Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice

Reproductive health and rights are under attack in the United States, and it’s partly because the antiabortion movement has been so voluminously funded by philanthropists. There is a large need for funders who support reproductive justice to move more resources to the grassroots movements, legal advocacy nonprofits and service providers who are working to protect reproductive rights, ensure access to reproductive healthcare, and advance reproductive justice for all. Nonprofit groups doing important and urgent work need more resources, and there are many opportunities for donors to get involved. This brief offers advice about how donors can make a difference in this critical area and guidance for donors to get started with their giving. 

Strategies for Impact

Nonprofits are engaged in a range of efforts around reproductive health, rights and justice. All this work is crucial and could benefit from greater donor support. Below, we discuss areas where donors might focus their funding and spotlight several organizations in each area that represent the kinds of nonprofits that funders might consider supporting.

• Protect reproductive rights. With the Supreme Court having overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022 and bans and restrictions being passed in many states, there is a clear need to fund the nonprofits engaged in advocacy to protect reproductive rights, such as the Center for Reproductive Rights, NARAL Pro-Choice America and Guttmacher Institute. The National Institute for Reproductive Health fights for reproductive rights at the local and state levels. There are also regionally focused groups like the Southeastern Alliance for Reproductive Equity.

• Expand access to reproductive health care. Access to abortion care, and all reproductive healthcare, is limited by attacks on reproductive rights as well as by inequities in healthcare coverage, lack of nearby providers, and other barriers. As restrictions on abortion care in clinic settings proliferate, efforts to protect and expand access to self-managed abortion care are increasingly important. Nonprofits working to increase access to reproductive healthcare include national organizations such as Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation, as well as more locally focused organizations such as New Mexico-based Bold Futures, New Morning in South Carolina and the Frontera Fund in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. The National Network of Abortion Funds helps to increase access for low-income people. Organizations working on the availability of abortion pills via mail include Aid Access.

• Support reproductive justice. Reproductive justice is about a lot more than abortion rights. The nonprofit SisterSong defines reproductive justice as “the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.” In addition to SisterSong, there are organizations across the country doing reproductive justice work, including Spark: Reproductive Justice Now, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, Birthing Sovereignty, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Forward Together,  Lift Louisiana, SHERo in Mississippi, Birth Detroit, Afiya Center in Texas, and many others. 

Insights and Advice 

In considering which impact strategies to support, donors should take into account their personal interests and outlook to find the best fit. Donors should also keep an eye out for emerging opportunities to give with maximum impact in the reproductive rights, health, and justice space. Here, we offer a few insights and suggestions: 

• Don’t go it alone. Intermediaries and philanthropy-serving organizations can do a huge amount of the leg work of identifying opportunities in the field, and getting involved with one of these groups is a great way for donors to save time and give more effectively. There are women’s funds across the country that can move resources quickly to community organizations working in this space. The Women Donors Network, Funders for Reproductive Equity and the Collaborative for Gender + Reproductive Equity are spaces to connect with other funders focused on reproductive rights, health and justice. Intermediaries that can regrant your funds to support grassroots movements for reproductive justice include Groundswell Fund, Ms. Foundation for Women and Third Wave Fund. 

• Give multi-year, general operating support. Multiyear general operating support is considered a best practice in trust-based philanthropy. While funding for nonprofits in this sector tends to happen on a boom-and-bust cycle in response to major events, what’s needed is sustained support so these organizations can do the long-haul work, day in and day out. Providing unrestricted, multi-year support gives nonprofits resources they can count on to sustain programs over the long term, as well as the flexibility to use funds where they are needed most. 

• Keep intersectionality in mind. Reproductive justice is inextricably linked to racial, economic, immigrant, gender and other forms of social justice, and the most effective organizations and funders are investing in and doing work that recognizes this. An easy and effective way to give to groups working at the intersections is through intermediaries with a deep understanding of intersectionality, such as Groundswell Fund, Third Wave Fund and Rights, Faith, and Democracy Collaborative at Proteus Fund. 

For Donors Getting Started

Donors new to this space should take the time to learn about the landscape. A good place to start is by reading IP’s State of American Philanthropy brief on Giving for Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice. In addition, peruse recent articles that IP has published about this area of philanthropy. Some of the funding intermediaries mentioned above also offer reports and articles to help donors understand this area, such as the Reproductive Justice Toolkit for Funders from Funders for Reproductive Equity. 

To find more local nonprofits working in the reproductive health, rights and justice field that are well respected, Charity Navigator is a reputable place to search for worthy organizations around the country.

But the best way to get started giving for reproductive health, rights, and justice is to make some initial gifts, learn from the groups you’re supporting, and connect early with a funding intermediary that can help you learn more about this giving area and increase your giving in a thoughtful way.

Have suggestions for improving this brief? Please email us at editor@insidephilanthropy.com.