Planned Parenthood gets $100,000 from Venice foundation

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice has awarded a $100,000 grant to Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, headquartered in Sarasota.

Planned Parenthood was awarded the funds to "help pay for its first full-time medical director," according to a list of donations on the Venice Foundation website.

Planned Parenthood was among 11 organizations that received $100,000 or more from the $2.1 million awarded to 25 regional non-profit groups.

Foundations often provide seed money to start new programs or expand existing ones. In this case, however, the foundation also considered operating funds.

In this recession, Teri Hansen, foundation president, said the intent is to "help agencies bridge funding gaps and make up revenue shortfalls while they focus on their long-term strength and sustainability."

It's unclear whether the Planned Parenthood "medical director" will be doing abortions.

In its 2007-08 tax return, Planned Parenthood listed as "independent contractors" two persons (we'd rather not call them "doctors") who do abortions, likely at more than one of its abortion facilities. They were Philip Waterman at $193,075 (up $17,000 or 9.7% from the previous year) and Edwin Ortiz at $57,630  (down $35,000 or 38%). The total was $250,705.

Ortiz lives in Sarasota. Waterman is from Cape Coral.

Planned Parenthood also listed a Mary Ortiz as "director surgical se" at $84,204 plus benefits (up 9,279 or 12%).

This isn't the first time the foundation has been friendly to Planned Parenthood. In July 2008, it announced a grant of $100,000 "toward implementing environmentally-friendly features at the new regional headquarters in Sarasota."

In a related story, Sharon Kunkel has become the senior development officer for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, said a Sarasota Herald-Tribune business brief.

She is listed as contact person for Planned Parenthood's upcoming Safe Sex Halloween Bash.

In an Internet reference, she says her specialties are "branding and identity, community relations, program and event marketing, crisis communications, media relations, newspaper production, annual campaign scheduling and implementation."

Her Internet curriculum vitae lists 18 years of experience in journalism, marketing, communications and development. She was communications director for 6 years at Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation, marketing director for 2 years at Flanzer Jewish Community Center, and managing editor for 2 years at the liberal newspaper "Weekly Planet" (since renamed "Creative Loafing").

Note that 38% of all PP expenses were for salary and wages, according to the 2007-08 tax return for this regional PP affiliate.

While there are these 2 new hires, PP says it has reduced staff in the past year.

Article courtesy of ProVita.