Join Our Friends Board

The Friends of Planned Parenthood of Montana Board was established in 2005 in order to give an opportunity for alumni board members and others interested in our issues to stay or become involved with Planned Parenthood of Montana.  The Friends Board will not require a huge time commitment on your part.  Groups will meet 2 – 3 times per year, although each group is free to meet as frequently as they wish. 

Friends of PPMT receive information concerning issues affecting the health of women and their families across Montana via e-mail.

·        We send timely e-mails about important issues (approximately every couple months).  Links are provided when issues may call for communication with government representatives, etc.

·        We host a minimum of two Friends Board events/meetings each year (in cities where boards have formed) where you will learn more about PPMT and current events important to the health of  Montana women, and also meet other like-minded supporters of PPMT, staff and members of the Board of Directors

PPMT staff and local members of PPMT board of directors and of course Friends of PPMT members attend these events/meetings. Topics of direct interest and impact to the health of women and their families in Montana are usually presented by a PPMT staff member.  The CEO of PPMT usually attends the Friends meetings and shares information about PPMT and current issues. 

There are many Friends of PP Boards across the country associated with other affiliates.  Each Board is unique in their purpose and goals and the Friends of PPMT groups will be too.  If any of the Friends Board groups have particular areas of interests and the time available, there are projects we may want to pursue. 

Possibilities include:

·        Select a “hot topic” to support such as comprehensive sex education in our public schools.  This might be accomplished by letter writing campaigns, speaking to school board members, etc.

·        Choose a specific need to raise funds for… as a group.  For example, creating a free Pap Day, Teen education, Teen Board, Essure, Lores Fund, Sarah’s Circle, etc.

Involvement in a project is entirely a choice for Friends members and is not required to be a Friend of PPMT.

Our Friends mission statement is as follows:

To support and celebrate an organization that is leading the way in family planning, comprehensive sexuality education and ensuring reproductive freedom.  Our goal is to further enrich the relationships between all supporters of Planned Parenthood of Montana in an effort to support the vision to create a world in which the decision to bear children is private and voluntary, and where sexuality is expressed with honesty, equality and responsibility.

Currently, we have active Friends member groups in Missoula, Great Falls and Billings.  We hope Friends groups will form in our clinic cities of Helena and Kalispell and possibly in other cities where PPMT supporters are concentrated such as Bozeman and Butte. 

If you are interested in joining the Friends of Planned Parenthood of Montana Board, please contact Michele at (406) 248-3636 ext. 1010 or email at michele.degroat@ppmontana.org.

Lisa McFarlane

Friends Board Chair and member of the Board of Directors for PPMT