Dear Community,
As we enter February, we want to name that 2026 has begun with its share of challenges. Many in our communities are carrying loss and uncertainty, and we recognize that this weight shows up in our lives and our work, whether navigating the endless hoops of opening a birth center or engaging our philanthropic peers and trustees in conversations on the importance of birth justice.
This year is about laying the groundwork for the future we are working toward together, beyond the systems that were founded on a history of medical violence and are on the verge of imminent collapse. Instead, we are collectively working toward something both old and new, anchored by ancestral wisdom and innovative strategies developed by the people closest to the work.
Across our network, people are showing up for one another, offering support, sharing resources, and choosing connection. Community care and collective action help us endure and build toward what comes next.
Thank you for your shared commitment to building something lasting.
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 January Monthly Learning Series, featuring Jenice Fountain, the Executive Director of Yellowhammer Fund. Jenice presented on the Yellowhammer Fund’s work in Alabama as a financial anchor for the Alabama Birth Equity Initiative, highlighting their efforts to improve maternal health services and access to the full-spectrum of reproductive healthcare in rural areas. The coalition is focused on monitoring policy shifts in Alabama while working to expand their reach and goals, including the launch of a new midwifery program and maintaining stable funding despite the political climate. Learn more about their work and get in touch here.
Join us for February’s Monthly Learning Series with Grandmothers’ Fire: A Gathering for Indigenous Birth, Justice & Health, Inspired by Our Matriarchs
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19 | 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT | ZOOM
Our February session will feature Grandmothers’ Fire: Indigenous Birth, Justice and Health, a gathering in October 2025 organized by the Native American Women’s Dialog on Infant Mortality (NAWDIM). Leah Tanner (Nez Perce), Tanya Marceau (Blackfeet & Red Lake), and Shelley Means (Ojibwe & Lakota) will lead the conversation.
Indigenous organizing is rooted in cultural world view and values and relies on relationships and accountability to community. At the same time, operating in the nonprofit sector requires that we navigate the western/colonized structures (competitive and top down, for example) as we encounter the systemic erasure of our people in data and policy advocacy. State by state, a movement is growing across Indian Country to bring deep Indigenous ways of knowing and being into the survival of our future generations.
This session will explore elements of Indigenous movement building across Indian Country, including coalitions, collaboratives and inter-generational movement work; the strategies that have collectively been named; and the challenges that birth workers, policy advocates and organizers are facing in today’s political climate.
Join Our Host Committee
We’re inviting 3–5 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 individuals who are deepening their funding portfolios in this area and/or who bring research, policy, or advocacy experience related to reproductive and maternal health. While the summit will take place in Detroit, Host Committee members do not need to be local but we encourage local leaders to apply! 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.
Save the Date: FBJE Summit
OCTOBER 13-15 | DETROIT, MI
Mark your calendars for FBJE’s upcoming summit this fall. We look forward to gathering together to deepen relationships, access community care, and strengthen the birth justice funding ecosystem.
At the Intersections: What’s Happening in the Field
- Due to ICE raids in MN, doctors are seeing a drop in pregnant patients accessing care. Read more on how the break from federal immigration policy is impacting pregnant, postpartum, and nursing immigrants.
- Our partners at Every Mother Counts just announced their US Maternal Health Press Fellowship. The fellowship is designed to deepen and expand U.S. media coverage of maternal health. This fellowship is a learning opportunity that will help journalists understand the challenges and solutions shaping maternal health in the U.S. and support more impactful reporting on the issue. Apply today. Applications Due: February 23rd, 2026.
- Van Leer Foundation is launching their Early Childhood Matters report for 2026. This edition focuses on what parents and caregivers need for a good start. Learn more 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.