NARAL PRO-CHOICE AMERICA FOUNDATION

NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation was formed in 1977 to provide a policy and educational complement to sister organization NARAL Pro-Choice America’s work fighting for a woman’s right to choose if and when to have children. Fueled by the horrors of back-alley abortions and a strong conviction that women’s private reproductive-health decisions were theirs and theirs alone, NARAL gave voice to the previously silent American majority.

We are on the front lines of the fight to preserve and expand reproductive freedom and abortion access in the 21st century. We believe in the power of people to make a difference. Seven in 10 Americans believe that abortion should be legal; we work to surface that silent majority and funnel it into strategic campaigns that shift the culture of shame around these issues and ensure an environment that guarantees every woman the right to informed and empowered choices.

Reproductive freedom – including abortion access, birth control, and healthy pregnancies – is at the heart of gender equality. Women will never be in control of their own destinies without the basic freedom of how, when, and with whom to have a family. NARAL exists to help all women achieve freedom and self-determination, and works to be certain that women and families have the resources, education, and support to make the best decisions and to thrive at all points in their reproductive lifetimes. Specifically, we:

• Educate and increase awareness of reproductive freedom issues, and how they affect women and families, through projects such as our a

• Work to shift the cultural discourse around abortion access specifically, and reproductive freedom generally, to end the stigma and shame that hinder women from accessing the services they need

NARAL has a national network of advocates and members on the ground and online, allowing us to use our collective, powerful voice to protect and expand reproductive freedom, including:

• State affiliates/chapters in 15 states, and member activists in all 50 states, to facilitate rapid action at the local level
• Expert policy, communications, and field shops that conduct strategic, long-term research and planning that, combined with our state network, allow us to conduct effective, timely, and impactful rapid response campaigns and react in-the-moment to issues as they arise – whether in policy, cultural or consumer arenas – all while organizing our base, reaching new audiences, and bringing new members to the cause
. Reproductive freedom is at the heart of equality for women, who must be able to make decisions about how, when, whether, and with whom to have children in order to fully thrive.

NARAL has made significant progress on several fronts, including:

• Releasing a national report on so-called crisis pregnancy centers – fake clinics that lie to and shame women to deny them access to reproductive-health services, including abortion. It has been covered by NPR, MSNBC, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, Yahoo, Jezebel, and Bustle, and you can read more at ProChoiceAmerica.org/CPCReport.
• Mobilizing our supporters and allies around the Hobby Lobby and McCullen decisions, and pushing back by introducing policy fixes, channeling public outrage, and ensuring leaders heard from constituents. On Hobby Lobby, we led organizing, messaging, and branding around #NotMyBossBusiness, reaching 3.7 million+ people online, and our activists took 40,000+ actions in the lead-up to the vote to support the Not My Boss’ Business Act.