Let's Talk Finances (5/6/22)
Over the last few days, we raised more money than we typically do in a month. First–thank you. Full stop. This kind of money is life-changing for our callers. With such a surge in attention, we have fielded questions about our structure, how we manage funding, and how folks can be sure their money is being used to fund procedures.
A lot of folks are encountering abortion funds for the first time–and transparency is the name of our game.
Who are we, you may be asking?
We were founded in 2011. We are funded through a combination of individual and grant donations (i.e., foundation and organizational gifts).
Since 2016, we have maintained a small staff (funded entirely through outside grants and the National Network of Abortion Funds).
As an NNAF member fund, our funding practices and management of money are independently verified in numerous ways:
our tax documents are publicly available,
our 501(c)(3) status requires us to be accountable to the government, and
we are committed partners to the grants and foundations that offer us ongoing support.
But how does it all work?
Our small staff primarily works behind the scenes to make sure our operations move smoothly (including securing and protecting our data–especially our caller data), collaborating with other funds and partner organizations, managing our budgets, and making policy moves.
We also have a 12 person working Board spread across both states that independently oversees our operations and progress and supports staff.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is supported from foundations and individuals dedicated to reproductive freedom. This also means that your donation to CAF is tax deductible!
CAF works directly with clinics in North and South Carolina to provide grants that fill the gap between what patients can afford and the full cost of the procedure.
Most importantly, individual donations are directed entirely to our funding helpline and serve callers— dollar for dollar, your gift supports patients.
The latest - and greatest - CAF update!
Over the last few days, we’ve raised nearly $110,000!!
We received donations from 1,125 one-time donors (our typical number is around 50). This is a mind-boggling jump.
In all of CAF’s history, we have NEVER been able to fund a full month’s worth of callers in the Carolinas who need our support.
What does $110,000 mean for CAF?
It means care for 423 patients in North and South Carolina! Our average pledge sits at around $260.
For broader context, we received over 4,000 calls this year so far, and have been able to fund roughly 61% of them. We want to fund 100%.
Want to help CAF in the coming days, weeks, and months? Here’s how…
The best way to donate to us is via our Donorbox, which is linked in both our Linktree and on our website.
We do maintain a CashApp but it is generally for practical support purposes and not our preferred method to receive donations (for tax reasons - like we said, we are above board!).
And the very best way to sustain us is to become a monthly donor–when there’s a crisis, we tend to see an uptick in donations (though NEVER to this level–thank you, thank you).
As you can see, even thousands of dollars only gets us through roughly a month’s worth of need.
A little more on how CAF helps!
We operate a helpline staffed primarily by volunteers that patients can reach by text or by phone (if you’d like to be on standby for potential volunteer work, check our Linktree form!).
We work in collaboration with the ACLU of NC on TextAbby, a service to connect minors seeking judicial bypass with legal representation.
We also offer doula support, an ever-expanding transportation network, Spanish-language helpline coordinators, and more.
Finally, we are bringing our experience as abortion care advocates to policy spaces with a person-first perspective that acknowledges that abortion is a fundamental human right and should be available on-demand and without apology. And as such, we are particularly invested in ensuring abortion access for BIPOC and LGBTQ communities in North and South Carolina.