17 Organizations that Help Support Black Mothers
Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving with a focus on radical generosity. It started in 2012 to inspire others simply to do good for someone else.
Most people donate to charities and causes on this day, the Tuesday following Thanksgiving week. While there are millions of nonprofit organizations out there, we wanted to highlight a few that work to better the lives and experiences of Black women and mothers.
Black Mamas Matter Alliance
This Black woman-led nonprofit is helping shift the culture for Black maternal health, rights and justice. The Atlanta-based organization places Black mothers at the center of its work in order to help them access the resources and support they need before, during and after pregnancy.
BMMA also created Black Maternal Health Week, which focuses on awareness, activism and community building around some of the issues Black mothers face.
Black Women’s Health Imperative
BWHI targets pressing health issues that affect Black women and girls in the United States. The organization focuses on health equity to improve the overall wellness of some 21 million Black women and girls. This includes physical, emotional and financial health.
The 38-year-old nonprofit partners with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AARP, The Pfizer Foundation, the WNBA and more. BWHI has several key programs, including My Sister’s Keeper, to make optimal health and well-being a reality for Black women and girls.
The National Association to Advance Black Birth
This new nonprofit focuses on bettering birth outcomes for Black parents. Its work includes educational programs, advocating for policy change and doula support.
The NAABB also has a Black Birth Bill of Rights that outlines tools and serves as guidance for Black birthing people and others who engage in maternal care.
Black Coalition for Safe Motherhood
This organization focuses on equipping Black birthing people with the tools they need to advocate for themselves. It was established by experienced birth justice advocates who saw a need for it.
Black Coalition for Safe Motherhood started the workshop-based program ACTT for Safe Motherhood. It stands for ask questions until you understand the answers, claim your space, trust your body and tell your story.
The nonprofit puts together real-world activities for people to participate in during the ACTT workshops. The scenarios are designed help increase knowledge of navigating healthcare settings, including when and how to ask tough questions regarding childbirth and maternal care.
www.blackcoalitionforsafemotherhood.org
National Birth Equity Collaborative
This nonprofit believes that all Black mothers and babies should thrive, so it creates solutions for their optimal wellbeing. Through training, research, technical assistance, policy, advocacy and collaboration, NBEC addresses racial and social inequities in healthcare.
It was founded in 2015 to combat the increasing rate of infant mortality in marginalized communities as well as the disparities among Black birthing people.
Birth Equity Advocacy Project
A branch of the Causes to Care About nonprofit, the Birth Equity Advocacy Project addresses and highlights inequalities in maternal care among families of color. One of its priorities is helping Black women access quality and culturally sensitive care by working to motivate policy change.
Parenting for Liberation
This virtual community connects, inspires and uplifts Black families through liberated parenting. It’s mission is rooted in raising Black children without fear in an Afro-futuristic version of the world.
Parenting for Liberation defines parenting broadly and helps parents connect to themselves, their children and their community. The organization’s programs include advocacy trainings, trauma workshops and healing and self-care sessions.
www.parentingforliberation.org
The Tender Foundation
This organization supports mothers getting out of survival mode. Cultivating a community of care, the Tender Foundation bridges the financial gap for single mothers in Atlanta, Ga.
This safe haven for mothers provides grocery store gift cards and emergency bill assistance with rent and utilities. Tender also operates a diaper bank.
Black Mothers in Power
This Delaware-based nonprofit works to eradicate birth disparities in the state. Black Mothers in Power seeks a state where Black birthing people are informed of their rights, have autonomy over their decisions and have equitable maternal healthcare.
It features a directory of Black and Indigenous birth workers and a members-only platform that unlocks birth justice training. The organization recently rolled out a postpartum program for new parents.
Feminist Women’s Health Center
Feminist Women’s Health Center is a health care service clinic in Atlanta, Ga. working to advance reproductive health, rights and justice. Its clinic services include compassionate and non-judgmental abortion care, annual exams, pregnancy testing and transgender health services.
The organization’s legacy advocacy program helps preserve and protect healthcare and abortion access in Georgia. Its services and programs were developed to address systemic inequities in healthcare and society that affect women, people of color, immigrant families, low-income and rural communities and people from the trans and LGBQIA+ communities.
Mamatoto Village
This Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit offers solutions to combat health disparities among mothers, infants and families. Mamatoto Village serves Black women by creating career pathways in maternal health and providing accessible perinatal support services that will equip them with making informed decisions about their maternal care.
The organization folds inclusivity, collaboration, advocacy, respectable care, equity, support, integrity and service into its values.
Center for Reproductive Rights
This human-rights organization works to protect reproductive rights around the world. Some of the issues it focuses on, regardless of gender, abortion and maternal health. Since its founding in 1992, Center for Reproductive Rights has strengthened laws and policies in more than 60 countries.
Girl Trek
Girl Trek is the largest public nonprofit for Black women and girls. It uses walking as a practical first step to inspire healthy living and communities — and more than one million people have pledged to be part of the movement.
Built around the legacy of Civil Rights, Girl Trek wants Black women to take charge of their lives through walking.
Black Career Women’s Network
This career development organization fosters professional growth among Black women. Since 2012, it has bridged the gap of professional development and mentor access by curating tools, programs and community access.
Black Career Women’s Network challenges the way Black women are perceived in the workplace and believes that career empowerment for them can help value their worth.
Black Mothers’ Breastfeeding Association
The goal of this nonprofit is to reduce the racial disparities among Black breastfeeding families. It features conferences, doula support and virtual support sessions to help families overcome historical, societal and social breastfeeding barriers.
Service, education and advocacy is how BMBFA hopes breastfeeding parents reach success.
www.blackmothersbreastfeed.org
Shades of Blue Project
This Houston-based organization exists to break cultural barriers in maternal mental health. It works to shift how women of color are treated after birth or adverse maternal health outcomes.
Shades of Blue is planning to open a maternal and mental health resource center in Houston.
Mama Glow
Mama Glow is a maternity lifestyle brand that supports women in their childbirth journeys by offering doula support and more along every stage.
It features a global doula immersion program to help train the next crop of leaders set to transform the modern healthcare system. Mama Glow’s additional offerings include fertility, perinatal and wellness trainings.