NURTURE SUPPORTERS

Planned Parenthood says it has more than 6 million supporters, including many who have used its health services. They include donors, people who have signed up to get e-mails or taken action like signing a petition, and other activists. During crises, some of them create art, videos, or other features, and the group thanks them and shares their work on its own Twitter feeds and Facebook pages.

During the Susan G. Komen for the Cure controversy, for example, a “Planned Parenthood Saved Me” space was created on Tumblr inviting people to submit stories about how Planned Parenthood’s health services “saved or changed” their lives. The organization encouraged its followers to add their stories. Another supporter made a photo of Batman carrying signs with the words “I Stand With Planned Parenthood,” and a graphic designer, Chris Piascik, created a drawing (above) to illustrate how many more Americans approve of Planned Parenthood than they do of Congress.

The group does not promote messages that contradict its own positions—for example, messages calling for retribution against Komen.

Planned Parenthood is stepping up its ties to celebrities, encouraging them to tweet or retweet supportive messages. Among those who have done so in recent months: the actress Eva Longoria, and Samantha Ronson, a singer and disc jockey.