Banquet and gala keynotes
Speaking for Pregnancy Centers
Jonathan Keller has served pregnancy centers since his Eagle Scout project at seventeen. Today he brings the view from California’s State Capitol to your banquet. He tells your guests the truth about what your center faces, gives them a reason for hope, and turns their hearts toward your giving appeal.
Where His Story Began
At seventeen, Jonathan did his Eagle Scout service project for Alternatives Pregnancy Center in Sacramento. More than twenty-five years later, he is still a big fan. He has stood with pregnancy centers ever since:
- 2015: He testified at the State Capitol against AB 775, which forced pregnancy centers to advertise state-funded abortion.
- 2018: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against that law in NIFLA v. Becerra.
- 2023: He stood with Alternatives Pregnancy Center at a Capitol press conference against AB 710.
The Message: A Calling, Not a Hobby
A keynote of twenty to forty-five minutes, built for your banquet and your giving moment.
1. Where My Story Began
A teenager’s service project becomes a lifelong calling.
2. The Stockdale Paradox
Admiral James Stockdale, a prisoner of war in Vietnam, never lost faith in the end of the story. He also never looked away from the brutal facts.
3. The Brutal Facts
How California’s leaders promote abortion and target the centers that offer women another choice.
4. Optimism or Hope?
Optimism sees what it wants to see. Hope, as Father Richard John Neuhaus taught, is “the unrelenting refusal to despair.”
5. The Last Line of Defense
Pregnancy centers keep winning, in court and in their communities.
6. Now It’s Up to You
The close turns your guests toward your appeal, right where your MC picks up.
Featured Banquet: Alpha Pregnancy Help Center, Merced
On September 24, 2026, Jonathan gave the keynote at Alpha Pregnancy Help Center’s gala at Yosemite Church in Merced. Alpha has served Merced County for forty-one years. Three hundred guests heard the message.
Centers Jonathan Has Served
- Alpha Pregnancy Help Center, Merced: gala keynote (2026)
- NorthState Care Clinic, Redding: gala keynote (2025)
- Moreno Valley Women’s Health Center: banquet keynote (2024)
- Wildwood Women’s Center, Yucaipa: guest speaker at the dedication of its mobile ultrasound unit (2023)
- SCV Pregnancy Center, Santa Clarita: press conference (2023)
- Center for Life Choices: fall fundraisers in Kelseyville and Ukiah (2022)
- Pregnancy Care Center, Fresno: men’s breakfast (2019)
- Alternatives Pregnancy Center, Sacramento: Eagle Scout service project (2000) and a Capitol press conference (2023)
- California Alliance of Pregnancy Care: sessions for pregnancy center directors at its statewide Directors Summit (2023 and 2025)
What Jonathan Brings to Your Banquet
- A keynote shaped for your center. Before he writes a word, he learns your story, your community, and your goals.
- Slides made for your night. Your logo, your community’s story, and Scripture. Delivered in PowerPoint and Apple Keynote, with backup files and a simple guide for your tech team.
- A short video about your town. A story like “Two Doors in Merced,” made to lead into your giving appeal.
- A printed handout for every guest. A four-page booklet of his article “A Calling, Not a Hobby.”
- A clean hand-off to your ask. He plans the close with your director and MC, so the keynote ends right where your appeal begins.
Planning Details
- Length: twenty to forty-five minutes.
- Settings: banquets and galas, donor dinners, church partner nights, and volunteer celebrations.
- Travel: Jonathan is based in the Fresno area and speaks mainly in California. He considers out-of-state events case by case.