Reproductive Freedom Fund

Since our inception, the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota has invested in research, policy, and organizations serving women, girls, and gender-expansive people, throughout the life span. Even before the dismantling of Roe, we heard the call of the reproductive justice movement, saw the research showing the grave disparities in access and care, and knew we had to center our investments in women’s health and well-being in this framework.

We believe that living a safe and healthy life includes reproductive justice, which means the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities. We are dedicated to making sure Minnesotans and care providers have what they need to meet the moment, to anticipate the next, and to dream about what’s possible, safe, and sustainable.

WFM has created a first-of-its-kind Reproductive Freedom Fund to protect and resource organizations doing this work across Minnesota, now and in perpetuity. As we have seen, we must make sure women have bodily autonomy under the law and in practice.

This fund will support reproductive health efforts and clinics across the state that are struggling to keep up with the increased demands for services as Minnesota has become a sanctuary state for people not only in this region, but across the country. We continue to see unconscionable outcomes for pregnancy-associated deaths for Black and Indigenous Minnesotans. As we fight to increase access, we must also eliminate the disparities in healthcare for all people who give birth.

Access to prenatal care is also unequal across racial and ethnic groups in Minnesota, with Native women reporting the highest rate of inadequate care at 49%, followed by Black women at 40%. Minnesota was among the top five states for increased Latina maternal mortality (> 105%). Over the past two decades, maternal mortality in the U.S. has increased, while in other high-income countries it has decreased.

After the Dobbs decision, Minnesota has become a sanctuary state for people seeking health care in this region and across the country. It comes at a time when Minnesota’s decline in rural obstetric services now outstrips the national average, with nine Minnesota counties losing birth services over the past decade. In Greater Minnesota, women must now travel several hours to give birth in a hospital with obstetric services. For example, a Grand Marais woman must drive two hours to Duluth.

If you are interested in doubling your impact through a matching gift to the Reproductive Freedom Fund’s immediate needs or the endowment, please contact Nadia Siddiqui at nadia@wfmn.org. To make a gift online, click “I want to support” to select the Reproductive Freedom Fund.

Thank you for your support—let’s make history together!