Birth Equity Funders’ Summit: It’s Time for Collaborative Action on Birth Equity
The 2022 Birth Equity Funders’ Summit brought together over 100 funders in person and 35 virtually to reflect on the role of philanthropy in reducing racial disparities in birth outcomes and identify opportunities to better collaborate and align in service of this goal. This report serves as an overview of the event, as well as offers key takeaways and practical recommendations for funders.
Maternal morbidity and mortality, pre-term birth, and infant mortality rates in the United States are among the worst in the developed world, with rates particularly high among Black and Indigenous people, regardless of income or education. There is a pressing need for funders to align their investments to help improve health outcomes for parents and infants in the United States.
Over 120 philanthropic organizations attended the 2022 Birth Equity Funders’ Summit on October 25-27, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia, following the Mom and Baby Action Network (M-BAN) Summit. The Funders’ Summit was an action-oriented national convening focused on informing and mobilizing funders concerned about birth equity. The agenda focused on critical challenges and opportunities for improving Maternal morbidity and mortality, pre-term birth, and infant mortality rates.
Highlights included presentations from key thought leaders in the birth equity movement; topical panel discussions; deep dive breakouts on workforce, policy, and metrics; and a call to action for funders to pursue investments that help ensure full birth equity.
Related Materials:
Presentations:
- Aligning on Equitable and Community-Informed Metrics by Eurnestine Brown
- Perinatal Mental Health Through An Intersectional Lens by Anna King
- Common Impact Metrics Workshop by Carol Sakala
- Role of Philanthropy in Addressing Challenges in Policy and Advocacy by Nan Strauss
- Investing in the Power of the Birthing Workforce by Zainab Sulaiman
- Federal Policy Landscape – Black Maternal Health by Jamila Taylor
Support for this meeting was provided by bi3, Community Health Acceleration Partnership, Funders for Birth Justice and Equity (formerly Midwifery Funders Group), Grantmakers In Health, Ms. Foundation for Women, Pritzker Children’s Initiative, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, in partnership with the Mom and Baby Action Network
