What’s next: philanthropy for sexual & reproductive justice
“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places--and there are so many--where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”
- Howard Zinn, The Optimism of Uncertainty, The Nation, 2004
Sparked by Zinn’s words and a need to direct my own energy forward, I write to offer my thoughts and support to your philanthropic strategy development in this post-Roe world.
Below, the three guiding principles I see as crucial for the work ahead.
Protect. Shore up rights where they still exist and stop restrictions where they are proposed. Michigan has a measure on the ballot to enshrine the right to reproductive freedom in the state constitution this fall, but its passage is far from certain; conversely, in Kansas and Kentucky, where constitutional amendments are on the ballot to further restrict healthcare and pave the way to a total abortion ban, there is work to be done to stop those efforts.
Provide. Ensure access for people who need care but can’t get it. Learn about and support the National Network of Abortion Funds and/or local abortion funds, which provide funds and logistics to women who need to travel across state lines for abortion care. Read and share the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy’s call to support abortion funds. Support training for healthcare providers in miscarriage management and abortion care. Support provision of medication abortion across state lines through groups like Just the Pill, a project of the National Abortion Federation.
Plant a Seed. Invest in a vision for the future. Ensure a world where abortion is no longer stigmatized, and in which pregnant people get full-spectrum, affordable, safe, patient-centered, compassionate healthcare. No one is stronger in the world of “vision” than the women of color leading the Reproductive Justice movement. Yellowhammer Fund, Sistersong Reproductive Justice Collective, Spark Reproductive Justice NOW, The Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund – these are just a few that I know well. I would be honored to hear from you if you want to learn more and could use help identifying organizations that you are excited to support.
