How were your last 96 hours, Backline fam? Ours were incredible! Four staff members spent the last
four days in Houston, Texas attending the National Network of Abortion Funds Summit representing our Hoosier Abortion Fund. Over the weekend, we attended workshops focused on cross-community building, outreach, and fundraising, while networking with reproductive justice organizations and direct-care clinics across the country. It was a transformative few days for us filled with skill-sharing and collaborative work on building and strengthening abortion funds despite the many barriers at the state and national levels.Let us share some of our Summit highlights!
– Our All-Options Program Manager, Rachel, co-presented a workshop with the New Orleans Abortion Fund and Texas Equal Access Fund, titled, “Culture Change and Advocacy in Action.” Together, the panel focused on building multi-issue programming and Rachel spotlighted the development and launch of our All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center. The workshop was well-attended with a really lively discussion among presenters and attendees – we love getting a chance to learn and teach alongside other organizations and funds!
– This year’s Summit keynote was given by the incomparable author and activist, Adrienne Maree Brown who spoke passionately about expanding the cycle of change in the reproductive justice movement, growing a community of intentionally intersectional advocates and actions. Brown asked us to think beyond our current struggles and imagine the future of our work and our collective impact: what do we want the future of our movement to look like, who do we hope to see there, and who can we meet with compassion and bring in along the way? She said, “How do I make a future of justice an irresistible option? How do we paint in the loudest colors a picture of a world in which families are intentional, joyful, resourced with love and longing? That’s what’s on the other side of abortion access.” You can read the full text of her brilliant keynote address here.
– All-Options staff members Shelly and Amanda attended the Summit’s racial justice pre-conference training where they considered the impact of structural racism on their practices, policies, programs, and lives. Meanwhile, Rachel took part in an all-day convening of Building the Movement, a leadership development cohort for people of color. Both were incredibly powerful and thoughtful programs with tremendous impact for our individual and collaborative work.
– Look whose fancy! The Hoosier Abortion Fund was awarded TWO certificates at the Saturday evening Summit banquet – the Origin Story Award and the Bowling Over Barriers Award – Double Trouble for doubling the money raised at our Hoosier Abortion Fund Bowl-a-Thon this year! Thanks to all of our supporters and volunteers who helped make it happen – this award is all of ours!
The NNAF Summit is always an instructive, inspirational, and engaging few days with old and new friends working tirelessly to fund abortion across the country. We left Houston abuzz with new ideas for expanding our Hoosier Abortion Fund and taking it full-speed into its second year. Thanks to NNAF staff for creating such an incredible and powerful event and for all attendees who contributed to making it such a thoughtful space. See you next year!