What I learned at the abortion funds

I am a pro-choice advocate. I found out about abortion funds in 2016, and immediately signed up to volunteer with my local fund. Abortion funds exist all over the United States. Before the conclusion of Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health in 2022 (aka "the Dobbs decision"), when abortion was legal nationwide, many people were still unable to access their legal right to abortion because of financial or other barriers, barriers that have only increased in the last four years. Abortion funds helped to bridge the gap by helping people pay for their appointments, for transportation, arranging lodging and childcare, and addressing other barriers that patients may face. They continue to do this vital work today, with patients experiencing greater needs than ever due to long travel from states that ban abortion.

I was a case manager. When people called the fund, they left a message and I called them back to get the relevant information and see what the fund could do to help. This was a volunteer role - I worked a full day at my job, came home, and would handle calls all evening, often until 10pm on the weeks I was on shift. I talked to people all over the DMV area and beyond, as many people travel to this area to access abortion care. I learned a lot over the decade that I’ve worked with abortion funds. Here is just some of it.

1: Americans are closer to the financial edge than most of us realize. 

59% of Americans in 2025 don't have enough savings to cover an unexpected $1,000 emergency expense. When I first started volunteering, I was working for a nonprofit and barely covering my bills - if I had found myself pregnant, I would have been calling my own hotline. The average cost of a first trimester in-clinic abortion at Planned Parenthood is about $600, not counting transportation, time off work, child care, or other expenses. The cost of a second trimester abortion at Planned Parenthood varies depending on how many weeks pregnant you are. If it is early in the second trimester, the average cost is $715. If later in the second trimester, it can be between $1,500-2,000. As you can see, the costs escalate over time, and many of our clients risked finding themselves “chasing the fee,” meaning they were scraping up enough for that $600 appointment, and when they finally got it, they found out they were in the second trimester now and needed $715, which took them more time to raise and the cycle continued until they got assistance, it was too late to terminate, or they got frustrated gave up and decided to keep the pregnancy.

I talked to people who called the day before their appointment, crying, because they were $50 short and didn’t want to have to reschedule again. I was grateful to be able to give them that $50 from the fund budget and couldn’t help but reflect how in the DC area, one dinner out will easily cost $50, but it was life changing money for that caller. The lack of $50 now could lead to them having a child they are unprepared for and keep them in poverty for years to come. The Turnaway Study demonstrated how lack of access to abortion keeps people trapped in poverty. We know what can happen to people who are turned away from care and I was glad to be able to help make a difference for the callers I spoke with.

2. People’s lives are complicated, and can’t be accounted for by policymakers.

We don’t need lawyers and legislators making the decisions in healthcare clinics. I spoke to many people who were experiencing health problems as a result of their pregnancies and were struggling to get proper care even before abortions bans were in place. Often their health plans (like Medicaid or Tricare, or even employer-provided insurance) did not cover “elective abortion” and they weren’t actively dying yet. We’ve seen more of this over the years as abortion bans multiplied and doctors fear losing their licenses and risking jail if they follow the standard of care for maternal or fetal health complications.

This goes beyond the immediate health impacts. I talked to many callers who were seeking abortion because they were trying to get out of violent situations at home, and they knew that having a child would force them into contact with their abuser for the next 18 years. I remember one caller who was a drug user and trying to get into rehab and turn her life around, but she couldn’t enter rehab while pregnant. Another had to get her abortion quickly because she had to report to jail and didn’t want to risk being pregnant and potentially having her baby in jail and the repercussions that would come with that. It wasn’t the right time for either of those callers. That’s just a fraction of the situations the callers I worked with were in, and it really demonstrated how complicated our lives are and how policies and restrictions can impact people far beyond the issue they are focused on.

3: Local government matters.

I can already hear someone reading this and saying, “Sure, abortion access is important, but that’s a national issue, or maybe a state issue. You’re running for local office, and we have protections for abortion in Maryland.” Those are all true, but local and municipal governments have more impact on access than many people assume. In California, another state with robust protections for abortion, local and city officials have used zoning laws to delay or prevent the opening of new clinics including in my hometown. Your local government decides the zoning regulations! If they zone out clinics, that impacts access just as effectively as an outright ban does, but it is less visible to residents who may not even know it happened. Zoning changes regarding clinics are often presented as common-sense regulations to keep them away from schools or other areas with children, such as parks or to promote other types of businesses being planned for the area. I have been in this movement for years and have seen all of the sneaky tactics that anti-choice organizations use, and by now I can spot them a mile away, no matter how they dress them up. That experience is valuable at the local level where they may think people are less aware of their tactics.

Why do we need to ensure there are clinics in Montgomery County? MoCo is actually critical to the abortion clinic landscape right now! While things in Virginia are changing, Virginia does have a 20 week limit for abortion access, which makes DC and Maryland the most southerly states without gestational limits. People travel from all over the eastern part of the country to access care here, and we are vital to the entire access ecosystem as a result. We need to protect our providers and clinics and ensure that we can stay a haven for care. Local government can help, especially as the cost of providing care and the security needed rises as the anti-choice movement becomes more emboldened under the Trump administration.

4: Community matters.

At the abortion fund, we had a policy not to ask people for more information than we need, so I didn’t ask people how they got pregnant, why they decided to terminate, or anything like that. As you can see from what I’ve shared, they often told me anyway, and I was there to listen if that is what they needed. I got the impression that for many, I was the first person they told about their situation and their decision, and they needed to tell someone after keeping it all inside. They were afraid to be judged by friends and family, but an anonymous stranger felt safe. That broke my heart. At a time when they needed community and compassion the most, the stigma of abortion drove a wedge between them and the community that could have helped ease their burdens. That is how these abortion funds started - creating a new community to help in a time of need. Someone you can ask for the money you need, who can give you a ride, offer a room to stay in, watch your children and provide a listening ear before and after. The funds built these communities, even if most people use them only for a short time. I learned how much community matters, especially in a crisis. When I faced my own crisis after being illegally fired from USAID, I watched my own community build its own support systems: a lobbying group, a support network, a job search group, religious/spiritual support groups, self-care sessions and resources, and places to talk about our experiences with those who understand. No matter what you are facing, having a community matters, and here in Montgomery County, we need to make space for these communities, whether naturally-occurring or newly formed, to meet the needs of people in crisis. We also need to strengthen our community by providing resources so that people don’t have to organize them on their own. Abortion funds exist because our healthcare system is broken and national abortion rights organizations were focused on advocacy and legal restrictions, not costs and the practical needs of individual patients. If we had a social safety net that worked for us, there would be no need for abortion funds. However, the net has more holes than ever and the needs are increasing day to day. It is up to us to hold each other, and to work to build a government that works for us, the taxpayers, again. Until then, we are only as strong as our community.

Allison protesting for abortion rights at the Supreme Court with Abortion Access Front in 2025.