The Need For Abortion Doesn’t Stop During a Crisis

In the spring of 2020, abortion funders and reproductive justice advocates across the nation were on high alert. A crisis with the potential to reshape abortion access loomed on the horizon. At the National Network of Abortion Funds, we dug in and prepared. 

If the Supreme Court guts abortion access in their June Medical Services v. Russo decision, we thought, we’ll be ready to support abortion funds and their callers. Anticipating a potential surge in travel from more restrictive states, we worked to strengthen connections between funds and clinics within driving distance of one another. 

Needless to say, the crisis that came wasn’t the one we’d anticipated. 

In the early days of the pandemic we weren’t sure how long it would last. We didn’t know what effect the virus might have on our organization, abortion funds in our network, or on the lives of the callers they serve. We did know that in times of crisis, the need for abortion funds only increases. Abortion fund callers are more likely to feel the burdens of lost wages, working through illness without paid time off, school and daycare closures, challenges paying rent, finding groceries, and more. 

With your support, we turned to face this new challenge. We kept our mission and values at the forefront, prioritizing care for our network (funds, individual members, and staff), emergency administrative support for funds, and moving as much money as fast as we could to member funds. 

You can see how we took action between March and August below (or open in a new window). This moment of grief, rage, and uncertainty continues, but the work we do together offers something to be proud of. We hope you feel the same way. 

Read more from the 2020 Fall Newsletter here.