Look back at 25 years of funding abortion
This year the National Network of Abortion Funds celebrates its 25th anniversary.
For over 25 years, abortion funds have been navigating a low-access reality and building up systems that rely on community led care. Today, we are bigger, stronger, and more strategic in our commitment to making abortion access a reality. Armed with new tools, new vision, new momentum to organize, and a growing base of supporters, we are primed and ready to go.
We invite you to read through our history below and join us in the long-haul by starting a monthly donation today. In honor of our 25 year anniversary, the Groundswell Fund will match every donation up to $25,000.
- 1993 – The National Network of Abortion Funds is founded by 22 abortion funds from 14 states.
- 1997 – NNAF publishes the first edition of “Legal But Out of Reach,” a collection of stories from people who had been helped by abortion funds.
- 2000 – With over 200 ally groups, NNAF launches a grassroots effort to shine a light on the harm created by the Hyde Amendment and punitive welfare reform.
- 2005 – NNAF releases “Abortion Funding: A Matter of Justice,” a groundbreaking policy report sharing frontline data of member funds to deepen public understanding of economic obstacles to abortion.
- 2009 – The national abortion fund is renamed the “George Tiller Memorial Abortion Fund,” following the murder of abortion provider, Dr. Tiller.
- 2010 – The National Abortion Access Bowl-a-Thon, a network-wide fundraising event, launches and raises $179,659.
- 2010 – NNAF and the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health become the founding co-chairs of the Coalition for Abortion Access and Reproductive Equity and begin to implement a 15-year plan to repeal the Hyde Amendment with ally groups, which became the campaign and coalition, All* Above All.
- 2013 – NNAF completes the first major national poll on attitudes and messaging about Medicaid coverage of abortion.
- 2016 – We Testify, a program dedicated to broadening the spectrum of abortion storytellers in the public sphere is launched.
- 2016 – Following years of advocacy by abortion funds and movement partners, repealing the Hyde Amendment moves from a “third rail” issue to the mainstream and is included as a priority in the campaign platforms of top presidential candidates.
- 2016 – NNAF joins thousands of advocates to rally for the Supreme Court’s Whole Women’s Health ruling that Texas cannot place restrictions on the delivery of abortion services that create an undue burden.
- 2016 – NNAF launches an internal fund to help patients access abortion in Mississippi and Alabama and a program dedicated to supporting the collaboration of abortion funds in the South.
- 2017 – NNAF holds an emergency convening after the election with abortion funds across the network, followed by four regional convenings to deepen connections and strengthen pathways of support.
- 2017 – NNAF expands membership to include individuals, creating a new entry point into the network.
- 2018 – Bowl-a-Thon raises over $2 million from thousands of supporters with an average donation of $50.
- 2018 – NNAF hosts the largest ever National Organizing Summit with over 300 abortion fund members and individual members in attendance.
