Independent abortion clinics (Indies) are an essential resource for individuals seeking reproductive healthcare, particularly in areas where access to these services is limited or non-existent. These clinics often face significant financial and regulatory barriers that can make it difficult to provide care to those in need. That's where WRRAP’s KIIRA Fund comes in.
The Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project (WRRAP)—the largest national independent abortion fund in the U.S.—launched an initiative to support these clinics and their millions of abortion-seeking patients.
Established to provide supplemental emergency funding for people accessing abortion from indies in all 50 states, the KIIRA Fund is named in memory of WRRAP’s board member Kiira Jepson, who passed away in 2019. Kiira’s wish was to create this fund in response to the growing threats to reproductive healthcare.
“Kiira was a die-hard advocate for reproductive justice and rights,” said Sylvia Ghazarian, executive director of WRRAP, “One of the things she was always fighting for was how we need to continue to support independent clinics.”
The KIIRA Fund has provided over $500K in grants to independent abortion clinics, helping to ensure that these clinics can continue to provide critical services to patients in their communities.
The importance of independent abortion clinics cannot be overstated. These clinics often serve communities that have been historically underserved by the healthcare system, including low-income individuals, people of color, and rural communities. They also provide a level of personalized care that is often lacking in larger healthcare facilities. Despite the critical role that independent abortion clinics play in our healthcare system, they face significant challenges. Many are subjected to burdensome regulations that make it difficult to provide care, while others are forced to operate on razor-thin margins due to restrictive funding policies.
The KIIRA Fund is helping to address these challenges by providing critical financial support to independent abortion clinics. By doing so, the fund is helping to ensure that these clinics can continue to provide critical healthcare services to individuals who need them the most.
But the KIIRA Fund is not just a financial resource. It is also a symbol of hope and resilience for independent abortion clinics and the communities they serve. By supporting these clinics and the people who work there, the KIIRA Fund is sending a powerful message that reproductive healthcare is a fundamental right that must be protected.
As we continue to face threats to reproductive healthcare, it is essential that we support WRRAP’s KIIRA Fund. By doing so, we can help to ensure that independent abortion clinics can continue to provide critical services to their communities, and that reproductive healthcare remains accessible to all.
In honor of the late Kiira Jepson’s upcoming birthday on April 25, WRRAP aims to raise $50,000. To donate to the Kiira Fund or to wrrap.org, head here. To learn more about our bi-yearly campaign head here.
“She was a sweet, inspiring, beautiful, intelligent beam of light. When I came on board with WRRAP she was so generous with training and her time with me and getting to know me. We connected on a personal level. Kiira’s kindness and her clear understanding of the fundamental needs of people showed in all her work with WRRAP and with others. It was a great honor to get to know her. She had and continues to have such a great impact on our organization.”
-Sylvia Ghazarian, Executive Director/WRRAP
