City Council Grant

Columbus City Council Grants $500,000 to OWA & Abortion Fund of Ohio

In a press conference this morning, Columbus City Council announced that they will grant $500,000 to partially fund the Member Assistance Program (MAP) established by Ohio Women’s Alliance (OWA) and Abortion Fund of Ohio (AFO) (formerly Women Have Options) to protect Ohioans’ access to full-range reproductive health care. MAP is a community care network that will provide practical support to Ohioans in need of reproductive practical support services—especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color—who have already been disproportionately impacted by the legislation enacted when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood last month. 

This unprecedented move by Columbus City Council will fund direct practical support and efforts toward systemic change for people who already face barriers, including transportation, childcare, healthcare costs, reproductive justice trainings, peer-to-peer volunteer programming, and Ohioans' basic reproductive health needs.

"This new partnership with the Columbus City Council will significantly impact our work to ensure that every Ohioan has access to full reproductive health care, overcoming barriers. Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White, Asian, or Latinx women, and they face increased detrimental outcomes when entering the maternal care system. Oppressive tactics from extremists in the U.S. Supreme Court and Ohio legislature—which prevent Black women from making the best informed choice for themselves and their families—doesn't improve health care conditions in our community; it creates further harm," says OWA Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Rhiannon Carnes.  

"Since the devastating overturn of Roe v. Wade, we have been amazed by the outpouring of support we've received. Last month, over 1,000 volunteers signed up to contribute their time to the Member Assistance Program, facilitated in collaboration with the Abortion Fund of Ohio—a longstanding partner of OWA. This isn't simply politics for us; people's lives are at stake. And despite the continued attacks, we take responsibility for protecting the safety of our community, alongside Columbus City Council. The grant will provide crucial infrastructure to sustain the program as we continue fighting to restore reproductive justice in Columbus, across our state, and throughout the country," Carnes continued.

Ohio is one of 29 states where complete reproductive  healthcare—including access to abortion—is no longer protected following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the 49-year precedent established by Roe v. Wade. Immediately after the decision was announced, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost set into motion the current state-wide ban that criminalizes abortion after fetal cardiac activity, which can begin as early as four weeks after implantation, at which point most people do not yet know they are pregnant.

To contribute to OWA’s efforts to protect reproductive justice, click here to make a donation today.

Note: The Member Assistance Program (MAP) is a joint project of Ohio Women’s Alliance (OWA) and Abortion Fund of Ohio (AFO). Both OWA and AFO have received an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Determination Letter recognizing them as tax-exempt public charities under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). As such, all donations to MAP are tax-deductible.

Funds donated to MAP are subject to an internal allocation formula that splits and directs funds between OWA and AFO based upon program and service activity; however, donors may specify a different allocation. All funds allocated to AFO are used for direct abortion care and associated costs; funds allocated to OWA are used for member services, patient support, and associated costs.