What is Fund-A-Thon?

  • An annual spring (March-May) fundraiser hosted by the National Network of Abortion Funds. In 2019, DSA raised over $100,000 nationwide and we’re trying to match that again this year!
  • Abortion funds are mutual aid organizations that close the material gap for people seeking abortion care. They pay for the procedure & associated costs as well as provide other support like navigating scheduling, contacting an abortion doula, and more!
  • We are fundraising for ACCESS Reproductive Justice. They are a California statewide abortion fund based in Oakland. 🤠 FUN FACT: the executive director of ACCESS (Jessica Pinckney) is a UCSB alum and is very excited to see Santa Barbarians participating this year!

But Medi-Cal covers abortion – do we need this in California?

  • We have strong reproductive rights protections in California BUT there are still many barriers!
  • Many people who need an abortion live hours from the nearest clinic (or further to find an in-network provider), cannot afford time off work, need childcare, make too much money to qualify for Medi-Cal but still can’t afford an abortion, or are afraid to seek care due to immigration status. ACCESS can help with all of these things through their myriad supports.

How do I join the SB DSA team?

  1. Go to https://fund.nnaf.org/sbdsa
  2. Click “Join team” under our logo
  3. Create your page
    • Set a goal! Anything helps but don’t be afraid to be bold!
  4. SHARE IT FAR AND WIDE!
    • Email your link to your network. Share it on social media. Tell people WHY funding abortion matters to YOU!

Any tips on how to fundraise?

  • The DSA Nationwide Socialist Feminist Working Group has a training to help with this! 

Isn’t a pandemic a terrible time to ask people for money?

  • You know the circumstances of the people in your circle best. For some, this pandemic caused financial strife so this is not the time to ask for money. For others, employment has remained stable. But what has not changed is that people need access to abortion care and cannot afford it. So let’s lean on our community who have the privilege of stability right now!
  • Redistribute that stimmy! Some folks received a stimulus check and may be in a position to treat it as extra income. Ask folks to consider if they are in a position to redistribute their stimulus for mutual aid.