Dear FBJE Community,

The days are stretching longer, the light is returning, and with it comes a reminder that sustained effort, even when the work feels slow or hard, has a way of moving us forward.

As we head into spring, we find ourselves reflecting on what it means to resource movements well. It means showing up consistently, honoring the long arc of change, and holding steady for the communities and organizations doing this work every day. And it also means staying close, listening carefully, reading the moment, and being willing to move quickly when our partners need us to.

This month, we’re excited to highlight Bootheel Families and Babies and Generate Health/FLOURISH. Together, they will present at our March Monthly Learning Series on how through deep trust and partnership, they were able to drive a 10-year initiative to reduce infant mortality and advance health equity. Register for this session here and be sure to share with a friend.

Thank you for being part of this network and for the ways you continue to show up for the communities you serve. We’re glad to be in this work alongside you.

In community,
Nakeenya Wilson + Kyndall Osibodu
Co-Directors, Funders for Birth Justice and Equity

 

What’s Happening at FBJE

Recap: Thank you for joining the February Monthly Learning Series, featuring Grandmothers’ Fire, led by Shelley, Tanya, and Leah of Native American Women’s Dialogue on Infant Mortality (NAWDIM). Founded in 2000 in Seattle, WA, NAWDIM advocates for health and policy systems change that honors indigenous sovereignty and knowledge. Now spanning 15 states and counting, NAWDIM partners with local leaders to elevate the need for data integrity, funding, and culturally relevant care for Native communities. They mobilize community partners and health professionals and underscore the intersectionality of birth with adjacent issues, highlighting how systems are intricately connected and impact each other. Learn more about their work and get in touch here.

Two Communities, One Mission: Long-Term Investment and Cross-Sector Collaboration to Reduce Infant Mortality

THURSDAY, MARCH 19 | 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT | ZOOM

This presentation highlights the work and outcomes of the backbone organizations that led the 10+ year Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative funded by the Missouri Foundation for Health: Generate Health/FLOURISH (St. Louis) and Bootheel Babies and Families (Bootheel Region Missouri). Both communities faced significant disparities in birth outcomes, each implemented distinct, community-centered strategies tailored to their unique populations and healthcare landscapes. Despite these different approaches, both demonstrate how long-term, sustainable funding was critical to building trust, creating meaningful collaborations, and achieving measurable reductions in infant mortality. Together, their experiences illustrate that sustainable investment and locally driven solutions are essential to improving maternal and infant health outcomes. Register here.

 

Join Our Host Committee

We’re inviting 2-3 additional members to join the Host Committee for the FBJE Summit, a convening of funders, birthworkers, and CBO leaders working together to advance birth justice. We’re especially interested in connecting with leaders based in Detroit, who are deepening their funding portfolios in this area and/or who bring research, policy, or advocacy experience related to reproductive, maternal health, or adjacent areas. If you’re interested in learning more or joining the committee, please express your interest here and we’ll be in touch soon.  Questions? Contact us here. 

 

Last month, FBJE’s Governance Committee held its annual retreat in Austin, TX! We discussed the changing landscape, the future of governance at FBJE, and how we can support deeper movement-funder alignment. Be on the lookout for more updates from our Governance Committee soon!

At the Intersections: What’s Happening in the Field

• According to new research from Columbia University, abortion restrictions increase deaths amongst new and expecting moms, elevating the intricate relationship between birth justice and reproductive healthcare.

• Maternal deaths spike during war and instability according to a new report from the World Health Foundation. While funding for humanitarian aid remains shaky, communities are adapting services to cultural needs, health workers are restoring disrupted services, hospitals are re-organising care under security threats and coordination mechanisms are evolving to ensure continuity of care.

• There’s a campaign to get matrescence in the dictionary! Matrescence, like adolescence, acknowledges the physical, hormonal, emotional transitions to motherhood. By elevating that becoming a parent changes every area of one’s life, society has an opportunity to create infrastructure and systems in support of caregivers and families.

• Every issue is a birth justice issue. A new study highlights the effect of heat on pregnancy. This article highlights the risks to maternal health as climate change progresses.

• Funders for Maternal Mental Health (FMMH) is holding an in-person convening in Denver, Colorado from April 22nd–23rd. Learn more and RSVP here.

 

 

Do you have research, an initiative, or a funding opportunity you’d like us to uplift? We invite you to share updates and opportunities for collective learning here.