
Charles A. “Chuck” Donovan
PresidentCharles A. “Chuck” Donovan is president of the Charlotte Lozier Institute. He served as legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee more than four decades ago, worked as a writer for President Reagan from 1981-1989, helped to lead the Family Research Council for nearly two decades and served as Senior Research Fellow in Religion and Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation.
Chuck has played key roles in the development of public policy regarding public financing of abortion, compassionate alternatives to abortion, the child tax credit, marriage penalty relief, rights of conscience, and other life and family issues.
Donovan is the author or co-author of books and monographs on family topics. Appearances on national radio and television include CNN’s Inside Politics and ABC’s Nightline as well as programs on FOX, BBC, NPR, the Voice of America, EWTN and CBN. His articles and commentaries have been published in newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, San Diego Union and National Catholic Register, and in magazines such as Reader’s Digest, The Weekly Standard, American Legion Magazine, World Magazine, American Library Journal, Crisis, and Focus on the Family’s Citizen.
Chuck has published in the peer-reviewed journals Linacre Quarterly and the Open Journal of Preventative Medicine. He has spoken to audiences across the United States, in Venezuela, and in the United Kingdom.
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Donovan earned a bachelor of arts degree in English at the University of Notre Dame.
Videos
Research Authored
Expanding State and Federal Support for Decisions for Life
The provision of alternatives to abortion has been the hallmark of the U.S. pro-life movement since the founding of the first pregnancy help centers more than a half century ago. Ever since, and accelerating after the mid-1980s, PHCs, as the centers are known by shorthand, have rapidly expanded their personnel, volunteers, and services.
AP Bans ‘Crisis Pregnancy Centers,’ Directs Journalists to Use Negative Term Instead
“[Pregnancy help centers] help everyone and their doors are open to women who seek counseling and support after all forms of pregnancy loss,” Donovan said. “It is well past time that the AP Guide’s authors visit some of the thousands of thriving centers everywhere in the U.S. and get the guide back to a standard of high-quality reportorial content and ethics.”
Pro-lifers set for 50th March for Life after fall of Roe v Wade
"Where once we dreamed of passing laws and public policies to save the lives of the unborn, now we have dozens of states across the country, as well as opportunities at the federal level, where the steps we take will mean life or death for millions of babies as well as support or neglect for their mothers."
Suppressing the Science: Politicians are doing the abortion industry’s dirty work.
What does it say about America if our leading cultural institutions, such as a major political party and their legions of allies in the media, do the abortion industry’s dirty work by ignoring or suppressing the science? What does it say about us if we let them?
Since Dobbs, Pro-Life Laws Have Already Saved 10,000 Unborn Lives And Counting
While the WeCount data can’t be independently verified, it’s surprising to see the abortion industry finally acknowledge, however grudgingly, that pro-life state laws save lives. The abortion industry often seeks to obscure, deny, or ignore research that challenges its position.
Rest in Eternal Light: Sister Paula Vandegaer
“Greater love hath no man than this,” says John 15:13, “that a man lay down his life for his friends.” As with the parable of the Good Samaritan, so often that great love is lain down for those who are strangers – one’s “not yet” friends. So it was with the Sister Paula Vandegaer, a pioneering nun devoted to the sanctity of every life and to walking alongside women considering abortion. Sister Paula passed away in Los Angeles, California, on August 13 at age 82.
Abortion in the Land of Lincoln
The drama now playing out on the Missouri-Illinois border has some resonance with previous questions in American history. The drama involves a bold plan by the national abortion giant, Planned Parenthood, to open a mammoth abortion facility in southwest Illinois, just 13 miles from downtown St. Louis where is found the last abortion center remaining open in the Show-Me State.
Anti-Discrimination Laws in the Womb: New Momentum for Protection
Something interesting is afoot in recent disappointments for advocates of the right to life. In a series of cases that may test the appeal of a new jurisprudence on abortion, two federal appeals courts and the Supreme Court itself have turned aside attempts to enact a law banning disability discrimination abortions.
New Study Details Development Benchmarks for People with Down Syndrome
These findings represent a tremendous leap forward for parents, physicians, therapists, and educators. Now expectant parents can obtain powerful information about the quality of life for persons with Down syndrome.
Review: Summer in the Forest – Disability and the Human Experience
What does it mean to be human? This is the fundamental question presented in the film Summer in the Forest (“Summer”). A documentary of people with intellectual disabilities, Summer suggests that friendship and relationship are central to the human experience and dignity.