Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) and its political supporters gathered at the Capitol on April 16, to protest the recent freezing of Title X funding and highlighting the expected negative impact this action will have on low-income women.
The limited list of services PPSNE offers to low-income women was constantly repeated. Every press report repeated PPSNE’s claims, almost verbatim, without challenging any of the facts given. When Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz kept thanking her “media partners” one later realized she met that literally. The news coverage of its message was excellent. Unfortunately, not covered was the real story.
The freezing of $1.8 million should have no impact on PPSNE’s ability to provide services covered by Title X. PPSNE’s extremely strong financial position, and the generosity of our state leaders over the last 12 months, would easily allow it to continue these services to low-income women. But that reality does not play as well in trying to protect its bottom line and attacking the Trump Administration.
Unknown to many, and never mentioned in the press, is the fact that PPSNE had an endowment fund, outside of its operating budget, totaling $47 million at the end of its 2022-2023 fiscal year, based on its most recent publicly available 990 filing with the IRS. The filing also revealed that 95.76% of this fund is unrestricted and can be used for client services. This endowment fund grew dramatically when PPSNE transferred $20 million from its operating budget into its endowment fund during the 2023 fiscal year.
The wealth of PPSNE is also reflected in the large pay increase given to its officers. The PPSNE 990 filings also reveal that between 2022 and 2023, the CEO of PPSNE received a wage increase of $41,823, and the Chief Equity and Learning Officer received an increase of $38,321. Organizations facing financial hardship do not give out raises of this size.
Despite its large endowment fund, PPSNE and its advocates have convinced the controlling Democratic political leadership that they are in need of more state funding. Over the last 12 months the legislature and governor has approved over $6.3 million in additional funds to PPSNE:
- $3 million in leftover American Rescue Plan Act funds, which were allocated in the 2024 budget adopted by the legislature, and to be used for general operating expenses,
- $500,000 increase in the federal Social Services Block Grant allocation made in January 2025,
- $800,000 in the emergency budget passed at the beginning of the 2025 legislative session. PPSNE stated it will use some of the funds to stockpile abortion pills, but there was no such limitation of use mentioned in the budget, and
- Over $2 million for the relocation of their New London facility in the bonding package authorized on April 11, 2025.
Our political leaders in the Democratic party must stop giving PPSNE most favored nonprofit status. The numbers clearly show it has the funds it needs to be a viable organization for many years to come.
How many nonprofits failed to receive needed funding because the funds went to PPSNE? Other nonprofit agencies that provide food, mental health services, and services to the homeless, beg the state for additional funding, while taxpayer money just keeps flowing into PPSNE. Hopefully the fake claim that PPSNE will have to cut services, due to a reduction in Title X funds, will not result in another financial win for PPSNE and a fiscal loss for Connecticut taxpayers.
David Reynolds is the Associate Director of Public Policy for the Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference. It represents the Catholic Bishops of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Diocese of Bridgeport, Diocese of Norwich and the Ukrainian Eparchy of Stamford in matters of public policy at the state level.