Grants for Reproductive Justice & Health

Key funding trends in grants for reproductive justice & health

Philanthropic giving for reproductive health, rights and justice is substantial and evolving — even if it represents a small share of overall philanthropy. Charitable giving for reproductive health increased significantly from 2012 to 2017, and there was a surge in giving for abortion-related causes after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. The Center for Reproductive Rights — a leading global human rights organization dedicated to advancing reproductive rights — maintains a map of abortion laws, policies, court rulings, and more, in real-time.

Reproductive rights funders have increasingly adopted an intersectional approach that understands reproductive justice — defined by SisterSong as “the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities” — as inextricably linked to racial justice, gender justice, community wellness, democracy and more. Still, there are gaps in funding for organizations led by and serving women and girls of color, trans people, immigrants and other groups. Reproductive health, rights and justice grants overlap with grants for women, international development, racial equity, climate change, overall health and other giving areas.

Reproductive health grants support a wide range of efforts: from direct healthcare services to legislative advocacy and maternal health. Historically, the lion’s share of funding supports national organizations, such as Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation and Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America). A long list of abortion rights organizations exist to both inform and support women and girls.

In the wake of the Dobbs decision, Inside Philanthropy in an article by Dawn Wolf, examines, “Where money (for abortion funds) is flowing — and where more is needed,” noting a major shift in advocacy, litigation and funding at the state-level. Echoing this sentiment, Christina Chang, the Executive Director of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, writes in an opinion piece for Rewire News about how “state leadership is now the frontline in the fight for reproductive freedom.” Which is why in 2023, Chang continues, “we launched the Reproductive Freedom Alliance—the first-ever nonpartisan coalition of governors committed to defending and expanding reproductive freedom at the state level.”

Since the Dobbs decision, 2023 to 2024 saw some progress in “resurrecting or preserving abortion rights,” according to IP’s Dawn Wolfe, with “two main strategies (that) have emerged as the most likely paths forward for wealthy individuals, traditional foundations, corporations and small givers to consider.” These strategies include funding abortion rights via state court elections and ballot initiatives, as well as funding organizations in their efforts to help women obtain abortions via travel rather than funding abortions directly.

In 2025, the Trump administration reinstated the global-gag rule from it’s previous reign. Sepsis and death rates have soared since Dobbs fell. It is unclear what steps philanthropy will take to meet funding gaps left behind by these developments or how the administration’s reliance on guidance from Project 2025 will drive public and private funding in response. As well, the increasing gap in maternal health has created maternal care deserts.

The broader attack on women’s health, as indicated by a loss of federal funding for the Women’s Health Initiative, has also taken a sharp turn in 2025. The WHI, which combats decades of medical dogma that has held back progress on women’s health, has been at the forefront of public health.