About March for Life
The March for Life is the largest annual pro-life event in the world, held every January in Washington, D.C. to mark the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide. Organized by the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, the annual march and rally draw hundreds of thousands of women, men, young people, and children from across the country onto the National Mall and Capitol Hill to peacefully witness for the protection of unborn life. Founded in 1974 by attorney Nellie Gray, the movement continued growing in size and influence for nearly four decades until the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturned Roe, after which the organization expanded its year-round state and federal advocacy, education programs, and nationwide network of community marches.
Mission
We promote the beauty and dignity of every human life by working to end abortion—uniting, educating, and mobilizing pro-life people in the public square. We march because we envision a future world where the beauty and dignity of every human life are valued and protected.
- Founded
- 1974
- Founder
- Nellie Gray
- Leader
- Jennie Bradley Lichter (President, as of February 2025); preceded by Jeanne Mancini (2014–2024)
- Reach
- Tens of thousands gather in person at the annual National March for Life in Washington, D.C. (the largest annual human rights demonstration in the world). Hundreds of thousands more participate virtually or via bus trips organized across all 50 states. The organization supports a growing network of State Marches for Life in communities nationwide.
- Serves
- The unborn and their mothers, the pro-life movement in the United States, students and young adults, families, Catholic and evangelical Christians, and all Americans working to protect human life from conception to natural death.
About the March for Life
The March for Life is an annual event held in Washington, D.C., and the parent organization that mobilizes pro-life Americans year-round. According to its official site, the March for Life 'promote[s] the beauty and dignity of every human life by working to end abortion—uniting, educating, and mobilizing pro-life people in the public square.' The annual National March for Life is described on the organization's website as 'the largest annual human rights demonstration in the world,' gathering tens of thousands of pro-lifers of every age on the National Mall and Capitol Hill on the Friday closest to January 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
- Mission: promote the beauty and dignity of every human life by working to end abortion
- Vision: a future world where every human life is valued and protected
- Annual event held in Washington, D.C. on the National Mall
- Year-round advocacy through the March for Life Education and Defense Fund
History and Founding
The March for Life was founded by Nellie Gray in 1974 in direct response to the U.S. Supreme Court's January 22, 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. In the fall of 1973, roughly 30 pro-life leaders met at Nellie Gray's home near Capitol Hill to plan a commemoration of the first anniversary of Roe; that gathering led to the first March for Life on January 22, 1974, when an estimated 20,000 pro-lifers marched around the U.S. Capitol. Originally conceived as a one-time lobbying event, the march was kept going annually by Gray, who left her legal career to serve as volunteer president. The March for Life was formally incorporated as an action-oriented non-profit and adopted the 'Life Principles' as its guiding document.
- Fall 1973: planning meeting at Nellie Gray's Capitol Hill home
- January 22, 1974: first March for Life, ~20,000 participants
- 1974: March for Life incorporated as non-profit; 'Life Principles' adopted
- Nellie Gray led the March for Life for nearly 40 years until her death in August 2012
Leadership
The March for Life has had three presidents in its history. Founder Nellie Gray, a devout Roman Catholic and retired federal attorney, served as volunteer president for nearly four decades until her death on August 13, 2012; she was widely called 'the Joan of Arc of the pro-life movement.' In 2014, months before the organization's 40th anniversary, Jeanne Mancini was chosen as the second president and led the March for Life for 12 years, including the historic post-Dobbs era. In February 2025, Jennie Bradley Lichter assumed the role of President of the March for Life.
- Nellie Gray — Founder and President, 1974–2012
- Jeanne Mancini — President, 2014–2024 (12 years)
- Jennie Bradley Lichter — President, as of February 2025
National March for Life
The National March for Life is the flagship annual event, held every January on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The official site describes it as 'an inspiring, peaceful, vibrant, and joy-filled rally of women, men, young people, and children from all across the country.' Participants gather for a rally program featuring speakers, music, and prayer, then march along a published route toward Capitol Hill or the Supreme Court to call on lawmakers to protect the unborn. The 2026 National March for Life is scheduled for January 23, 2026 in Washington, D.C., and the 2027 National March for Life is set for January 22, 2027 on the National Mall.
- 2026 National March for Life: January 23, 2026, Washington, D.C.
- 2027 National March for Life: January 22, 2027, National Mall
- Largest annual human rights demonstration in the world
- Includes rally, keynote speakers, music, and march to Capitol Hill
Annual Theme and Artwork
Each year the March for Life selects a new theme and corresponding artwork that become the visual and rhetorical center of the movement for that year. The theme and artwork are copyrighted by the March for Life Education and Defense Fund and are licensed to affiliated local and state marches. The 2026 National March for Life theme is 'Life is a Gift.'
- 2026 theme: 'Life is a Gift'
- Theme and artwork are copyrighted and licensed to affiliates
- Used by affiliated state and community marches nationwide
State Marches for Life
Following the Dobbs decision, which returned abortion policy to the states, the March for Life launched a growing State Marches for Life initiative to support community-level marches across the United States. Through an affiliate and licensing program, the organization provides themes, artwork, and branding so that local marches can operate under official permission of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. The March for Life website maintains a directory so supporters can 'find a march near you' and make an impact at the state level.
- State marches operate as affiliates under license from the Education and Defense Fund
- Affiliates must include required theme and copyright language in promotional materials
- Directory of community marches hosted on marchforlife.org
Education and Advocacy
Beyond the annual march, the March for Life Education and Defense Fund pursues year-round pro-life education and legislative work. The organization lobbies on Capitol Hill, mobilizes voters, and advocates at the state level for laws that protect the unborn and support mothers. A central focus is defending the Hyde Amendment, which limits federal funding of abortion and which the March for Life says has saved over 2 million lives. The organization frames its post-Dobbs mission as not only changing laws but also 'changing hearts and minds to ultimately make abortion unthinkable.'
- Year-round advocacy and education through the March for Life Education and Defense Fund
- Defense of the Hyde Amendment (>2 million lives saved, per organization)
- State-level legislative engagement following Dobbs v. Jackson
- Goal of changing laws and hearts/minds to make abortion unthinkable
Youth Programming and the National Prayer Vigil for Life
Young people and students are a major constituency of the March for Life, and the organization hosts a Youth Rally and student-focused programming around the annual march in Washington, D.C. The National Prayer Vigil for Life is a prayerful observance held in conjunction with the march. The March for Life also curates online educational resources, devotionals, and advocacy tools that students and parish groups can use year-round.
- March for Life Youth Rally
- National Prayer Vigil for Life
- Online devotionals and educational resources
- Student ambassador and group travel support
Frequently Asked Questions
The organization's FAQ page confirms that the March for Life 'began in Washington, D.C. as a small demonstration in direct response to the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.' The first march was held on the one-year anniversary of Roe, January 22, 1974, and the event has been held every year since. The National March for Life is now held on the Friday closest to the January 22 anniversary of Roe. The FAQ also explains that even after the Dobbs decision, the organization continues to march annually at the national level to build a culture of life and to mark the 63 million lives lost since Roe.
- When: Friday closest to January 22 each year
- Where: National Mall, Washington, D.C.
- Who: women, men, young people, and children from across the U.S.
- Continued every year until a 'culture of life is restored in the United States'
Get Involved and Support
The March for Life invites supporters to engage year-round. Donations to the March for Life Education and Defense Fund are tax-deductible, and the organization specifically invites monthly recurring gifts of $10, $25, or $50. Supporters can also attend or organize a local march, take a bus trip to Washington, attend the National Prayer Vigil for Life, sign up for email updates, volunteer, or become a youth or student ambassador.
- Tax-deductible donations to the March for Life Education and Defense Fund
- Recurring monthly gifts of $10, $25, or $50
- Attend or organize a State March for Life
- Sign up for the mailing list and prayer notifications
Contact and Headquarters
The March for Life Education and Defense Fund is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and operates from an office near the White House and the federal agencies it regularly engages with. The mailing address is 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20006. Phone and email contact details are not prominently published on the public website; the recommended path for media, donors, and supporters is through the contact form and donation pages at marchforlife.org.
- Organization: March for Life Education and Defense Fund
- Address: 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20006
- Website: https://marchforlife.org
