Support the Students!

Help Us Raise $20,000 to Support BIPOC Midwives and Transform Perinatal Care

In the U.S., Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) face significant disparities in maternal health outcomes. The perinatal mortality rate in the U.S. is the highest among high-income countries, with 24 out of every 100,000 birthing people dying each year. For Black and Indigenous people, the risk is even higher—2 to 3 times greater than their white counterparts. These statistics have been steadily rising since 1987, reflecting deep-rooted social and structural inequities.

Research shows that BIPOC midwives play a crucial role in addressing these disparities by providing culturally competent, low-intervention, and respectful perinatal care to families who often don’t have access to providers who understand their lived experiences. Yet, despite the clear need for BIPOC midwives, the journey to becoming one is fraught with barriers.

More than 90% of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) in the U.S. are white. BIPOC aspiring midwives often face obstacles such as lack of financial resources, mentorship, and community support, which prevent them from completing their training and building sustainable practices that serve their communities. This perpetuates the cycle of inadequate access to safe, culturally competent care for BIPOC families.

This is where you come in.

Our organization is dedicated to breaking down these barriers by increasing access to skills, funding, and community for BIPOC student midwives in the San Francisco Bay Area. With your support, we can ensure that more BIPOC midwives have the opportunity to thrive, allowing BIPOC families to receive the care they deserve.

Our Programs: How Your Gift Will Make a Difference

Your tax-deductible donation will support these vital programs that directly benefit BIPOC student midwives and new midwives:

• Plant: Student Skills Share Program
  We offer monthly, FREE skill-sharing sessions for BIPOC midwives and students to practice hands-on midwifery skills, share resources, and build a community of support. Your donation helps provide travel stipends for students, support for our midwife facilitators, and materials for hands-on learning. By giving BIPOC students access to mentors who look like them and understand their struggles, we help foster relationships that sustain them throughout their midwifery journey.

• Build: BIPOC Student Apprenticeship Fund
  Midwifery students often face financial difficulties during their apprenticeships. This fund helps alleviate some of that burden, offering financial assistance to BIPOC student midwives in active apprenticeships. With your help, we can ensure that finances don’t become a barrier to completing their education and starting their careers.

• Grow: New BIPOC Midwives Support
  After finishing their studies and apprenticeship, BIPOC midwives face a new set of challenges—starting their own practice. This program provides them with mentorship and funding to cover the costs of licensing exams, equipment, business registration, and marketing, so they can open their doors and serve their communities.

• Repair: Cultural Competency Training for Non-BIPOC Midwives
  Because most midwives in the Bay Area are non-BIPOC, it is crucial to offer cultural competency training to reduce harm and foster positive apprenticeship relationships between BIPOC students and non-BIPOC preceptors. We provide ongoing training to non-BIPOC midwives, giving them the tools to support BIPOC students with respect and understanding.

Why This Work Matters

BIPOC midwives are not just caregivers—they are advocates for their communities. When a birthing person can work with a midwife who shares their cultural background and lived experiences, it fosters trust, mutual respect, and better health outcomes. Studies show that midwife-led care results in lower intervention rates, fewer C-sections, and improved overall satisfaction for birthing people. By supporting BIPOC midwives, you’re helping to create a future where more families can access the respectful, safe care they deserve.

Your Impact

Every tax-deductible dollar you donate brings us closer to building a more diverse, equitable midwifery workforce that can meet the needs of BIPOC families. Here's how your gift can help:

• $50 provides a travel stipend for a student attending a skill-sharing session.

• $100 supports hands-on learning materials for our monthly skill shares.

• $250 sponsors a skill-sharing event, connecting BIPOC midwives and students for invaluable mentorship.

• $500 helps fund a student midwife’s apprenticeship for one quarter.

• $1,000 provides start-up support for a new BIPOC midwife as they establish their practice.

• $2,000 funds one student midwife’s stipend for a year. 

Join Us in Making a Difference

We’re aiming to raise $20,000 in 2025 to continue empowering BIPOC student midwives and supporting the critical work they do. Your tax-deductible donation will directly impact the future of midwifery care in BIPOC communities, ensuring that more families can access the safe, respectful care they deserve.

Let’s create a more just, equitable future for BIPOC families together.

Your generosity helps to change lives. Thank you for standing with us in this important work.

If you have a charitable gift account, please consider making a donation to our fiscal sponsor, Movement Strategy Center (EIN 20-1037643) and note that the funds are intended for the BIPOC Student Midwives Fund.