Funds that help people pay for abortions are having trouble as the influx of donations that followed the Roe v. Wade ruling has started to dwindle. Spending increased by 88% from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, as the National Network of Abortion Organizations (NNAF), comprised of 100 organizations nationwide, distributed about $37 million to around 103,000 individuals. But, contributions have also dropped as the subject has lost its prominence in the news.
Donations to the Louisiana Abortion Fund plummeted 63% between 2022 and 2023, following a surge in support following the Dobbs ruling. Before its recent restriction, the fund could assist anybody entering or leaving the Tampa region rather than the entire state of Florida. Although the Louisiana fund is still running thanks to individual contributors, foundations and philanthropies have significantly reduced their support.
While the cost of abortion treatment has increased dramatically, nearly all of the funds contacted by the Hill have reported a decline in donations. When abortion was legal, the majority of the cash was used to cover transportation costs to nearby clinics and the procedure itself. People typically have to travel far farther than previously and deal with a constantly shifting terrain of local regulations since abortion is now prohibited or severely limited in more than 21 states throughout the nation.
Suppose you want to get an abortion in the Southeast (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee). In that case, you’ll have to pay up to $200 more than before, says Kenny Callaway, who works as a health-line coordinator for the abortion fund ARC Southeast. Nowadays, you can’t get nearly as much with the same amount of money. There was just one abortion facility in Mississippi before Dobbs, and each caller would pay an average of $200 to $600. For those who require an abortion before 12 weeks of gestation, the fund will now need to allocate $1000 to $1500.
It was usual practice for funds to temporarily suspend operations if they exceeded their monthly allocations during the legalization of abortion. On the other hand, when one fund goes silent or takes a break, others jump in to assist, according to the fund executives.
