Where to Donate Locally to Help People Access Abortion Services

While national efforts to support women’s bodily autonomy are likely to receive an influx of donations in the coming weeks, many of us still feel hopeless, powerless and/or full of unbridled rage after the 2024 election.

If you’re looking for ways to help right now, local abortion funds and independent clinics are some of the best places to donate. Here’s what you need to know.

Where to Donate Locally to Help People Access Abortion Services

The organizations listed below either operate clinics, mail medications, arrange travel, or otherwise help people get the help they need.

• The Baltimore Abortion Fund helps people living in or traveling to Maryland for medical care.

• Brigid Alliance organizes and funds abortion trips throughout the country.

• Carolina Abortion Fund for people seeking abortions in North or South Carolina.

• Holler Health Justice , which provides funds for abortions, free emergency contraception and other health and harm reduction services in West Virginia.

• Indigenous Women Rising , which runs an abortion fund for Indigenous people in the US and Canada (it is for anyone who can get pregnant, who doesn’t have to be a woman).

• Jane’s Fund for Abortion Access in Massachusetts.

• Just the Pill , which provides medication abortion and other services to people who are located or likely to travel to Montana, Minnesota and Wyoming.

• The Midwest Access Coalition helps people traveling to, from, or within the Midwest access abortion services.

• West Virginia Women’s Health Center , the last abortion clinic left in the state.

• The Women’s Reproductive Rights Project provides funding for abortion and emergency contraception nationwide.

• Yellowhammer Foundation , which provides funds for abortions, free emergency contraception, and other assistance to people in Alabama, Mississippi, and surrounding areas.

And if you can’t decide, the National Network of Abortion Funds distributes donations among its 80 member organizations. You can also use their website to find a list of local funds by state .

Find non-monetary ways to volunteer.

While it may be more important to act locally now, I won’t tell anyone not to support larger organizations like Planned Parenthood or NARAL . In addition to occasional donations, check your local Planned Parenthood office for other volunteer opportunities; they almost always need people to do phone banking and data entry. If you are a lawyer, consider donating your time to a reproductive justice hotline likeIf/When/How . And if you’re physically and mentally capable, one of the most impactful things you can do is volunteer as a chaperone at your local clinic.

Take care

In addition to the above steps, it is important to take care of your mental health. Here are some strategies to help you cope when you feel like you’re living in a constant state of crisis:

• Balance your news consumption. The human brain is not designed to consume a constant stream of alarming information. If you find it necessary to read the news, look for positive stories as well .

• Set boundaries on social media or get off it altogether. In general, limiting your news scrolling is a good idea .

• Do grounding exercises such as yoga or meditation, which will calm your sympathetic nervous system .

• Maintain a daily routine. Taking a bath every night, walking the dog, and making morning coffee are ways to prevent panic and maintain a basic level of functioning.

Finally, do your best to maintain perspective. Focus on supporting all independent organizations fighting for access to abortion services in your community. It feels like this problem is out of our control, but that doesn’t mean we should give up without a fight. No matter where you live, there are ways for you to get involved.

This article was originally published in May 2022 and updated with new information on November 6, 2024.

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