Losing the Planned Parenthood book sale is hard, but there is good news
Like so many other Iowans I was surprised by Planned Parenthood’s plans to end a more than six-decade-old biannual book sale that raises money for sex education across Iowa. It is a loss that will be mourned. But, as someone working in the nonprofit world, I understand the decision, as hard as it is.
With so many attacks on the reproductive freedom of Iowans lately, the news felt like yet another setback in our fight to preserve comprehensive sex education and reproductive health care. But, it actually does the opposite: it ensures continued funding for sex education for thousands of Iowa youth every year. And, in this new reality we are living in, that is critical in this moment.
More: Planned Parenthood book sale volunteers in Des Moines 'heartsick' as its last chapter begins
The Planned Parenthood Book Sale has been an iconic part of Des Moines’ history since way before Roe v. Wade and has created so many wonderful memories. It can be hard to imagine letting it go and if the reaction on social media is any indication, many others feel the same way. Change is hard. But there is hope.
Over the years, I have served on the boards of seven nonprofit organizations with budgets of a couple thousand to a couple million dollars. I’ve worked for many nonprofit organizations, including my current employer, Common Good Iowa. I’ve done my fair share of fundraising as a board member, a political candidate and at my job.
The agreement with the city of Des Moines to sell the building as part of the city’s redevelopment of the area presented an opportunity to guarantee future funding for Planned Parenthood to fulfill its mission. Planned Parenthood was faced with a choice. It explored options for a new location while also completing a financial audit of the sale. Every option was explored with due diligence.
Wisely, the Planned Parenthood team chose to sell the building and invest the money in its sex education programs. The decision puts Planned Parenthood in a stronger position.
Owning a large warehouse and putting on a huge fundraiser like the book sale twice a year is costly, both financially and in terms of staffing. There are costs for insurance, utilities, and upkeep of the building, as well as rental costs for the building that houses the sale at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, transportation of donated items to the sale site, promotion, and credit card fees, as well as staff costs. These costs ate an enormous chunk of the sale’s income and only promise to eat further into the proceeds as costs continue to rise.
An event that nets only a fraction of the money put into it and depends on the donated labor of what amounts to a military battalion just isn’t sustainable, no matter how beloved it may be.
In the world of nonprofits, getting the opportunity to create an endowed fund is like a moon shot. It’s the best type of financial support you can hope for because it is entirely self-sustaining, meaning you are able to pull operating funds out of the interest earned from the investment without ever touching the principal.
Endowed funds can operate in perpetuity with little to no cost to the organization, and they can be counted on to provide steady, stable funding regardless of what else is happening in the world. Global pandemic? Historic flood? Recession? Any of those factors can negatively impact regular fundraising efforts, especially those that rely on in-person events like the book sale. An endowment? It’s like the Little Engine that Could. It keeps on chugging away.
The Book Sale was an enormous opportunity for creating goodwill and outreach to the community. It further embedded Planned Parenthood in the communities it serves and provided inexpensive books at a time when the access to books in our state has been curtailed by the state government.
All of those are wonderful and valuable things. But goodwill, visibility, and access to books are not Planned Parenthood’s mission. Its mission is to provide affordable, high-quality sexual and reproductive health care and comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education.
I have personally benefited from the quality health care Planned Parenthood provides, so I want to say thank you to each of you who shopped at the book sale. I hope you will make a plan to visit one last time. I hope you will continue to support Planned Parenthood’s work year-round, too. I hope you shop with one of the more than 30 independent book stores in central Iowa — many of whom sell used books and are supportive of the work of Planned Parenthood. Together we can keep the lights on, the doors open and the services at Planned Parenthood accessible for years to come.
Amber Gustafson is development director for the nonprofit Common Good Iowa.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Losing the Planned Parenthood book sale is hard, but there’s good news
