life at Somewhere University
(ssmith@[Link] or 123-456-7890)

P.S... - Please chip in a gift of $50, or even $10 [Link] can’t do this with you!

24
 Events
ADVANCED FUNDRAISING
Reception
This is good if you want to try to raise a little bit of money. 9 times out of 10 you can get the event to pay for itself
and have a little more left over. It works even better if you can get a venue, such as a home, rooftop deck, back room
of a restaurant, and/or food and drink donated. These types of events work best if you have some kind of headliner
or keynote speaker (which could be a politician, local celebrity, pro-life celebrity, etc.)

Banquet or Gala
This is good if you want to try and raise a nice chunk of money. This involves a lot of work as most of the money
would come from table sponsors and sit down dinners are pretty expensive. If you are thinking about doing this
you should first make a list to see if you could get several of the tables sponsored. If you can’t, then this is probably
not the right avenue for you. But at the same time you could always partner with another organization to make it
happen.

Bake Sale
This is a fun and easy way for your group to get funds. Have each person in the group bake something for the sale
and then get members to take shifts selling the baked goods at your school. Everyone loves a little treat. This would
also be a great way to get your church or parish to partner with you. Host a bake sale after church.

5k Walk or Run
This is a fun way to get lots of people involved in what you are doing. 5k walks/runs are very popular and hosting
one for your group, maybe even at your school, is a great fundraising event for your group. If you had a cool t-shirt to
sell, that would bring in extra money also. Another idea is to partner with a local PRC that is already hosting a walk
or run, ask if it could be a partnership and you both take half the funds.

For more help with putting an event together, contact your Regional Coordinator.

Students For Life |

25
CLUB CHALLENGES
It can be easy to get discouraged when you face difficulties at your school. When you are
tempted to give up, shut up or sit down, remember why you are fighting this fight. We want to
help you! Please contact us. You are not alone! Students for Life of America has an expert team of
professionals to help students, wherever you live! Our team is available to you! We are here to
help you by offering one-on-one support for your group.

“Students for Life of America has been such an instrumental part of my pro-life story. I couldn’t have
walked this journey without their help. I’m grateful for the many people working for Students for Life of
America. But there’s one person who stands out from all the rest who has encouraged and supported our
club every step of the way - and that person is our Regional Coordinator for SFLA.

I truly don’t know if our club would be thriving - or for that matter, even in existence - today if it wasn’t for
her on-campus help, in-person training, wise advice, and much-appreciated support over the past two years.
When I first started the club, I was entirely alone. I didn’t know any pro-life teachers or students at my
college, and I was blocked by aggressive pro-abortion activists at every turn. But my Coordinator believed
in me, encouraged me, taught me how to recruit students, prepared me for pro-life leadership, and never
let me back down - even when I faced opposition.

Now, looking back on these past few years serving as president of LCC Students for Life, I can say it’s
been one of the greatest and most rewarding adventures of my life thus far. I’m overwhelmed by a flood
of memories from these past two years. Hearts changed. Lives saved. Breathtaking, beautiful stories of
hope. Miracles. Literally thousands of people have been educated, impacted, inspired, and moved. And
with every heartbeat I thank Students for Life and my Regional Coordinator for standing with me and
never letting me give up.

As I’m transferring to a new University this fall, my goal is to start a pro-life club there and continue my
work in pro-life ministry. As long as I live, I know I’ll continue to be active in the pro-life cause for so long
as abortion exists. I’m so grateful that Students for Life reaches out to student groups with Regional Co-
ordinators. This coming year, I’m looking forward to getting to know my new regional coordinator and I’m
excited to learn from her and work alongside her to abolish abortion once and for all!”
Students For Life |

Sierra McClain, LCC Students for Life President

Get One-on-One Support from your SFLA Team!

Check out our team page to find the SFLA team member nearest you: [Link]/staff

26
 LEGAL RIGHTS
As the pro-life student movement has grown, discrimination by public school administrations has
become more frequent. Students trying to start a club or host events as an active club are constantly
being censored by their principals, teachers, and other school officials.

Bottom Line: If you attend a public school, neither your administration nor your student
government can censor you or place higher standards on you in any way.

This includes:
Denying acceptance of your club on any grounds, including but not limited to:
• It’s too “offensive”
• It’s “religious”
• It will “disrupt the learning environment”

Forcing your group to be a committee in a religious or

conservative club, instead of its own independent club.

Making your club undergo more approval requirements than

other clubs.

Prohibiting your club to participate in the same activities as other clubs, including:
• Flyering
• Tabling
• Literature distribution
• Hosting speaker
• Fundraising

Restricting you from accessing student activities funds that are available to other student groups.

If you are facing any of the above

situations, or you suspect you are being
discriminated against, contact Students
for Life of America immediately at
legalhelp@[Link].

We have free legal counsel readily

Students For Life |

available for students to ensure your

first amendment rights at your school.

27
LEGAL RIGHTS
If you think you are experiencing discrimination, at your public or private school, please follow
the directions below and contact Students for Life of America immediately at
legalhelp@[Link].
Document Everything
• Keep logs of every conversation you have with your
school officials concerning your club. Include the date,
who was present, and the outcome of the meeting.
• Keep any emails sent to you from your administration
If you are experiencing
concerning your club.
• Keep a photocopy of all documents you turn into your discrimination at at private
administration. school, SFLA can also work with
• After meeting with administrators, send a follow-up you to change the heart of your
email to confirm what was discussed and decided. administration. Contact us at
legalhelp@[Link].
Always Attend Meetings with your
Administration in Pairs
• You can take a fellow member or your adviser, but
always have at least two people representing your club
in every meeting.
• If you do not have someone to attend the meetings with
you, reschedule.
• One person should be taking notes in any meeting.

Ask for the Denial in Writing

• Whether it is for starting your club, hosting an event,
or flyering, have the administration give you their denial
in writing. This can be a letter or an [Link] can send
them a letter or email asking for permission once again
and place a time constraint on the reply. For example:

Dear Mr. Smith,

I have recently inquired about starting a Students for Life club at Jones High School. After some research, I believe
it is well within my first amendment rights to start and facilitate a pro-life club at our public school. Please reply in
Students For Life |

writing to grant or deny our club’s ability to function as an official student group at Jones High School by August
1st at 3pm. If no reply is given by this date, it will be considered a denial. Thank you for your time.

28
 Tips &Tricks
RECRUITMENT
Whether you are starting a student group, or your group has been around for years, one
word that is going to be your rally cry for every event, tabling opportunity, and activities
fair— recruitment! Even if you have 2 dozen active members, it should always be your goal
to GROW. If you aim to change hearts, save lives, and activate others to defend Life, you
need to get together your team of passionate pro-lifers. So go out there, and recruit, recruit,
recruit!

Always Recruit
Every opportunity is an opportunity to recruit new members. Whether you are tabling, hosting an event, or
enjoying weekend festivities, you should always be on the lookout for potential members. Talk about just how
awesome your group is, and always invite people to come to your next events. Throughout the year, your
group should also mark in your calendar specific events for recruitment- like activities/club fairs or tabling
days.

Don’t Stereotype
Take off your [Link] may have a “type” that you look for when recruiting. While it is helpful to target
those groups who are prominently pro-life (e.g. Christians, political conservatives), keep an open mind! You
may be surprised by who is pro-life and wants to get active. Invite everyone and anyone. Some people may be
on the verge of embracing pro-life values, but they are waiting for someone to challenge them or to
confidently answer their hesitations.

Contact Information
Get contact information! How can you follow up with interested peers if you have no way to reach them?!
You should have sign-up sheets at ALL of your events. If a student expresses interest in your activities or
strong support for your cause, right away ask them to provide contact information (e.g. email, phone).You
can even exchange phone numbers right then and there, or add them on Facebook.

Be Visible
If your peers do not know that your group exists, you have major problems! You need to be a visible
presence at your school. Flyering, chalking, big events/displays, regular tabling, writing or advertising in the
school paper— all of these things are going to put your group on the map. Don’t be afraid to cause a stir
from time to time. Controversy breeds interest. Mix it up—be creative, be funny, be bold. Use your displays
a conversation starter!

Be Accessible
If you want people to join, they need to know how to contact your group for more [Link] group
Students For Life |

email and Facebook page should be on all of your [Link] can even chalk this information! At the beginning
and end of every event, announce how students can contact you and where they can go for more
information. Make sure that you regularly check your group email and Facebook page inbox to respond to
questions and inquiries promptly. Ask members to share your pro-life group posts, FB event pages, etc.
Have a week when every member changes their profile pictures, or ask everyone to share the same image
or post. Post a short, inviting message on the Facebook pages of other groups on campus to tell them about
upcoming events. 29
 Tabling
RECRUITMENT
Tabling is a great opportunity to engage your peers, recruit new members, and educate your
[Link] group should schedule regular tabling events to help create a visible, consistent
public presence at your school. Create a table display that represents your group- who you
are, what you do, and how students can get involved. This table may involve a display of group
pictures, abortion statistics, group t-shirts, a variety of pro-life materials, and even fetal model
displays. The main purposes of this table are simply to present students with information about
your group and to recruit new members.

Before Tabling

• Reserve space in a high traffic (popular)

location at your school. Request tables,
during club fairs and other school activities.

• Schedule time periods for your members to

be at the table. There should be at least 2
members at the table at all times.

• Gather Supplies: Sign-up Sheet, Pens, Display

materials, Pro-life literature, Candy

When Tabling
• Your table should be well organized, clean, and attractive.
• Keep small piles of materials on the table, and have extra materials underneath your table to restock if
necessary.
• Pregnancy help and post-abortive healing materials should be in the outermost corners of the table
(closest to your passerby). This allows for students to discretely grab these materials without the
embarrassment of obviously reaching across the table.
• Your sign-up sheets should be easily accessible as well so that students can provide their contact
information.
• Group contact information and next event information should be available (preferably as a handout).
• Always, always, always collect students contact information if they express interest. Make sure that they
sign-up before they leave!
• Anyone who approaches the table should ideally walk away with information about the group. Provide
an informational handout about your group for each student.
Students For Life |

• Snacks, freebies, and raffles are a great way to attract attention! High School students can’t resist fresh
cupcakes. It’s like honey and bees.
• Do not sit behind the table. Stand to the side or in front of the table. This makes it easier for you to
talk to passersby and anyone who approaches the table.
• Do not have personal food or drinks on the table. This is a turn off for some people, and it can look
cluttered. Also, drinks could potentially spill!
30
SIGN UP/ATTENDANCE SHEET
First Name Last Name Phone Number Email Address School Year
RETAINING MEMBERS
Retention is a crucial part of your group’s success. Not only do you want to create an active
group at your school, you want your pro-life club to last!

Build Relationships
The most important factor to retaining members is developing relationships. Core team members should
develop personal relationships with other group members so that each member feels welcomed and valued. By
getting to know each person, the officers will be able to identify individual passions and strengths. These
relationships will build community, and they will help bolster a positive attitude among your members.

Have Socials
When a person gives her time and helps the club succeed, she deserves recognition. Building a bond between
club members will increase their commitment to the group. Be sure to thank members and to get to know
them on a more personal level. One good way to do this is to have socials! Assign someone within the club to
host and plan the event and use that time to get to know your group [Link] can play games or make
ice cream sundaes! But remember, this is not a time for business. Keep the social focused on celebrating your
members and having fun! Leave the event planning and strategizing for a meeting. Socials should take place at
least twice a semester.

Delegate
Another good way to keep members involved is to delegate responsibility. When members have responsibility,
they take ownership of the group and become more invested. Delegation requires leaders to come prepared
to the meeting with an idea of what needs to be accomplished. Assign tasks to members according to their gifts
and areas of interest. For example, if a student is good at math, ask her to help the treasurer with the budget!
One common mistake when delegating is trying to delegate to anyone willing. The better technique is to use
the personal relationships developed to assign tasks to the appropriate individual with the ability to get the
job done. Your goal is to develop future leaders and activists by having individuals invest increasingly greater
amounts of their time into something of which they will eventually take partial ownership. Once they begin
to feel responsible, members will become more committed to your group’s success. If your club can develop the
right culture and events to retain and develop members, it will always be growing and achieving greater success.

Students For Life |

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MEASURING YOUR EFFECTIVENESS
Every once in awhile, it helps to step back and assess your group’s progress. Ask the question:
Is your campus actually changing as a result of your presence and actions? It is important that
your club has vision and mission [Link] potential, current, and future members need
to know exactly what your Students for Life group is all about! Your vision and mission
statements need to be written down and kept with your club documents.

Vision
The following questions can help you develop a vision:
• What do we want to accomplish short term and long term?
• Where do we want to be a year from now?
• How do we want to impact our high school and community?
• What kinds of activities are appropriate for our group?

Write a short paragraph explaining what you want the group to become and share it with your club. Use it as a
reference as you plan events and measure your success. Establishing a common vision is important so that you
can keep your group on track and everyone on the same [Link] do not want your group to become
disillusioned because the group is not what members expected it to be.

Mission Statement
As you are planning your vision, write out a mission statement to give your group a steady focus. The mission
statement tells people how your group aims to achieve your vision. Here is a sample mission statement:

“The mission of Jones High School Students for Life is to establish an active pro-life culture
among the youth of our community by educating our peers on life and by actively promoting
the right to life for all persons (preborn and born).”

SMARTS Goals
S - Specific: State exactly what you want to accomplish (Who, What, Where, Why)
M - Measurable: How will you demonstrate that your goal has been met?
A - Achievable: You can pull it off. It is reasonable for your group to attempt?
R - Relevant: How does the goal help you accomplish your mission and vision?
T - Time-Bound: Set a target date. Include deadlines, dates and frequency
S - Stretch: Does this goal stretch you to try something new? Is it too easy?

Celebrate!
Students For Life |

Make sure that as you evaluate your clubs progress you take time to celebrate your victories.! Remember
to celebrate the victories, no matter how small or insignificant they feel to you! If you are a brand new club,
and you’ve only had a chance to become official and get word out about your group, celebrate that! If you’ve
brought in a speaker, showed a movie on campus, tabled, flyered, or did a club apologetics training, stop and
acknowledge your success! You and your campuses are different because YOU stood for life!!!

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UNINVITED PRO-LIFE GROUPS
At many schools, being pro-life is not the most popular position to take. Sometimes outside sup-
port is welcomed, and you should develop personal and working relationships with outside pro-
life organizations. Utilize their resources and expertise in the movement. Work with them and co-
ordinate your efforts on campus to make a larger impact for life. However, some outside groups
may use tactics or proclaim messages that your group wants to avoid. They may come onto cam-
pus with extreme ideas or condemning approaches and undermine your group’s strategic plan for
your campus.

Ways to Respond:
• Tell them you would love to discuss their ideas and information at a later date. Perhaps invite them to a group
meeting, so they can share their ideas.

• Kindly let them know that a pro-life group exists on campus and takes responsibility for getting the pro-life
message to the campus.

• Begin to form a relationship with them, and explain to them what you are doing on campus and how you have
positively changed your campus.

• If they continue to come uninvited to campus and begin to alienate students against your pro-life group, the
most important thing to do is keep your pro-life group active. Do not let an outside group silence you. If you
stop doing activities, others will assume that the pro-life message is wrong or something to be embarrassed
about.

• Host your own pro-life activities in another location on campus at the same time to show that your group is
not involved with their organization. Or, wait a few days for most of the negative reactions to fade away and
then plan your own event with similar content but presented in a more positive manner

• If the group is interfering with your event, ask them to leave. Be kind, but firmly explain that the event is open
to invited groups only or if they want to stay they will have to abide your group’s rules and goals.

• If they refuse to leave and make a severely damaging impression, then submit an article to the campus paper
disassociating your group from them. Avoid being too harsh with your [Link] don’t want to give the
impression of a fractured movement. Conclude the article by clearly articulating your group’s pro-life position
Students For Life |

Get One-on-One Support from your SFLA Team!

Students for Life of America has an expert team of professionals to help students,
wherever you live! Our team is available to you! We are here to help you by
offering one-on-one support for your group. Check out our team page to find
the SFLA team member nearest you: at [Link]/staff
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34
 COUNTER-PROTESTING
There will be times where you must respond to pro-abortion group happenings (VOX, NOW,
etc.) at your school or in your communities. Offering a counterpoint to their efforts will keep
your events pertinent and cutting edge. Keep in mind that you want your group to influence
campus dialogue more than VOX or the other pro-abortion groups. It’s generally better to
stay on the offensive instead of the defensive.

Choose Wisely
“Answering” or counter-protesting them too often may come off as reactionary, so choose which events to
protest and make it effective.

Be Courageous
While we want to be respectful and willing to dialogue with our opponents, we must not forget that our
number one goal is to defend innocent human life. When an opposition group hosts an event that directly
supports abortion you must make it known that you disagree with their position! The average student is not
well-versed in all aspects of our issue; they will likely find some of the pro-abortion arguments [Link]
group must be there to share the pro-life position at all times.

Ways to Protest:
• Show Up! Get out there in person. If Planned Parenthood’s President is showing up in your community or
on your campus, get your group out there with signs and messaging to expose the number of abortions
Planned Parenthood commits every day.
• Make Signs! Signs do the talking for you and will get you more media exposure.
• Create a handout exposing the event or speaker. Give them to people walking into the event. Even if the
person won’t talk to you, your handout can give them information long after they walk away from you.
• Alert the media that there is another opinion on the event taking place. If you’re out protesting as a group
choose a media spokesperson for your club. Don’t be afraid to walk up to media that show up to cover
the event and insert your position into the dialogue. (See Media Tips pg. 18)
• Write a letter to the editor of your school or community newspaper. Expose the evil and challenge them
to create real help for women.

Students For Life |

35
35
 At School
CREATING A NETWORK
There will be many opportunities for your group to work and interact with other groups at
your school. Do not neglect these occasions. All group members should be involved in at least
one other organization at your school. Strive for a variety of groups among your members to
help your group build multiple alliances. By participating in other student organizations, you
help other active students put a face with the pro-life group.

Advantages to Working With Possible Allies at Your School:

• Potential members for your group. If enough of their members get involved, they may develop a sub-com-
mittee within their organization dedicated to assisting your pro-life efforts on campus.

• You will develop a network of support, providing you a database of names to call on when you need a
loud voice on campus. Example: Protesting pro-abortion practices in the health clinics.

• Use the popularity and name recognition of other groups when advertising your events to lure more
students.

• If you co-host an event, they may help cover a percentage of the costs or double the funding from student
government.

• You can coordinate your activity calendars. If both groups plan to host pro-life activities, plan
strategically to deliver the desired message. This allows each group to focus on a different aspect of the
issue, and helps alleviate overlap or counterproductive events.

• Use members of other organizations to help plan and participate in targeted events. Planning a prayer
vigil? Involve the religious groups. Passing out Pro-Life Voter Guides? Ask the College Republicans to assist
your efforts.

CO-HOST EVENTS WITH CAUTION!

You want to show that you are willing to have civil dialogue. However, too much
positive interaction may lead to the misconception that your groups do not have
fundamental differences. Remember these differences are NOT small. We are talking
Students For Life |

about the right to life! Find common ground, but don’t compromise.

36
36
 At School
CREATING A NETWORK
Ideas for Working with Possible Allies on Campus
• Many groups host Take Back the Night, to raise awareness about domestic violence against
women. Participate in the event to show that pro-lifers care about women in need.

• Host a Pregnancy Resource Forum to advertise PHCs and show what they have to offer

• Host a debate on abortion, infanticide, embryonic stem-cell research or euthanasia. If possible, let
them choose who represents their position.

• Bring in guests who will interest and attract their members, such as speakers from Feminists for Life,
Silent No More and Democrats for Life.

• Develop personal relationships with their group members to give them a face to the pro-life
movement. The more you get to know these members individually the easier it will be to have open,
honest, and respectful dialogue about the issue. The goal is to love and convert them.
You

Participate in Student Government

Encourage group members to run for Student Government to ensure your group receives adequate funding.
It is important to have allies, including your group members, on Student Government to ensure that your
group has a voice when student government creates new policies.

DON’T GET DISTRACTED!

Make sure that you stay on track
with the events in your pro-life club.
Don’t get so distracted co-hosting
events so that everyone likes you that
you forget your mission and vision.
Remember, you’re the only group on
campus dedicated to abolishing
abortion. If you’re not speaking up
Students For Life |

for the women and children hurt

by abortion, who will?

37
37
 In the Community
CREATING A NETWORK
Building Relationships with the community is very important. There are many pro-life
organizations and individuals in your local community who are willing to assist your [Link]
impact for life is exponentially increased as you network, share ideas and collaborate with other
pro-lifers.

Finding Resources
Your club needs to build relationships with the community in order to know what resources are available to
the women you reach out to on campus. Remember if you can’t point a woman in crisis to the places that can
support her in your community then you will have trouble saving lives.

Who to Network With Benefits of Networking

• Students for Life of America – national and statewide • Money
• National and regional pro-life organizations • Locations to host events
• Other student pro-life groups • Pull with city officials and state legislators
• State Right to Life chapters • Supplies
• Local churches and youth groups • Pregnacy Resources
• Local and state political parties and pro-life members • Presence at events
• Pregnancy Help Centers (PHCs) • Media attention
• Local bloggers • Speakers
• 40 Days for Life Campaign • Post-abortion healing seminars/literature

Widsom of Pro-Life Experts

For years, the same people worked tirelessly, using an endless array of tactics to fight abortion and save lives.
As a result, they have vast amounts of invaluable, untapped wisdom, and insight. But, these people will not be
around forever. It’s your turn to influence the [Link] have the unique opportunity to learn about the
pro-life movement’s failures and successes from those who experienced it. Find pro-life experts and ask them
questions or invite them to speak to your group. Ask them for advice on events and ideas. Use them as an
advisor or mentor

SFLA’s William Wilberforce and Thaddeus Stevens Leadership Fellowships

The Wilberforce Fellowship for college students and Stevens Fellowships for high school students have been
developed to raise the next generation of pro-life leadership. These Fellowships trains college and high school
pro-life activists to be leaders at their schools (and beyond) and helps network those student leaders with a
mentor in the national pro-life movement to help further develop their skills. Simply put, the SFLA Leadership
Fellowships are the training you need for a future in the pro-life movement! For more information on either
fellowship visit [Link]
Students For Life |

For more information about

SFLA’s fellowships, see page 47

38
38
LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS
Successful leadership transitions are crucial to your group’s long term ability to impact
your school. You are building a movement and a legacy that will last long after you
graduate. The key is to start early! Be on the look-out for upcoming leaders from day one.

Finding Future Leaders

Once an officer knows he or she will be transitioning or graduating, they should begin to plan for a
replacement. The transitioning officer should identify the potential leaders and begin working with them
throughout the year in order for the transition to happen well. The transitioning officer should be training
the new potential leaders for an extended amount of time before the transitioning officer has finished his
or her time, in order to see that the new leadership is confident and ready to assume the leadership role.

Delegate Tasks
As a leader, you must know the importance and value of delegating tasks. Delegation take a great deal of
trust and time up front, but in the long run, you will have members who have input and buy-in because of
the trust you have placed in them through delegation. This not only builds up the clubs membership, but
you will also have more committed members.

Elections
Elections should take place in the spring semester. At the end of the fall semester, announce the
election date and give a brief description of each position that will need to be filled. Invite members to
begin thinking about a position for which they may want to run, and highlight the value the current officer
and the position has brought to the club. Most clubs work best by electing certain positions and allowing
the executive board to appoint the rest of the [Link] club can decide what works best for your
group. The president should be elected first, and then the other roles. This way if someone runs for
president and is not elected, he or she is not prevented from seeking another position.

Candidates
In the spring semester, current officers should focus on encouraging their replacements to take on more
responsibilities and begin thinking about taking over a leadership role. Current officers should help
potential officers realize their capacity to make an impact and nominations should be taken a week before
the election.

Transition
The new officers should receive their official responsibilities on the last day of classes, but begin to
transition them into the role before the end of the school year. A transition time allows for new officers
to learn and slowly take over the role from the current officers, which helps make a smooth transition.
Students For Life |

Celebrate!!!
Find time as a club to celebrate the new officers and thank the ones who are graduating or moving out of
a position. This is a fun time to socialize as a group and get to know members better.

39
 PASSING ON THE LEGACY
School groups present a special challenge for continuity because of the turnover rate. In college
and high school members rarely stick around for more than four years, and often serve in
leadership position for much shorter periods of time, which means there can be problems
passing on valuable knowledge and experience. Make sure that you’re not losing critical
information every time an officer leaves.

Binder
No matter how well you train your next set of leaders, next year, you’ll be gone. We’ve created a President’s
Binder to help you keep track of all of your key club information and pass along knowledge to new leaders. Filled
with valuable tips and tricks as well as space for you to personalize your binder with clubs events and your
mission statement, this binder will help you to maintain continuity between graduating classes. Contact your
Regional Coordinator for you clubs free President’s Binder.

President’s Binder!!!
Contact your Regional Coordinator. for you clubs free President’s Binder.

Transition Timeline
8-12 months before transition: Announce election period and begin watching for potential leaders to begin
delegating tasks. Mentally start gathering documents and getting organized (i.e. are all of your documents on a
USB drive, etc.?)

6-8 months out: Begin intentionally allowing one or two potential leaders to shadow you. Bring them to every
meeting, leadership conference; do your homework together, whatever it takes!

6 months out: Allow leaders that have been shadowing you to take charge of your position in a few meetings or
events. This is crucial because it allows them to learn with the comfort zone of you still being around and available
to help if needed.

4-5 months out: Hold elections and once new leaders are officially elected, begin to go over leadership
paperwork (past missions, visions, strategies, what worked, what didn’t work, events, fundraising techniques,
officer duties and job descriptions, etc.).

3 months out: Work specifically with new leader(s) on their weaknesses and strengths; invest in their leadership
abilities. This is where leaving a legacy really comes into play!
Students For Life |

1-2 month out: Slowly let go of the reigns and let new leaders lead the group with the comfort zone of you still
being around. This will help new leaders to really gain trust from all of the members before you are gone. This is
very important because a leader without followers is only taking a walk – help them to maintain followers!

0-2 weeks out: Hold a recognition/celebration ceremony to acknowledge departing officers and celebrate the
clubs successes as well as to welcome new officers! 40
AFTER GRADUATION
Graduation isn’t the end, it’s a beginning! First of all, congratulations to all graduating seniors on
this monumental achievement! We know that you have worked hard to be where you are today.
Whether you are a high school student and decide to continue your education through college,
or you are a graduating college students pursuing other paths, we hope and pray that you are
successful.

High School Students

We have a gift for every graduating high school senior! To prepare you for college and the challenges that will
come with it, we’ve put together a special package so that you can brush up on your pro-life skills! The gift
includes a crash course on basic abortion facts and statistics, advice on how to defend your views, and help
answering the tough questions like abortion in the cases of rape, incest, and health of the mother. Our gift will
also include two books! Students for Life by Scott Klusendorf and John Ensor as well as Why Pro-Life by Randy
Alcorn!

To receive your special pro-life graduation gift, simply go to [Link]/senior-crash-

course/

College Students
We are so proud of the work you have done so far, but this is only the [Link] are the pro-life leaders of
today and you are about to enter every field of the nation. It’s up to you to be a pro-life voice at your grad
school or new job. You’ve put hours and
hours of your college life into protecting and
defending the preborn and their mothers.
With Allies for Life, you can keep doing that in
your new community. Get connected with the
pro-life movement and use what you learned
in college to help women in need and save
babies. Show that we are the pro-life
generation and we will not rest until abortion
is abolished.

Sign up today to become an official “Ally for

Life” and part of the Students for Life alumni
network to stay connected with the pro-life
movement post-graduation: [Link]-
[Link]/2014/04/29/become-an-
ally-for-life/
Students For Life |

41
 ENVISIONING THE END
The time has come for our movement finally to abolish abortion in America.

It’s time for us to throw all of our chips out there on the table, work harder than never before, to put the final
nail in the abortion industry’s coffin.

But in order to transform our nation, the first thing we must do is: Envision what our nation, what our
world, looks like without abortion

Envision not imagine. Envision. Don’t say oh, abortion is terrible, but abortion will never go away, there is no
way this is going to happen.

Envision means we will make our plans for post-Roe America now– to support and establish the structures, on
campus and in our community, Envision a nation, where every woman facing a unplanned, crisis pregnancy knows
there is a place she can turn to for help.

Start with your school. Set all obstacles aside. What would your school look like if your club had
infinite resources to share the truth about abortion and to help women? What would it look like?
This is possible.

If we do these things, acting as if we know the time and place of when abortion will end, abortion will end
regardless of whether Roe and Doe are overturned. Because then the day will come, when no women feels the
only option is abortion.

Your club and the 800+ active and growing Students for Life groups across the nation should have a vision and a
plan for your [Link] need to find out what women and families need on your campus and in your community
and then pick a couple of projects to begin creating a culture of Life.

You need to set the standard on your school in your church, in other pro-life organizations, and in your
[Link] need to have the hope, compassion, love, joy, and passion to abolish abortion in your lifetime.

Start living like abortion has already been made illegal. It’s up to you to make sure that sacred young woman,
sitting next to you in class, knows you love and care about her. If not you, than who?

Abolishing abortion begins with envisioning its end!

What would your school look like if you had infinite resources
Students For Life |

to share the truth about abortion and to help women?

What would it look like?
THIS IS POSSIBLE!

42
42
Students for Life of America
OFFERS
FREE TRAINING to your group!

WE CAN TRAIN YOUR GROUP IN ANY OF

THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:

Pro-Life Activism
Apologetics: Dialoguing about Abortion
Developing Your Leaders
Embracing the Controversy of Abortion
Fundraising for your Group
Recruiting and Retaining Members
Planning Your Year
Planned Parenthood’s Abortion Business

AND MORE!
Email us at info@[Link] or contact your Regional
Coordinator to request a FREE training from SFLA!
One time 20% OFF ONLINE promo code: ADVANCEDRFL
 Traveling to Washington, D.C. for the March for Life or San Francisco for
the Walk for Life? Don’t forget the SFLA East Coast and West Coast National
Conferences. The East Coast National Conference is the largest pro-life
conference in the world. Register NOW for this life-changing experience!!!
[Link]
 Students for Life Fellowships
Are you a leader or officer in your pro-life group?
Do you aspire to work in the pro-life movement full-time?
Do you want to be mentored by a national pro-life leader?

If you answered “Yes” to all of these questions, then you should consider applying for one of the
SFLA Leadership Fellowships!
THE MISSION
The mission of the Students for Life of America Leadership Fellowships is to raise up the next
generation of pro-life leaders. We want to train high school student pro-life activists to be leaders at
their schools (and beyond) and to network those student leaders with their counterparts in the
national pro-life movement to help further develop their skills. Simply put, a SFLA Leadership
Fellowship is the training you need for a future in the pro-life movement!

THADDEUS STEVENS LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP - HIGH SCHOOL

“I feel so blessed to have been able to par-

take in this fellowship, and I am so thankful
to Students for Life for making it happen. It
has helped me get a realistic glimpse into the
movement which I hope to eventually work in
and it has given me the training, knowledge,
and connections I need to really be able to
make a difference in my community. If you
ever hope to help lead the pro-life movement,
or even if you simply want to improve your
leadership skills, this fellowship is for you!” –
Kaitlynn W., 2013-2014 Stevens Fellow

WILLIAM WILBERFORCE LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP - COLLEGE

“The Wilberforce Fellowship is a great

opportunity to experience what is going on
in our Movement. It provides an excellent
“behind-the-scenes” look at the effort that
many good-willed people are putting forth
in an attempt to achieve justice for preborn
[Link] will have the opportunity to
influence and be influenced by people of all
Students For Life |

ages, while focusing on the improvement of

your leadership skills. I am thankful for my
Wilberforce experience, and suggest that
justice-seeking students seriously consider
applying for it. ” – Shea Hasenauer, 2010-
2011 SFLA Wilberforce Leadership Fellow
47
 9900 Courthouse Road
Spotsylvania, VA 22553
Office Number: 540-834-4600
[Link]