dearest community,sep 24, 2018 · access movement in texas. through the cep, we empower our...

2 • 2018 Annual Report • Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity

Dearest Community,

As I sat down with the Lilith Fund team to brainstorm what we wanted to share with you in these pages, I thought about how proud and grateful I am to be part of what we are building.

First of all, being able to say “the Lilith Fund team” is still surreal for us. Those of you who have been with us for a long time know that for most of our 18-year history, we were an all-volunteer organization. And, many of you know that when I stepped into the role of Executive Director in 2016, I was the first full-time employee. We had previously made the good decision to bring on a Hotline Coordinator part-time to build that core piece of our work.

But look where we are now. In addition to our board of directors and squad of amazing volunteers, Lilith Fund is now a team of eight staff members, all paid a living wage with health care and excellent benefits. It is a privilege to be in this work, and to be leading an incredible team like ours makes me so hopeful for what we can do from here. I hope you feel that way, too.

Looking back on 2018, I now see how historic the last year was for our organization. Amidst an increasingly hostile political climate, Lilith Fund not only grew in size, but we also

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2004: Lilith Fund holds First Annual

Reproductive Equity Awards

and major donor campaign.

2005: Lilith Fund collaborates with the Texas Equal Access (TEA) Fund, a newly formed

abortion fund for North Texas.

2005: The Lilith Fund hotline experiences record call volume due to Hurricane

Katrina and the resulting influx of displaced poor folks to Texas. The hotline was forced to close for a short time but

was able to reopen with help from supporters and donors.

2010: Lilith Fund holds First Annual Bowl-A-Thon (BAT)

fundraiser.

2010: Lilith Fund hires its first staffer, a part-time

Hotline & Administrative Coordinator.

Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity • 2018 Annual Report •3

strengthened our commitment to abortion access and reproductive justice in Texas. And, we did the meaningful work to back it up.

In 2018, we officially launched our Client Engagement Program (CEP) which allows us to center our callers’ needs while partnering with them on organizing, advocacy, and leadership development. Our relationships with our callers are sacred and transformational, and our team built a powerful program to honor their experiences with abortion access and to strengthen our collective vision for our movement.

We kicked off 2018 fighting for Paid Sick Days for Austin workers, closed out our emergency support fund for Hurricane Harvey survivors seeking abortion care, raised a record-breaking $150,000 for our callers through our annual Bowl-a-Thon (BAT), worked with partners to pass a proactive abortion coverage resolution at Austin City Council called “Rosie’s Resolution,” and we offered more financial assistance—more than $300,000—to our callers than ever before.

As you flip through the pages of our annual report, I hope you see yourself—and your fierce commitment to our work—reflected in the incredible impact we created together. Thank you for continuing to extend trust, compassion, and radical collaboration to this organization. You make our work possible, and we’re proud to have you with us.

With love,

Amanda Beatriz Williams, Lilith Fund Executive Director

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2011: Lilith Fund assists more than 1,000 Texans and begins

to expand volunteer, board member, and supporter

representation across Houston and San Antonio.

2012: Lilith Fund offers more than

$100,000 in program services.

2013: Lilith Fund’s Fourth Annual BAT

raises over $40,000.

2014: Lilith Fund, for the first time in history, was able

to double its hotline budget to $150,000.

2013: Lilith Fund participates for the first time in advocacy and lobby efforts during the 2013

legislative and special sessions.


2018

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2015: Lilith Fund holds three Reproductive Equity Awards in

three different cities for the first time.

2015: Lilith Fund board members hold meetings with

about 20 state legislators regarding abortion policies.

2016: Lilith Fund celebrates 15th Anniversary.

2016: Lilith Fund hires first-ever

Executive Director (ED).

2016: Lilith Fund enters national spotlight when our ED speaks against House Bill 2 on steps of the US Supreme Court.

• Provided funding to 26 percent of our hotline callers and offered vouchers totalling more than $300,000, an all-time high.

• In 2018, offered $61,065 to 241 callers who were survivors of Hurricane Harvey, as we closed out our emergency funding for Hurricane Harvey survivors. (In 2017, we offered $88,627 to 370 callers who survived the storm as part of our emergency response.)

• Hired Hotline Coordinator Andrea Soto Abarca, who implemented new intake and software systems on our hotline, and trained and retained dozens of hotline volunteers.

• Hired Organizer Erika Galindo, who works with our base of clients and volunteers to create advocates and build power.

• Teamed up with Texas Equal Access Fund to hire Statewide Coordinator Nikiya Natale, who creates meaningful connections between abortion funds and SUPPORTS client engagement around the state.

• Hired Social Worker Beth Donnan, who connects with clients in need of social support, and works with clients and staff to build a Client Engagement Program that meets the needs and wants of Lilith Fund clients.

• We passed Rosie’s Resolution at the Austin City Council in October. The resolution affirms the city’s opposition to laws banning insurance coverage for abortion care.

• We raised $150,000 through our 2018 Bowl-a-Thon fundraiser across Austin, Houston, and San Antonio.

• We raised more than $18,000 during Amplify Austin, a city-wide day of giving event.

• We honored Mama Sana Vibrant Woman and their Program Coordinator, Health Educator and Doula Denise Washington, and hotline volunteers BJ Friedman and Eleanor Grano at our Annual Reproductive Justice Awards in Austin.

• We joined the People’s Lawsuit as plaintiffs to challenge longstanding abortion restrictions in Texas.


2018 IN REV

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2018: Lilith Fund offers more financial assistance than ever before, offering

more than $300,000 to clients in one year!

2017: Lilith Fund meets milestone of serving

more than 10,000 callers since its founding.

2017: Lilith Fund co-organizes first-ever Texas Abortion Funds

Advocacy Day.

2017: Hurricane Harvey hits Houston in August. For details on the Lilith Fund response, see page 6.

2018: Lilith Fund secures grant funding

to hire additional full-time staff members.

We believe that changing the narrative around abortion is an important part of our work. Through shifting culture and the way we talk about abortion, we can have a long-term impact on issues of access, stigma, and barriers to care. While we share our message through advocacy and organizing, we also proactively work with media to get our mission and work in front of a larger audience. Our work was featured in local, state, and national news, including:

“We want to build a future where our families can thrive, and where we can make our own decisions about pregnancy and parenting. In Texas, reproductive rights and justice advocates know what it’s like to face tough odds. We’ve been fighting for ourselves, and each other, for generations.” — Amanda Beatriz Williams, “The time is now to fight for abortion coverage in our communities,” TribTalk, Texas Tribune, September 24, 2018.


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T This data include emergency response to Hurricane Harvey, which devastated Gulf Coast communities in August 2017. The effects of Harvey were long-lasting and well-documented. But one story that was not told was the impact the storm had on abortion access for Texans. Thanks to foundation and community support, we were able to offer $116,767 in vouchers to 469 clients impacted by Hurricane Harvey during the immediate aftermath of the storm in September 2017 through March 2018.

West Texas2%

Unknown4%

South Texas2%

San AntonioMetro Area

11%

Rio GrandeValley

4%

NeighboringStates

1% East Texas5%

HoustonMetro Area51%

Dallas/Fort Worth& North Texas2%

Central Texas5%

Coastal Bend3%

AustinMetro Area11%

Some regions of Texas are served by our sister funds who also offer funding towards abortion procedure cost. Texas Equal Access Fund provides primary service to the North Texas region, Frontera Fund serves

the Rio Grande Valley, and the West Fund serves El Paso and West Texas.

callsreceived

6,052

callsfunded

26%redeemed77%

noinsurance

56%

alreadyparents

58%

not workingfor pay

54%people of color

72%

offered to clients$328,435

medianage

30


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Our Hotline Coordinator, Andrea Soto Abarca, is headed for medical school this summer. The Lilith Fund team couldn’t be happier for Andrea, or more proud of her, as she prepares to join The University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine’s incoming Class of 2023.

The incredible impact of our hotline this year—the heart and center of our work—has been under her leadership. Andrea cares deeply about the hotline and the impact it can have in our community. During her time with Lilith Fund, Andrea took on the complex work of implementing a new, more efficient hotline system and has recruited and trained dozens of volunteers who make our hotlines (English and Spanish) safe, compassionate, and accessible places for people seeking abortion care.

From our clients…


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CLIENT ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM: BUILDING POWER FOR THE FUTURE

One of Lilith Fund’s core values is to engage those most affected by economic barriers to abortion. The best abortion access defenders are the people directly impacted by abortion access barriers. In partnership with Texas Equal Access (TEA) Fund, we launched the rich, multi-layered Client Engagement Program (CEP), with opportunities to engage clients around advocacy, movement-building, and aftercare support.

In order to successfully implement the CEP, Lilith Fund hired three new staff in 2018 to oversee the development of the program. Lilith Fund and TEA Fund co-hired Nikiya Natale, a licensed attorney with an extensive background in civil rights, as the Statewide Manager of the CEP.

In addition, Lilith Fund brought on Erika Galindo as the Organizing Program Manager to provide community organizing, advocacy, and movement building training and support for clients and target communities. To round out the core CEP team, Lilith Fund hired Beth Donnan, a licensed social worker to manage programming involving resource connection and emotional support.

With the founding of the CEP, Lilith Fund is bringing those most impacted by barriers to abortion access to develop storytelling opportunities, shape policy and advocacy strategies, and build bridges between the movement for abortion rights and non-traditional allies in the movements for economic and racial justice. CEP leaders will strategically and meaningfully fight for reproductive rights and justice with Lilith Fund right there to guide them. Together with TEA Fund, we are building a solid foundation and laying the groundwork for a revolutionary program that will shape the abortion access movement in Texas.

Through the CEP, we empower our clients to:

Participate in existing or lead new advocacy and movement-building initiatives across the state.

Create new opportunities for destigmatizing and changing the culture around abortion through storytelling, art, or creative activism.

Build a network of support for people who have had abortions via community care workshops, one-on-one emotional support, and facilitated healing spaces.

Become outspoken leaders in their communities and strengthen and expand the base of abortion access supporters in Texas.


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An altar honoring and remembering women who have died from unsafe abortions. This moving altar was created by Lilith Fund clients and displayed at our Annual Reproductive Justice Awards in the fall. (Top left: Josephine Fuller; bottom left: Nancy Jo Seay Lee; top right: Lola Huth; bottom right: Virginia Washington; and top middle: Rosie Jiménez)

FROM THE CAPITOL TO THE COURTHOUSEIn June, we joined abortion providers and other Texas abortion funds in challenging the state’s array of abortion restrictions. These medically unnecessary requirements are difficult, time-consuming, and costly to navigate—sometimes prohibitively so. We call it The People’s Lawsuit, an homage to The People’s Filibuster.

The People’s Lawsuit is a chance for us to bring the stories and experiences of our clients directly into the courtroom as we challenge the laws that make abortion as difficult as possible to access in Texas. These laws have been built up over time to chip away at abortion rights first recognized in Roe v. Wade more than four decades ago and reaffirmed just recently in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. In both of those landmark cases, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down unconstitutional Texas laws that restricted access to abortion care, recognizing that the right to have an abortion is critical to the liberty, dignity, and equal status of anyone with the capacity to become pregnant. We are asking the court to follow that precedent. peopleslawsuittx.org


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Y PAID SICK DAYS VICTORY IN AUSTIN IS A WIN FOR TEAM #REPROJUSTICE, TOO

Austin City Council members voted in February 2018 to require all private employers in the city to provide employees at least six to eight days of paid sick leave, depending on the size of the company. Lilith Fund was proud to be part of that victory.

That’s because paid sick days are an economic, reproductive, and racial justice issue. There are so many barriers to accessing abortion in Texas. We knew that paid sick days was one way to help make safe abortion more accessible, for our clients. The most vulnerable—low-wage workers, women, and people of color—are the ones who can least afford to lose a day’s wages. Without paid sick days, working patients may have to delay their procedures to find times they are off work to avoid losing jobs and racking up costs. We have heard from countless of our hotline callers that they had to book their abortion care appointments around their work schedules because they didn’t have paid sick days.

“Perhaps the most powerful lesson we learned is that we are truly capable of breaking through siloes to build power with community members around intersectional issues, while at the same time bringing abortion to the forefront. I think there’s a false dichotomy around the ability for organizations to either be intersectional OR abortion-forward, and that we can’t be both. This is proof that we can!” —Amanda Beatriz Williams, Lilith Fund

Due to the amazing work of our community, including cross-movement organizing, and policy advocacy efforts with our coalition partners, Austin was the first city in the southern U.S. to pass a progressive paid sick days policy—and the 42nd jurisdiction in the nation. Although the policy is now tied up in courts, guaranteeing paid sick days for workers is a simple way to help make safe abortion more accessible for our callers—many who are working women of color with families—and we will continue to build upon our victory and fight to make it a reality.


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YROSIE’S RESOLUTION PASSES IN AUSTIN

In October 2018, in response to local advocates, the Austin City Council affirmed the importance of access to affordable abortion care.

Lilith Fund and NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, with support from many other advocacy organizations, worked with Austin City Council members to pass “Rosie’s Resolution” calling for a repeal of public and private insurance coverage bans. We know that everyone deserves access to abortion care regardless of their income.

It’s named for Rosie Jiménez, a 27-year-old Chicana from McAllen, Texas, who was the first woman known to die of complications related to an unsafe abortion after the Hyde Amendment was passed in 1976. The law banned the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortions with few exceptions, leading Rosie to seek a less costly and unsafe procedure.

“For so long, I didn’t know the details of my mom’s experience, but I am proud that more than 40 years later, my mom’s story and legacy lives on in the work of abortion funds and grassroots organizations, working to repeal laws that kept her…from accessing a safe abortion procedure.” —Monique Jiménez, Rosie’s Daughter

Fifteen localities across the U.S., including Travis County, have signed similar resolutions. The effort in Austin also set the stage for Texas abortion funds to introduce “Rosie’s Law” when the legislature convened in January 2019.

Repealing the Hyde Amendment and bans on insurance coverage for abortion would go a long way to making sure that everyone can access safe abortion care. As the National Network of Abortion Funds says, “[s]ince the inception of the Hyde Amendment it has served as a racist, classist, and oppressive barrier to reproductive health care that we have been told to accept as status quo.”


2018

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Lilith Fund has come a long way since our founding seventeen years ago. In 2018, Lilith Fund’s net revenue was $158,304, capping off a strong year in our organization’s growth. In addition to expanding our staff, Lilith Fund provided increased stipends and served more people, which will lead them to have the means and opportunity to plan their futures and families with dignity, respect, and community support.

From a client…

2018 Revenue

Other Income1%

In-Kind Donations7%

Grants18%

FundraisingEvents

33%

IndividualContributions41%

2018 Expenses

Fundraising3%

Program50%

General & Management47%


2018 FINA

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ESSTATEMENT OF ACTIVITY

Support & Revenue

Foundation Grants $ 100,523

Individual Contributions $ 235,507

Fundraising Events $ 191,801

Other Income $ 5,298

In-Kind Donations $ 40,929

Total Revenue $ 574,057

Expenses

Program Expenses $ 348,085

Fundraising Expenses $ 20,782

General & Management Expenses $ 332,932

Total Expenses $ 701,799

Other Revenue

Temporarily Restricted Grants $ 284,342

Gain on Sale of Donated Stock $ 2,469

Total Other Revenue $ 286,811

Other Expenses

Investment Expense $ 764

Total Other Expenses $ 764

Net Revenue $ 158,304

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION — 12/31/18Assets

Current Assets

Bank Accounts $ 846,003

Accounts Receivable $ 750,120

Prepaid Expenses $ 1,814

Undeposited Funds $ 13,053

Total Current Assets $ 1,610,990

Fixed Assets

Accumulated Depreciation $ (358)

Computers & Equipment $ 270

Software to Amortize $ 88

Total Fixed Assets $ -

Total Assets $ 1,610,990

Liabilities & Equity

Liabilities

Current Liabilities

Accounts Payable $ 32,497

Payroll Tax Payable $ 9,654

Total Current Liabilities $ 42,150

Total Liabilities $ 42,150

Equity

Net Assets $ 394,301

Temporarily Restricted Net Assets $ 1,016,234


Total Equity $ 1,568,839

Total Liabilities & Equity $ 1,610,990

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWSOperating Activities


Adjustments to reconcile Net Revenue to Net Cash provided by Operations:

Accounts Receivable $ (750,000)

Prepaid Expenses $ (1,814)

Accounts Payable $ (6,297)

Payroll Tax Payable $ 5,813

Salaries Payable $ (3,007)

Total Adjustments to reconcile Net Revenue to Net Cash provided by Operations

$ (755,306)

Net Cash provided by Operating Activities $ (597,001)

Financing Activities

Temporarily Restricted Net Assets $ 521,234

Net Cash provided by Financing Activities $ 521,234

Net Cash Increase for Period $ (75,767)

Cash at Beginning of Period $ 934,823

Cash at End of Period $ 859,056

View our full financial statements at lilithfund.org/financials.


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RT THANK YOU!Every day, we support Texans accessing abortion care and we rely on the dedicated support of our community to provide as much funding to our callers as possible. We know that when people have the autonomy to make the best reproductive choices for themselves and their families, it can have a profound impact on their lives. Lilith Fund supporters are crucial to making our work possible. Funding abortion and building power is one of the ways we can strike back against those trying to make abortion impossible to access. We are grateful to our supporters who give what they can to make abortion access a reality for our callers..

2018 Donations: At A Glance

Bowl-a-Thon 2018

For almost a decade, Lilith Fund has participated in the National Network of Abortion Funds’ annual Bowl-a-Thon, a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign for supporters to raise money for abortion access. It serves as our biggest annual grassroots fundraiser and is also a great opportunity for supporters to build community with fellow abortion advocates. Money raised during Bowl-a-Thon goes directly to our hotline budget. In 2018, Lilith Fund raised over $150,000, the most ever raised by our supporters to date.

Number of monthly sustainers 212

$ $

Number of one-time donations2,474

Average one-time donation$196

Average sustainer donation$35


VISIO

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Translation:“I have to thank Lilith Fund for all of the help. The person who

communicated with me was very kind and helped me a lot, not just with the money, but also with questions that I had, and other things.

Thank you so much Lilith Fund for the help.”

From a client…

A FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURELilith Fund is at an important moment in our organizational history. In 2019, as our organization embarks on a new chapter, we are assessing our mission and values to re-affirm our commitment to abortion access for all communities and establish our role in the movement.

Our growth in staff provides critical infrastructure and support for our key programs, allowing us to be more creative and strategic in our mission of funding abortion and building power in our communities.

We are refining the Client Engagement Program (CEP) to ensure that our clients—who live at the intersections of racial, economic, and gender oppression—have a seat at the table to be active proponents for the movement toward reproductive justice.

Our North Star continues to be the sustainability of the Lilith Fund hotline. We are dedicated to providing direct financial assistance to our clients so they can access the abortion care they need and deserve, even in the face of increasing attacks and barriers.

P.O. Box 684949 • Austin, Texas 78768-4949lilithfund.org • @lilithfund

FOR REPRODUCTIVE EQUITY

2018 STAFFAmanda Beatriz Williams, Executive DirectorBeth Donnan, Social Work Program ManagerErika Galindo, Organizing Program Manager

Mari Hernandez, Administrative ManagerNikiya Natale, Statewide Manager

Andrea Soto Abarca, Hotline Coordinator

2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORSDianira Aluko, San Antonio

Holly Benavides, San AntonioEmily Bivona, HoustonAsha Dane’el, AustinNeesha Davé, Austin

Mabez Diaz, San AntonioMisty Garcia, San Antonio

Laila Khalili, HoustonStephanie McKernan, Houston

Zoraima Pelaez, AustinIsbah Raja, Houston

Darcy Rendón, AustinLesli-Elsie Simms, Houston

From a client…

dearest community,sep 24, 2018 · access movement in texas. through the cep, we empower our...

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