A report released on Sept. 15 by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of the Susan B. Anthony list, indicates that Planned Parenthood has reported excess revenues by the millions over the past 10 years.
In an investigative report by PolitiFact, the question of whether “excess revenue over expenses” is actually considered “profit” was debated between different nonprofit management experts hailing from universities such as Harvard and Indiana University.
In a statement provided to PolitiFact, Beth Gazley, an assistant professor at the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, said, “The government funded parts of the [Planned Parenthood] budget would not be generating a ‘profit’—they would be used in full each year. This means any excess of revenues over expenses [AKA ‘profit’] would have come from other sources—private donations, endowment income, etc.”
Terri Renner, a lecturer at Indiana University and CPA, told PolitiFact, “Any time an organization of any kind has revenue that exceeds expenses—it’s making a ‘profit.’ NPOs don’t like that word—so they use different vocabulary [‘revenues over expenses’].”
According to Planned Parenthood’s 2014 annual report, the organization was granted $528.4 million from government grants and reimbursements and $391.8 million from private contributions and bequests.
Mallory Quigley, spokeswoman for the Susan B. Anthony List, also associated with the Charlotte Lozier Institute, said in an interview with PolitiFact, “We’re not saying nonprofits shouldn’t have a profit, but rather wish to point to excess in profit and question why this organization would need to be supplemented by American taxpayers.”
Nonprofit organizations categorized as 501(c)(3) receive designated tax breaks and are required to reinvest their profits from the fiscal year back into the services of the company.
Planned Parenthood is currently facing allegations that it is selling aborted fetal body parts, calling into question its taxpayer funding.
Spokespersons for Planned Parenthood have denied any wrongdoing.
Planned Parenthood and the Charlotte Lozier Institute did not immediately return The Daily Signal’s request for comment.
