Critical Update: Your support matters in DC’s abortion funding landscape
As we navigate these turbulent times, we want to share an update on our work, the challenges we face, and how you can continue to support us.
Our Accomplishments: Funding Abortions and Meeting Increased Needs
With states tightening restrictions, DC has become a critical access point because we still have strong laws protecting abortion access: Our district’s policies cover all stages of pregnancy, don’t require parental permission, and don’t make people wait. There are many clinics here, too, including multiple all-trimester clinics.
Over the last year, we’ve helped over 3,000 people and funded $1.5 million in abortion care (and over 6,000 abortion seekers since Dobbs). We fund anyone living in or traveling to the DC Metro region, without restrictions or requirements — no matter their state, religion, political views, or gender.
As you might expect, we’re supporting more folks from Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Pennsylvania, where getting an abortion is a major hurdle. Abortion bans, natural disasters, global capitalism, and the impacts of war have often led people from around the world to us, including from Ukraine, Poland, Cuba, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Mexico, Cuba, Bahamas, England, Norway, Australia, Canada, Spain, Netherlands, and Curacao.
Despite obstacles, we've achieved significant milestones by hosting over 90 events, being featured in major media outlets, expanding our outreach through diverse community engagement, launching My Body My Festival, and deepening grassroots connections with local campaigns.
Challenges: Harassment and Funding Decreases
We also want you to be aware of some serious challenges we’re facing as the need for funding increases, alongside so many abortion funds.
The money coming in from both big funders and smaller donors is not nearly enough to cover the amount that needs to go out — for abortion funding but also logistical needs as people need to travel further than ever before. We’ve had to make hard decisions and caps on our budget every month, because while we received support in 2022 unlike we ever had before, we just haven’t seen that drumbeat keep up in 2023 and 2024.
In our region, third-trimester care can cost between $10,000 and $25,000. We often talk to people who need $10,000 or more and have to work behind the scenes with other funds to help cover these costs. To really meet the needs of abortion seekers we would need to spend over $300,000 every single month; right now, we can only spend $140,000, leaving a huge gap in our region. We know this means some people will not get the abortion care they need, want, and deserve and may be forced to give birth. We are currently looking for new sources of funding with the hopes we can increase our monthly budget to $150,000. While still not enough, every extra dollar helps one more person access abortion care.
On top of an already contentious legal and political landscape, there have been many new organizations, new campaigns, and new projects that have sprung up in the abortion access space since the fall of Roe. Unfortunately, many of those have centered on funders, donors, boards, and institutions, not abortion seekers.
Simultaneously, DCAF has been one of several targets of an online harassment campaign accompanied by coercive retraction of funding because of our call for a ceasefire in Gaza—a decision we made alongside over 25 abortion funds and many more reproductive justice organizations.
On February 8, 2024 we announced our sign on to “Reproductive Justice Includes Palestinian Liberation,” a letter authored by our friends and partners to the South, ARC-Southeast, which said:
“Doctors Without Borders, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations in calling for a permanent ceasefire, an end to the US-funding of the genocide of Palestinians, the release of all hostages currently being held by the Israeli government and Hamas, an end to the occupation and the ability for Palestinians to freely return to their homes, and an end to the suppression of repro workers’ voices in support of Palestine.”
Our commitment to reproductive justice and intersectional advocacy is rock solid. We advocate for those most at risk of having their rights violated because our commitment to liberation is not conditional. The stances we take about domestic and global issues means more than lending our voice; it’s about strengthening global solidarity and acting on the urgent humanitarian needs that arise from profound disparities. That’s why DCAF has continuously spoken out across issues, from advocating for abortion access and gender-affirming care to advocating against police brutality, colonialism, genocide, and war. We’ve been here. We’ll be here. We’re not going anywhere.
Here’s how we’ve been continuing the conversation about the challenges abortion funds are facing:
“Everyone is out of money. And there’s really nothing left for people to do,” Dingus says. “That’s the really tough reality that we’ve been trying not to talk about because we’ve been trying to be that resilience movement, where we will get people the care they need no matter what. But there’s always a limitation when the dollars run out.”
DC Abortion Fund Forced to Reduce Services As Funding from National Orgs Decreases, Washington City Paper, Lizzy Rager, July 2024
“Now our people in DC are having to go up for their appointments. We’re having to send people to other clinics in Maryland, sometimes all the way to Pennsylvania.”
Two Years Post-Dobbs: The Nationwide Impacts of Abortion Bans, Senator Cantwell’s Office, July 2024
“So we are a very, very crucial access point,’ Hurley said, noting that because D.C. is an accessible travel hub, by default, the fund assists a great deal of people traveling internationally for later abortions.”
Reproductive justice is an international human rights framework, so why are groups getting pushback for supporting Palestine?, Prism, Nicole Froio, April 2024
“There is still this internal barrier to wanting to fund abortions directly,” she said. “Some people will do it in different ways: They’ll give money to a practical support network... or they’ll give money to Planned Parenthood, but they won’t give money to something that they know explicitly goes to funding abortion. And I think we still have a ton of work to do there, unfortunately.”
Abortion Funds Are In ‘A State Of Emergency’ 2 Years After Dobbs, HuffPost, Alanna Vagianos, July 2024
“We are aware that DCAF has been scapegoated by people with power and money because of our call for a ceasefire in Gaza—a decision we made alongside over 25 abortion funds and many more reproductive justice organizations.”
New abortion fund based on ‘Jewish values’ founded in response to DC Abortion Fund’s anti-war stance, Nicole Froio, July 2024
Get Ready for the DC Abortion Funding Unlocked Series
The key to unlocking new conversations, solutions, and funding sources starts with a transparent look at the current landscape of abortion funding in DC and beyond. So… we're excited to announce a new monthly email series where you’ll get the inside scoop about systemic barriers we face, deep dives into the impact of the Dobbs decision, the spike in out-of-state patients, the financial and logistical challenges we navigate daily — and how we can move through the hard parts together.
Invest in Justice on the Ground with Your Local Abortion Funds
In today's political landscape, abortion access is intertwined with every other social justice issue that we are coping with right now, and putting dollars in abortion seekers’ hands ensures that everyone has the resources to determine their own destiny.
When you’re choosing how to fight back, invest in local abortion funds like DCAF as an antidote to political frustration and hopelessness. At DCAF, we’ve been operating for almost 30 years. We believe in abundance over competition — that the more funds flowing to abortion seekers, the better. When new initiatives arise, we ask our supporters to keep their local abortion funds at top priority for giving and support.
Together, we can ensure that everyone has access to the care they need, regardless of their background or circumstances. Thank you for your unwavering support.
P.S. Stay connected with us on social media for the latest updates and ways to get involved. Follow us at @dcabortionfund on all platforms.