Who we are
The Northwest Abortion Access Fund is an abortion fund serving Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. Trained, compassionate volunteer advocates run our toll-free hotline. We help people pay for their abortion care by sending funding directly to the clinic. We also help people get to and from the clinic and make sure people traveling for care have a safe place to stay.
We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit and a member of the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF), a membership organization of over 70 funds across the United States.
Mission
To fund abortion and break down barriers to abortion access for people in the Northwest.
Vision
We envision a world where people can easily access safe, legal abortion care with respect, dignity, and compassion.
Values
- Trust & Respect. We believe the people we serve are experts on their own lives. We treat people with unconditional respect, dignity, and compassion, and honor the decisions they make about their bodies, lives, and families.
- Autonomy. We believe all people deserve the freedom to decide what to do with their own bodies, and that no one should have to carry a pregnancy to term against their will.
- Intersectionality. We recognize that different forms of discrimination can interact and overlap, combining to create even more harm—a concept coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw. We recognize that inequitable access to healthcare, including abortion care, is tied to overlapping forms of oppression including sexism, racism, ableism, classism, homophobia, and transphobia.
- Reproductive Justice. We believe all people have the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children they have in safe and sustainable communities—this is reproductive justice, developed by Black women and defined by SisterSong. Reproductive justice demands that we work at the intersections of racial, economic, and gender justice. We strive to use a reproductive justice lens in all decisions.
- Racial Justice. We recognize that systemic racism, through decades of policies and practices that continue to this day, has benefited white people and harmed people of color. We understand systemic racism is a root cause of the persistent economic, political, social, and health disparities facing communities of color. We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and other organizations working for justice, respect, and dignity for communities of color. We commit to the ongoing work it takes to be an anti-racist organization.
- Economic Justice: We understand that federal and state policies and practices can serve to exploit, exclude, and punish low-income people. People can experience economic injustice through the denial of affordable health insurance coverage that covers the full range of reproductive services and face barriers to care through jobs without paid sick leave and the cost of expensive child care. We are committed to ensuring that our callers and our communities are treated with fairness and dignity, and have the resources to navigate their lives in a full and robust fashion that is not simply dependent upon economics.
- Culture Shift: We know abortion is health care. We know having an abortion or more than one abortion is normal, valid, and okay. We strive to center people who’ve had abortions, because those are the voices that matter. We seek to strike down stigma and shift culture so abortion is seen as ordinary, a medical procedure like any other health care, a human right.
Why abortion funds?
Abortion funds are community-based groups that raise and grant funds locally to help people who otherwise could not afford the cost of safe, legal abortion care. Approximately 170,000 people nationwide need help paying for their abortions each year.
Even with health insurance that covers abortion services, high deductibles can mean the cost of an abortion falls entirely on the pregnant person. The average cost of a first-trimester abortion in the Pacific Northwest is $650. The monthly income of a full-time, low-wage worker in our region is $1,400.
No matter the political landscape, there will always be people who cannot afford an abortion. Abortion funds are crucial to filling this gap. In 2014, abortion funds across the U.S. raised more than $2.9 million to provide grants supporting abortion access for 21,500 people.
Fast facts: policies affecting abortion access
“I would certainly like to prevent, if I could legally, anybody having an abortion: a rich woman, a middle class woman, or a poor woman. Unfortunately, the only vehicle available is the [Medicaid] bill.”
Henry Hyde (R-IL), author of the hyde amendment
“The Hyde Amendment is designed to deprive poor and minority women of the constitutional right to choose abortion.”
Justice Thurgood Marshall, Harris v. McRae, 1980
- Since 1977, the Hyde Amendment has withheld the use of federal funds (Medicaid) for abortions except in narrow circumstances. Abortion is the only medical procedure that has ever been banned from Medicaid.
- Due to lack of funding, an estimated 18% to 35% of women on Medicaid continue their pregnancies despite wanting an abortion.
- In 1973, when Roe v. Wade legalized abortion across the country, the federal Medicaid program covered abortion as a part of standard medical care. In the first years of legalized abortion, federal Medicaid paid for over one-third of all abortions performed in the U.S.
- Today, 15 states—including Washington, Oregon, and Alaska—use their state Medicaid funds to cover abortion care; 35 states—including Idaho—do not. In states that cover abortion only in cases of rape, incest or life endangerment, Medicaid pays for less than 1% of abortions. In contrast, in states that provide coverage, Medicaid pays for 27%.
- The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has resulted in millions of women gaining health insurance coverage; however, abortion coverage remains restricted in many plans. Even in plans that cover abortion, high deductibles can mean that people pay for abortion entirely out-of-pocket.
- The ACA reinforces the current Hyde Amendment restrictions. The Act specifically prohibits the use of tax credits and cost-sharing reduction payments to pay for abortion services beyond those permitted by federal law. States can prohibit plans in a state marketplace from covering any abortions, even if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest or a threat to the pregnant person’s life.
Additional resources
The Guttmacher Institute
National Network of Abortion Funds
Kaiser Family Foundation: Coverage for abortion services and the ACA
Press releases
Northwest Abortion Access Fund Denounces Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade
Board and staff of the only abortion fund serving the Pacific Northwest condemn the decision by the Supreme Court in Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade. NWAAF reaffirms their commitment to continue to help people access abortion care in the region.
Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington (June 24, 2022) – We are devastated by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decision to overturn federal protections for abortion. We, the Northwest Abortion Access Fund (NWAAF), remain steadfast in our mission to assist people who need abortions, particularly those who face the greatest burden of increased restriction because of this decision: people with low incomes, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ individuals, young people and people who live in rural communities. With Roe v. Wade gutted, the need for safe abortion access will only increase. We cannot predict how many people will now need to leave their own states and travel further distances, but we have and will continue to be here, as we have for over 30 years.
“It's abhorrent that what few protections this country afforded abortion access are being fully stripped away,” said a current NWAAF Board Director. “We know this will affect millions of people and exacerbate the deeply entrenched inequalities embedded in our country's foundations. But, we will continue to serve our callers, continue to fund abortion, and will work tirelessly until everyone and anyone who needs an abortion can access one. Easily, safely, and without judgment.”
Abortion access remains legal and protected in Washington and Oregon, making our region a haven for reproductive healthcare. We will continue to support and fund callers in states, like Idaho and Alaska, where access will be restricted or limited because of this decision – the majority of our callers – and all those who seek abortion access in the Pacific Northwest. NWAAF is dedicated to increase our fundraising in anticipation of the accelerated need for abortion grants and higher costs related to travel. We know that these new resources, and more investment into abortion access and care, are critical and urgently needed.
We know this because we are already seeing it – NWAAF is on the front line of supporting people who need reproductive healthcare and are struggling to get their needs met. Our hotline call volume has increased and to date in 2022, we fielded 1,062 hotline calls which is 46% more than 2021.
We invite you to join us in envisioning a world where people can easily access safe, legal abortion care with respect, dignity, and compassion.
Here are actions you can take to support abortion access:
- Donate to the Northwest Abortion Access Fund. We fund abortion. We build power in breaking down barriers. We understand the level of support, engagement and commitment folks are wanting to help provide. Right now we are needing financial support for the days, months, and time to come. We will announce when we are able to take on more volunteers.
- End abortion stigma! When you’re speaking with your friends, family and elected officials, we need to say the word ‘abortion’! Tell someone you love your abortion story(ies), and listen deeply and with empathy to the abortion stories of others. Together, we can make sure abortion care is accessible, affordable, and free from shame and stigma for all. More can be found on the abortion funds conversation starter.
- Learn the Do’s and Don’ts of being an activist/advocate.
- Review an interactive Map of the impact of “What if Roe fell?” The Center of Reproductive Rights created a tool to show the impact including laws, constitutions, court decisions and assigns 1 of 4 categories: Expanded Access, Protected, Not protected and Hostile.
What you can expect from us over the next several days:
- Be patient with us. We are primarily volunteer run and our small staff needs to prioritize their time in assisting our callers and continuing this work. Our callers come first as we help navigate them through the myriad of barriers.
- We will be prioritizing requests for interviews. If you are reaching out with a media request, please know that we follow the Liberate Abortion’s Guide for Journalists. Please send your information with the following items: Your article topic, interview questions and deadline. We will consider your inquiry as quickly as possible and ask for a 48-72 hour time-frame to prioritize our staff and volunteers’ schedule. We also ask that you do not attempt to reach out to individual staff members as they may not be able to respond to personal media inquiries via phone or email
We are grateful for the solidarity, connection, mutual caring and shared purpose of the abortion funding community. We are looking forward to continuing to help provide abortion access in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
About the Northwest Abortion Access Fund: The Northwest Abortion Access Fund is an abortion fund serving Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. Trained, compassionate volunteer advocates run our toll-free hotline. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit and a member of the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF), a membership organization of funds across the United States. Our Mission is to fund abortion and break down barriers to abortion access for people in the Northwest. We envision a world where people can easily access safe, legal abortion care with respect, dignity, and compassion.
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By phone
Call our toll-free helpline at 1-866-NWAAF10 (1-866-692-2310). We will return your call within 48 hours. Please be aware that we return calls from a blocked number and that our volunteers are usually only able to return calls in the evenings. If you need assistance within the next 36 hours, please opt to call the helpline if possible.
Request assistance on our website
If you are seeking assistance, you can also fill out our online form and our volunteers will follow up with you within 48 hours. Please choose between filling out the online form and calling the helpline, doing both will not result in a faster response.
By email
You can contact us via email at info@nwaafund.org. If you need financial help, please call us on the hotline number listed above. Please do not email us if you need financial help, but instead call our hotline and leave a message. We cannot check email daily.
If you have a media request, please contact us via email at press@nwaafund.org.
If you are clinic who needs to redeem client vouchers, please email invoices to invoices@nwaafund.org
By mail
1631 NE Broadway St., #149
Portland, OR 97232