Life Issues Institute Inc

What Life Issues Institute Inc does

Life Issues Institute Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded in 1991 by Dr. J.C. Willke and Bradley Mattes, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio with a mailing address in Florence, Kentucky. The organization's mission is to change hearts and minds about abortion through pro-life research, education, and media broadcasting, operating with a lean staff of approximately 10 employees. Its core activities center on producing and distributing pro-life content across radio, television, podcast, and digital channels, targeting individuals and organizations within the pro-life movement as well as the broader American public seeking information on abortion and related life issues.

The product portfolio is anchored by Life Issues Radio, a daily one-minute pro-life commentary broadcast on more than 1,200 radio outlets across all 50 states, alongside Straight Talk on Life Issues (a weekly podcast hosted by President Victor Nieves) and Facing Life TV (a three-time regional Emmy Award-winning news-magazine program spanning eight seasons). Supporting offerings include the In Defense of Life apologetics program, The Shield quarterly newsletter, an extensive Abortion Research Library, and educational content translated into more than 30 languages. Distribution is primarily through owned media — radio station syndication, the lifeissues.org website, YouTube (FacingLifeHeadOn), and podcast platforms (Buzzsprout) — with speaking engagements at churches, events, and campuses extending reach into institutional audiences.

The business model is donation-driven rather than revenue-generating in a commercial sense. Funding comes from individual charitable contributions, including a monthly recurring "Life Defenders" program with suggested tiers of $25, $50, $100, and $250; multi-year leadership pledges; wills and estates; gifts of appreciated shares; and tribute gifts, all processed through a secure online donation portal. Content is provided free to end users, and there are no disclosed pricing or commercial transactions. The organization filed Candid/GuideStar transparency seals indicating nonprofit accountability disclosure, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed in the available data. In September 2025, Victor Nieves assumed the presidency following decades of leadership by co-founder Bradley Mattes, who became President Emeritus.

Name

Life Issues Institute Inc

Legal name

Life Issues Institute, Inc.

Website

https://lifeissues.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Life Issues Institute Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 that produces pro-life educational content distributed via 1,200+ radio outlets, an Emmy-winning TV program, and a podcast, serving donors and audiences across all 50 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pro-Life Educational Broadcasting

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health Communications, Risk Communication & Community Engagement (HLAJAMAH)

Keywords

• Pro-life education
• Radio broadcasting
• Nonprofit advocacy
• Abortion research
• Faith-based media

Headquarters

HQ city

Florence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Life Issues Institute operates as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Primary revenue comes from donations from individuals, including monthly recurring 'Life Defenders' program, one-time donations, multi-year leadership pledges, wills and estates, gifts of appreciated shares, and cashless assets (vehicles, property). All donations are fully tax deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Life Issues Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that produces and distributes pro-life educational content, including daily one-minute radio commentaries broadcast on 1,200+ outlets to all 50 states, a weekly podcast, Emmy Award-winning TV programming, apologetics resources, and an extensive research library. The organization educates audiences about abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research, and related life issues, with materials translated into over 30 languages.

Product overview

Life Issues Institute operates as a pro-life educational organization offering a multi-platform content portfolio centered on radio broadcasting, television programming, podcasts, and written research materials. The core offerings include Life Issues Radio (daily one-minute commentaries on 1,200+ outlets), Straight Talk on Life Issues (weekly podcast/radio show), and Facing Life TV (Emmy Award-winning TV program spanning 8 seasons). Supporting products include the In Defense of Life apologetics program, The Shield quarterly newsletter, the Life Defenders monthly giving program, Special Radio Programs, and an extensive Abortion Research Library. All content focuses on pro-life education from conception to natural death, with a central focus on ending legal abortion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Life Defenders: Monthly recurring donor program supporting Life Issues Institute's pro-life education work.
• Straight Talk on Life Issues
• Facing Life TV
• Life Issues Radio
• The Shield

Products and services

• Life Issues Radio Daily one-minute pro-life radio commentary broadcast from over 1,200 radio outlets nationwide to all 50 states. Provides brief educational segments on pro-life topics for general listeners.
• Straight Talk on Life Issues Weekly half-hour pro-life podcast and radio program hosted by President Victor Nieves with expert guests, available on Buzzsprout and other podcast platforms. Addresses current pro-life issues and policy analysis.
• Facing Life TV Weekly news-magazine TV program spanning eight seasons covering pro-life topics including adoption, disability, abortion, cancer, stem cell research and end-of-life care. A three-time Emmy Award winner. Archive available on-demand.
• In Defense of Life Pro-life apologetics resources providing arguments and tools to defend pro-life positions and refute pro-abortion arguments. Designed for individuals who want to engage in pro-life advocacy and education.
• The Shield Quarterly pro-life newsletter delivering educational content, news updates, and pro-life movement information to subscribers.
• Life Defenders Monthly recurring donor program with suggested amounts of $25, $50, $100, or $250 enabling supporters to contribute automatically to sustain pro-life education and research.
• Special Radio Programs Periodic special radio broadcasts addressing topics requiring dedicated programming, such as annual Sanctity of Life Sunday programming and other pro-life themes.
• Chemical Abortion Pills Education Educational resources and research exposing information about chemical abortion drugs and their effects, addressing policy and health implications.
• Abortion Research Library Comprehensive pro-life research library covering abortion facts, statistics, FAQs, and evidence-based content organized by topics including abortifacients, adoption, apologetics, euthanasia, and more.
• Pro-Life Articles Extensive archive of pro-life educational articles and blog posts covering topics such as apologetics, abortion, adoption, Down syndrome, euthanasia, and other life issues.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Family Research Council: Conservative Christian advocacy organization working on life, family, and religious liberty issues. Overlaps with Life Issues Institute on pro-life policy research and donor-driven advocacy for socially conservative causes.
• National Right to Life Committee: The largest pro-life advocacy organization in the U.S., directly comparable in mission (ending legal abortion, protecting life from conception to natural death) and grassroots/policy activities. Overlaps with Life Issues Institute in education, lobbying, and state-level pro-life mobilization.
• Heartbeat International: Pro-life nonprofit network supporting pregnancy resource centers and alternatives-to-abortion services. Comparable mission and donor base, though operationally focused on affiliate network management rather than broadcasting.
• American Family Association: Christian conservative advocacy organization using radio broadcasting, donor funding, and grassroots mobilization to advance social conservative causes including pro-life advocacy. Highly comparable operating model and audience.
• Concerned Women for America: Conservative women's policy and advocacy organization with strong pro-life focus. Comparable donor base, advocacy mission, and policy communications model targeting pro-life and family-policy supporters.
• Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America: Major pro-life political and advocacy organization focused on electing pro-life candidates and policy advocacy. Comparable in mission, donor base (pro-life individuals), and political/educational communications work.
• Americans United for Life: Pro-life legal and policy organization producing model legislation, legal analysis, and state-level advocacy. Comparable to Life Issues Institute in producing research and education content for the pro-life movement, though more legal/policy-focused.
• March for Life: Pro-life advocacy organization focused on the annual March for Life and youth education programs. Comparable mission (ending legal abortion) and educational outreach to churches, schools, and pro-life supporters.

Broad incumbents

• Focus on the Family: Large Christian conservative media and advocacy organization with broad programming across family issues including pro-life content. Comparable in using radio broadcasting, donor-funded model, and educational content, though with a much broader portfolio beyond life issues.

Emerging players

• Students for Life of America: Younger, growth-stage pro-life organization focused on college and high school campus outreach. Comparable pro-life advocacy mission but with a more targeted youth demographic and grassroots organizing model rather than broadcast media.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lifeissuesUSA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FacingLifeHeadOn
• Facebookfacebook.com/lifeissues
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifeissuesinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/life-issues-institute-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Life Issues Institute Inc