FOND DU LAC CHAPTER, WISCONSIN RIGHT TO LIFE

The Fond du Lac Chapter of Wisconsin Right To Life began at St. Louis Church in 1971, two years before Roe v. Wade.  The original name was Lakeside Voters For Life.  The purpose was to “keep everyone informed on the serious abortion question.” 

Lakeside Voters For Life later joined a pro-life group headquartered in Milwaukee, and the name changed to Fond du Lac Chapter, Wisconsin Citizens Concerned for Life.  Some years later, Wisconsin Citizens Concerned for Life became affiliated with National Right To Life.  At that time the name was changed again, to Fond du Lac Chapter, Wisconsin Right To Life.  In 1987, the Chapter was incorporated as a Wisconsin non-stock corporation under the name “Fond du Lac Chapter, Inc. Of Wisconsin Right To Life, Inc.”

Like National Right To Life and Wisconsin Right To Life, the Fond du Lac Chapter is a secular organization.  In its early years, however, many pastors and priests of various churches in the city attended meetings and were active, as were many St. Agnes nuns and Sisters of the Holy Nativity.  In recent years clergy and religious participation has declined, but it has not disappeared.

To help understand the legalities governing the Fond du Lac Chapter, a little background about Wisconsin Right To Life (WRTL) might be helpful.  WRTL is comprised of five separate entities.  They are:

General Fund, a 501(c)(4) tax exempt corporation

Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt, tax-deductible corporation

Veritas Society, a segregated fund of the Education Fund and a 501(c)(3) tax exempt, tax-   deductible corporation

State Political Action Committee

Federal Political Action Committee.

The Fond du Lac Chapter is governed by and operates under the rules of the WRTL General Fund, that is, as a 501(c)(4) corporation.  The Chapter has no funds or committees analogous to those of WRTL.  All donations received by the Chapter go into one account, which has no special name.  All disbursements are taken from that same unnamed account.  Although affiliated with and under the general direction of WRTL, the Fond du Lac Chapter pays no dues to WRTL. 

The Fond du Lac Chapter is one of over 50 county chapters spread throughout Wisconsin.  The county chapters are grouped into six regions.  Each region is governed by and operates under the rules of the WRTL General Fund as a 501(c)(4) corporation.  Each county chapter, such as the Fond du Lac Chapter, pays a nominal yearly assessment to its respective region.

The main thrust of the Fond du Lac Chapter is education.  To quote from the By-Laws:  the primary purpose is to present information about “fetal development, abortion, alternatives to abortion, euthanasia and infanticide.”  Education includes that of both the Chapter members and of the public.

To fulfill its purpose throughout the years, the Chapter has carried out numerous activities including:  sponsoring speakers for both the Chapter and the public;  chili suppers, prayer services, speaking to parish councils with presentations and slides, newspaper and billboard ads, Chapter newsletter, marched, carried banners, sold roses, fair booths, addressed city social organizations, called voters, passed out literature, wrote letters to the editor, and attended meetings, conventions, conferences, seminars, and workshops. The Chapter began the January Prayer Service in 1990 and has sponsored one every year since then.  The Chapter began the October Life Chain in 1991 and has sponsored one every year since. 

The Fond du Lac Chapter is dependant on donations from the public and various organizations for its income.  In recent years the primary fund-raiser has been the annual Mother’s Day Rose Sale.  The Rose Sale proceeds, like all other income, are deposited into the unnamed Chapter account.  There is no other account or fund into which any monies received are traditionally deposited.  The funds are spent in a variety of ways that enable the Chapter to carry out its purposes as mentioned above.  In addition, when warranted, the Chapter provides financial assistance both to individual mothers of newborn babies and to an organization that cares for unwed mothers in crisis situations. By a donation of seed money, the Chapter was instrumental in the formation of Fondy Teens4Life. Upon occasion, the Chapter partially reimburses adult members and Teens for attending educational events sponsored by entities other than the Chapter.  Sometimes those reimbursements are paid directly to the entities that sponsor the relevant educational events.

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