Abortion advocacy groups said they saw their donations grow exponentially after a draft opinion leaked revealing that the U.S. Supreme Court soon intended to reverse its landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
The reproductive-rights group NARAL Pro Choice America on Tuesday said it received a 1,403% spike in donations in the hours following the Monday evening publication of the draft opinion dismantling the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion. More than half of that came from first-time donors.
The Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue said on Twitter that abortion rights groups and political candidates saw $12 million in donations in the 24-hour period following the draft opinion’s publication by the website Politico. A spokesperson for the company said the digital fundraising site saw an average of $4.2 million in overall donations per day between January and March.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its political advocacy arm, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, also said it saw an increase in support. “We’ve experienced a 650% increase in online actions, a sharp uptick in online giving, and a more than 110% increase in people seeking information from our websites,” said Kelley Robinson, the federation’s vice president of advocacy and organizing.
She added that the groups also saw a rise in event volunteer sign-ups. “We remain committed to working collectively with others in our movement — including abortion funds, independent providers, and other reproductive health, rights, and justice groups — to ensure patients can access abortion,” Robinson said.
The Abortion Care Network, the national association for independent, community-based abortion care providers, said about 4,000 individuals gave more than $100,000 toward its Keep Our Clinics campaign. According to Nikki Madsen, the network’s executive director, that’s the largest influx of donations the organization has ever received in a 24-hour period.
The National Abortion Federation, a national association of abortion providers, said it saw an increase in contributions, too. “The need continues to drastically outweigh available resources,” said Chief Program Officer Melissa Fowler.
“As more states become emboldened to decimate abortion access with Roe hanging by a thread, the need to support clinics and help patients travel for care will only grow,” Fowler added.
Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity said it had received almost 300 donations since Monday night. URGE would typically receive about 5 gifts in the same amount of time, said Kai Gurley, URGE's deputy director for resource development.
“Challenges to Roe often result in surges in donations to household name organizations. We are thrilled to see an uptick in donations to abortion funds and grassroots organizations like URGE who are on the ground in Southern and Midwestern states, fighting these fights every day,” Gurley said.
In the hours after the appearance of the leaked draft, written by Justice Samuel Alito, social media posts directed people to a number of abortion funding groups and other organizations.
The singer Halsey urged followers to donate to groups such as the National Network of Abortion Funds, as well as the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood. Fellow musician Phoebe Bridgers shared a list of action funds compiled by the website The Cut that support women seeking care in states where abortion rights are not protected or are restricted.
Madsen, with the Abortion Care Network, said it’s crucial for donors to keep location in mind when it comes to contributing, “particularly in the Midwest and South where people will be most impacted by the court’s final decision.” More than half of child-bearing people between the ages of 13 and 44 in the U.S. live in states that the Guttmacher Institute classifies as being hostile to abortion rights.
“It's essential to keep independent clinics open as safe places for people to receive reproductive health care and support to access abortion, whether or not abortion is protected by our courts,” Madsen said. “We need to see the same commitment and resources provided to independent clinics that are going to Planned Parenthood and other more visible, national organizations.”
National Right to Life, the Susan B. Anthony List and Students for Life Action did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
