Summer 2023

Gala to Grow Birth Centers

The AABC Foundation is excited to invite you to the 2023 Gala to Grow Birth Centers: Desert Starlight! The gala will be held under the Sonoran Desert sky at El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort in Tucson, Arizona on Friday, October 13th during the AABC Birth Institute.

The Gala to Grow Birth Centers is an event to raise funds to support the AABC Foundation and its programs to advance the AABC birth center model of care. The evening will feature a variety of activities, including auctions (live and silent), hors d’oeuvres, raffles, games, drinks, and more.

Some of the live auction items include:

• The Lucky Hat - Brings good luck all year!

• 1 week stay at Arizona Mountain Cabin nestled in the white mountains of Northeastern Arizona. Two bedrooms (sleeps 4).

• 2024 Birth Institute Package includes conference registration, 1 night at the conference hotel and breakfast for two

• Birth Glider Rocker - Handcrafted, solid cherry, birth glider rocker. Gifted to Community of Hope Family Health & Birth Center on their opening by Kitty Ernst. Own a bit of history!

• 1 week stay at North Carolina Home in Durham centrally located to UNC, Duke, RNP and the airport. Three bedrooms (sleeps 6).

• 1 week at Mexico Beach Resort - more details to come!

Special thanks to the 2023 Gala to Grow Birth Centers Sponsors:

• Galaxy Sponsors: AABC, The Harnisch Foundation, and The Midwife Plan/Southern Cross Insurance Solutions

• Constellation Sponsors: RT Specialty, MedPro, The Doctors Company, and Willow Midwife Center for Birth and Wellness

• Star Sponsors: Blossom Birth & Wellness, General Star, XInsurance

• Planet Sponsors: Marnie Cabezas Management Consulting

• Moon Sponsors: Bauer Family, CABC, First Insurance Funding, Mike Meek, NACPM

• Table Sponsor: AABC Arizona Chapter

Learn more about the gala at AABCFoundation.org/ gala-to-grow

Scholarships

This year the AABC Foundation awarded six Lisa Ross scholarships. The scholarship provides a conference registration and travel stipend for the AABC Birth Institute. Congratulations to our 2023 awardees.

The AABC Foundation also provides scholarships for the AABC How to Start a Birth Center course. We will begin accepting applications for the 2024 Amy Polk Scholarships in February. To learn more about scholarship opportunities, visit aabcfoundation.org/scholarships.

Research Funding

The AABC Foundation is accepting letters of intent now until November 15th to be considered for our 2024

Research Grant cycle. These grants provide up to $5,000 to support research projects on issues related to the birth center model of care.

Who can apply?

• Open to individuals or organizations

• Non-profit status not required

• Research project related to the birth center model of care

• A demonstrated capacity and a plan to complete the research in accordance with the project's timeline

Learn more at aabcfoundation.org/research-grants.

Birth Center Support Grants

The Changemaker Accreditation Grant program supports birth centers seeking accreditation. This grant pays for an AABC member birth center’s accreditation fees with the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. This year we have awarded:

• Balance Midwifery/Gilbert Birth Center in Gilbert, AZ

• Clarksville Birth Center in Clarksville, TN

• Full Circle Wellness in Kasson, MN

• Lilac Health Midwifery and Birth Center in Asheville, NC

• Mt Vernon Birth Center in Mt Vernon, WA

We hope these birth centers will all successfully complete the accreditation process and continue to make a difference in their communities.

The Birth Center Membership Grant program supports birth centers that want to join AABC for the first time or current members that may be experiencing a fiscal crisis. This grant pays for half of the annual dues for a birth center membership. This year we have awarded two grants:

• Caderamen in Gurabo, PR

• Full Circle Wellness in Kasson, MN

• Modern Day Midwife in Phoenix, AZ

• Mt Vernon Birth Center in Mt Vernon, WA

The AABCF reviews applications for these birth center support grants on a rolling basis. Birth centers may apply at any time during the year. Learn more about these grants at https://www.aabcfoundation.org/

Spring 2023

Spring It On!

In April, the AABC Foundation said Spring It On! With a virtual marathon in the Grand Canyon to fundraise to advance the birth center model and improve maternity care in the U.S. The all exercise virtual challenge followed a 26.2 mile rim-to-rim route through the Grand Canyon. Fifty-seven participants logged 2,238 miles and raised $17,451!

Special thanks to the 2023 Spring It On! Sponsors:

• Coach sponsors: AABC, Geneva Woods Birth Center, Marnie – Medical Practice Management & Consulting, The Midwife Plan/Southern Cross Insurance Solutions

• Assistant Coach sponsors: CABC, The Midwife

• Center, Willow AZ, Innovation Billing Services Inc

• Trainer sponsors: Bauer Family, Linda Cole, Marketing Tea, Judy Ruszkowski

Welcome New Board Members

The AABC Foundation welcomes two new board members – Dixie Morgese and Chris Capato.

Dixie Morgese has over 25 years of experience working with families and the multiple health and human systems that serve them. She has worked many with partners on local, state, and national levels to address social determinants of health, health equity, parent leadership, and family resiliency. She has provided consultation to the Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW), the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), the National Association of Counites (NaCo), the Florida Department of Children and Families, and the Florida Department of Health. Dixie recently retired as the Executive Director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties. She self identifies as a woman in recovery from trauma and substance use disorder and continues to work directly with people seeking a pathway to a better quality of life as a coach and sponsor.

Chris Capato is the Finance Director for the Independence Public Media Foundation. He has over ten years of experience in finance and administration of non-profit organizations in public media, education equity and women’s healthcare, including serving as the chief financial officer for The Midwife Center for Birth and Women’s Health in Pittsburgh. Prior to that, he has spent nearly twenty years in the administration, compliance and investment of pension and endowment funds in bank trust departments and accounting/ consulting firms. Chris has also been appointed Treasurer of the AABC Foundation.

We are delighted to have Dixie and Chris on the AABC Foundation board!

Research Grants

Each year, the AABC Foundation awards research grants of up to $5,000 to support research projects relating to the birth center model of care. This year, we’ve awarded grants to the following projects:

• Community Education on Birth Center Care: Assessing the Landscape for Vermont Birth Options

• Neonatal Resuscitation Provider Training for Birth Center Staff - An Analysis of Efficacy

• The Impact of Alongside Midwifery Unit (AMU) and Free-Standing Birth Center (FSBC) Environments on the Maternal Outcomes for Racially and Ethnically Diverse Women

Birth Center Support Grants

The Changemaker Accreditation Grant program supports birth centers seeking accreditation. This grant pays for an AABC member birth center’s accreditation fees with the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. This year we have awarded:

• Balance Midwifery/Gilbert Birth Center in Gilbert, AZ

• Clarksville Birth Center in Clarksville, TN

• Lilac Health Midwifery and Birth Center in Asheville, NC

• Mt Vernon Birth Center in Mt Vernon, WA

We hope these birth centers will all successfully complete the accreditation process and continue to make a difference in their communities.

The Birth Center Membership Grant program supports birth centers that want to join AABC for the first time or current members that may be experiencing a fiscal crisis. This grant pays for half of the annual dues for a birth center membership. This year we have awarded two grants:

• Modern Day Midwife in Phoenix, AZ

• Mt Vernon Birth Center in Mt Vernon, WA

The AABCF reviews applications for these birth center support grants on a rolling basis. Birth centers may apply at any time during the year. Learn more about these grants at https://www.aabcfoundation.org/

Scholarships

This year the AABC Foundation awarded six Amy Polk scholarships. The scholarship provides the opportunity to take the AABC How to Start a Birth Center course either online or in-person. Congratulations to the 2023 awardees: Anika Johnson, CharLee King, Caitlin Madigan, Lauren Maggi, Tierra Lanier, and Tonia Wright. They are looking to start birth centers in east Texas, rural Illinois, rural Missouri, southern Oregon, southern Maryland, and Baltimore. Best of luck to them and their birth center endeavors!

The AABC Foundation is now accepting applications for the Lisa Ross Scholarship. This scholarship pays the registration fee to attend the AABC Birth Institute conference, as well as a stipend for travel and lodging. The deadline to apply is July 15th. To learn more about this scholarship and other opportunities, visit aabcfoundation.org/scholarships.

2023 Fundraising Gala

The AABC Foundation is excited to invite you to the 2023 Gala to Grow Birth Centers: Desert Starlight! The gala will be held under the Sonoran Desert sky at El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort in Tucson, Arizona on Friday, October 13th during the AABC Birth Institute. The Gala to Grow Birth Centers is an event to raise funds to support the AABC Foundation and its programs to advance the AABC birth center model of care. The evening will feature a variety of activities, including a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres, raffles, games, drinks, and more. Visit aabcfoundation.org to join our mailing list and be the first to hear about gala updates!

Fall 2022

Gala to Grow Birth Centers

The annual AABCF Foundation Gala to Grow Birth Centers was a great success. Held at the 2022 AABC Birth Institute, the gala themed “Midnight Marina”, was a beautiful evening under the stars.

Participants enjoyed silent and live auctions, fundraising games, and fellowship. The net proceeds fro the event totalled almost $70,000 thanks to the generosity of participants and sponsors.

Welcome New Board Member

Welcome Miajanell Peake, MSPH, CHES, CD(DONA), the newest member of the AABC Foundation Board of Trustees. Miajanell brings rich experience to the AABC with many years of professional international experience in reproductive health and justice ranging from birth justice in the southern region, abortion care and access, reproductive medical services access improvement, maternal mortality reduction, and perinatal health quality improvement. She is currently the Program Coordinator for CHOICES Memphis Center for Reproductive Health. We are thrilled to have her on the Board.

Fiscal Sponsorship

The AABC Foundation became fiscal sponsor for the Louisiana Birth Centers. The group is working to challenge new regulations that have created significant barriers to the viability of the birth centers.

Scholarships

Congratulations to the awardees of the 2022 Lisa Ross Memorial Scholarship: Mariah Wharton, Anne Schwanke, Neelu Shruti and Bailey Little! The Lisa Ross Scholarship is an annual scholarship to attend the AABC Birth Institute. It is named in honor of LIsa Ross, an early pioneer of the development of birth centers.

Birth Center Grants

The AABC Foundation has two grant programs for birth centers, Changemaker Accreditation Grants and Membership Support Grants.

Changemaker Accreditation Grants provide a birth centers with the initial CABC accreditation fee (or annual fee if already accredited). The grant was established in honor of the founders of the birth center movement and the current and future changemakers who propel the movement forward. The most recent grant recipients are:

• Cocoon Wellness & Birth Center (Waverly, NY)

• Celestial Sanctuary (Greer, SC)

This makes 8 accreditation grants awarded this year.

Membership Support Grants assist birth centers with their annual AABC membership dues. Five birth centers have recently received grants:

• Earthside Birth & Wellness (Cheyenne, WY)

• Clarksville Midwifery (Clarksville, TN)

• Hill Country Birth & Wellness (Burnet, TX

• Lopez Legacy (Las Cruces, NM

• Tyler Birth Center (Tyler, TX)

Honoring Changemakers

As 2022 draws to a close, we remember AABC Founding Mother Kitty Ernst, an undaunted advocate of the midwifery birth center model. Kitty’s vision inspires the changemaker in all of us to carry her legacy into the future through the support of the AABC Foundation.

With your support, we can continue to provide resources and opportunities to changemakers in communities across the nation through programs such as scholarships, accreditation grants, research grants, membership grants and fiscal sponsorship.

In just the last 3 years we have given more than $165,600 in awards thanks to the generosity of donors like you.

Please consider a gift to the AABC Foundation to honor the changemakers - past, present, and future. Donate at aabcfoundation.org.

Spring 2022

Spring It On!

The AABC Foundation is currently hosting the Spring It On 2022 Virtual Race. This year, the virtual marathon takes us up the Pacific Coast Highway in California as we fundraise to advance the birth center model and improve maternity care in the U.S. Forty-two athletes are logging their physical activity to progress along the 26.2-mile route, all while raising funds and awareness to support birth centers.

Special thanks to the Spring It On sponsors!

• Coach: Southern Cross Insurance Solutions

• Assistant Coach: Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers

• Assistant Coach: The Midwife Center for Birth & Women’s Health

• Trainer: Judy Ruszkowski

As we enter the home stretch of the race, we hope you'll help us Sprint to the Finish, and by that we mean that every donation made will be matched by a generous donor. Your donation will have double the impact! Scan the QR code or Find out how you can support Spring It On at aabcfoundation.org/ spring-it-on

Scholarships

Congratulations to the awardees of the 2022 Amy Polk Scholarship: Jordan Smith, Katrina Einander, Sierra Thornberry, Heather D. Skanes, and Tara Lawal! The Amy Polk Scholarship is an annual scholarship to attend the AABC How to Start a Birth Center Workshop. For the past two years, the Amy Polk recipients have had to take the course online, but they’ll also have the opportunity to attend one of the in-person workshops this year. The 2022 recipients are looking to start birth centers in Birmingham, Alabama; Clarksville, Tennessee; South Seattle and rural Washington; and the East Bay area in California. Best of luck to them and their birth center endeavors!

The AABC Foundation will be accepting applications for the Lisa Ross Scholarship from May 10th through June 15th. This scholarship pays the registration fee to attend the AABC Birth Institute conference, as well as a $500 stipend for travel and lodging. To learn more about this scholarship and other opportunities, visit aabcfoundation.org/scholarships.

Changemaker Accreditation Grants

At the beginning of 2022, the AABC Foundation began accepting applications for the Changemaker Accreditation Grant. This grant pays for an AABC member birth center’s accreditation fees with the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. In that time, we’ve awarded six Changemaker Accreditation Grants to:

• Saige Birth Center in New Orleans, LA

• Baby Catcher Birth Center in Lafayette, LA

• Rainier Valley Birth and Health Center in Seattle, WA

• Astoria Birth Center & Family Medicine in Astoria, OR

• Birth Center of New Jersey in Union, NJ

• Gentle Landing Birth Center in Hanover, NH

We hope these birth centers will all successfully complete the accreditation process and continue to make a difference in their communities. Learn more at aabcfoundation.org/ accreditation.

Research Grants

Each year, the AABC Foundation awards research grants of up to $5,000 to support research projects relating to the birth center model of care. This year, we’ve awarded grants to the following projects:

• The Birth Equity Ecosystem in New Jersey: A Mixed Methods Geospatial and Policy Analysis of Birth Center Access

• Outcomes for People with Larger Bodies in Freestanding Birth Centers Compared to Advanced Maternal Age and Nulliparity

• Birthing the Change: Birthing Centers, Community Birth Workers, and Conceptualizations of Inequality

• Birth Center Outcomes of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Birthing People

• Exploring the Awareness of Birth Centers, Choice of Maternity Care Providers and Childbirth Plans Among Diverse, National Sample of Pregnant Individuals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Factors Affecting Birth Center Decision-Making During Pregnancy

Additionally, two previously funded Research Grant projects have been completed.

• Awarded a grant in 2020, “Assessment of interprofessional collaboration at birth centers: Does collaboration influence clinical outcomes?” by Jacqueline Wallace, et al was published in the Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, Volume 25.

• Awarded a grant in 2017, “Associations between length of second stage labor and maternal and newborn outcomes in freestanding birth centers” by Nancy Niemczyk was reported at the 2021 ACNM Annual Meeting. The journal article, “Associations between prolonged second stage of labor and maternal and neonatal outcomes in freestanding birth centers: a retrospective analysis” was published in BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth, Volume 22.

Read this research and see what other projects have been funded at aabcfoundation.org/research-funding

2022 Fundraising Gala

The AABC Foundation is excited to invite you to the 2022 Gala to Grow Birth Centers: Moonlit Marina! The gala will be held on the lawn at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina in San Diego, CA on Friday, September 16th during the AABC Birth Institute. The Gala to Grow Birth Centers is an event to raise funds to support the AABC Foundation and its programs to advance the AABC birth center model of care. The evening will feature a variety of activities, including a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres, raffles, games, drinks, and more. Visit aabcfoundation.org to join our mailing list and be the first to hear about gala updates!

Fall 2021

2021 Gala to Grow Birth Centers

The AABC Foundation held the virtual Gala to Grow Birth Centers: Sidecars at the Speakeasy on October 8th. Attendees watched a demonstration on how to make a Sidecar Cocktail, bid on exciting live auction items, and waged a battle of generosity to be the Last Hero Standing and win a $500 cash prize. With the help of our auctioneer Suzanne Krainock, our sponsors, and all of our supporters, we raised more than $70,000! Thank you to everyone who was involved. The funds raised have a direct impact on our scholarship and grant programs and will help us to grow more birth centers and serve more families. Join us at the next Gala to Grow Birth Centers on September 16th, 2021in San Diego, CA!

Scholarship Opportunities

The AABC Foundation will soon be accepting applications for the Amy Ellen Polk Scholarship. The annual scholarship is awarded in the form of a tuition grant to attend the AABC How to Start a Birth Center Workshop. An additional $500 is awarded for travel expenses if the recipient is attending an in-person workshop. The workshop is offered in two formats: a two-day, hands-on workshop in a major US city; or as an online course that you can complete at your own pace, in your own home. The 2022 Application Period will run January 2- March 2, 2022. Learn more at aabcfoundation.org/amy-ellen-polk-scholarship.

Grants to Support Birth Centers

Congratulations to Membership Support Grant awardee Baby Catcher Birth Center (Lafayette, LA)! Founder Shatamia Webb, CPM, LM opened the birth center in August, and it’s the first Black-owned birth center in the state. The Membership Support Grant assists birth center applicants with up to 50% of membership fees due the American Association of Birth Centers for birth centers that are applying for membership for the first time and birth centers that are due for membership renewal but experiencing a fiscal crisis. Learn more and apply at aabcfoundation.org/membership-support-grants

Congratulations as well to our most recent Accreditation Support Grant recipients: Saige Birth Center (New Orleans, LA), Oregon Birth and Wellness Center (Springfield, OR), and Birth Detroit (Detroit, MI). The Accreditation Support Grant assisted AABC member birth centers with up to 50% of the fees due to the CABC in the accreditation process.

New Changemaker Accreditation Grants. In 2021, with the help of a generous seed donation, the AABC Foundation established the Changemaker Fund and the Changemaker Accreditation Grant in honor of the founders of the birth center movement and the current and future changemakers who propel the movement forward. Beginning in 2022, the Changemaker Accreditation Grant will pay up to 100% of the initial accreditation fee or an accredited birth center’s annual CABC fees. Learn more and apply at aabcfoundation.org/accreditation.

Be a Changemaker!

The AABC Foundation is celebrating the new Changemaker Accreditation Grant, established in honor of the people—past, present, & future—who drive the birth center movement forward. So during this giving season, we're celebrating Changemakers of all kinds! From birth center founders, to student midwives, to administrative staff—these are all examples of changemakers that the AABC Foundation supports with scholarships and grants. Make a donation in honor or in memory of a changemaker (regardless of what field or cause they made change in!) so that you can support future changemakers and make your own change in the birth center movement. Visit AABCFoundation.org to donate or scan the QR code.

AABC Foundation Board

The AABC Foundation welcomes Shaughanassee Vines, DNP, CNM to the Board. Shaughanassee serves as assistant professor at Frontier Nursing University and clinically at Family Health Centers of San Diego. She is also the founder of Coceaux Health, a telehealth platform providing women's health services to women of color by clinicians of color and has published manuscripts on racial health disparities. The Board is eager to have her expertise!

The Board is also proud to announce our new President Brianna Bennett, MBA. Brianna has served as a Trustee on the Board since 2010, and as the Treasurer since 2017. After serving two illustrious terms as AABCF President, Ann Geisler, CPCU, AU, AAI has transitioned to the role of Past President where she will continue to advise and offer her wisdom. Succeeding Brianna as Treasurer is Trustee Dominic Morgese, CPA with his wealth of financial expertise.

Summer 2021

Gala to Grow Birth Centers

Save the date of Friday, October 8th to enjoy a swingin’ evening at the AABCF 2021 Gala to Grow Birth Centers: Sidecars at the Speakeasy.

The gala is usually held in conjunction with the AABC Birth Institute. With the pivot of the conference to all online, so will the gala. The event promises lively entertainement, live and silent auctions, and games - all to support the AABC Foundation.

We also seek sponsors for the gala each year! Become a Charleston, Lindy Hop, Fox Trot, Breakaway, or Jitterbug sponsor and join us as we strive to improve maternity and women’s health care. Your sponsorship benefits women and families across the country and speaks volumes about your commitment to the leading edge of women's maternity care. Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities at aabcfoundation.org/gala-sponsorship.

Thank you to our sponsors so far!

• Charleston Sponsors: MedPro Group, a Berkshire Hathaway Company; Ryan Turner Specialty; The Midwife Plan by Southern Cross Insurance Solutions

• Fox Trot Sponsors: XInsurance

• Breakaway Sponsors: Judy Ruszkowski & Ken Regal; Elaine Wakeland

Scholarships

Congratulations to the 2021 Amy Polk Scholarship Recipients! The Amy Polk Scholarship is awarded in the form of a tuition grant to attend a How to Start a Birth Center Workshop. An additional $500 is awarded for travel expenses if the recipient is attending an in-person workshop. The 2021 Recipients are Mariah Alyce Brown (Tuscaloosa, AL); Katie Chubb (Grovetown, GA); Haddie Katz (Bloomington, IN); Brittany Watson (Norfolk, VA); and Adilah Yelton (Katy, TX).

We’d also like to congratulate the 2021 Lisa Ross Scholarship Recipients! This scholarship covers the registration fee for the AABC Birth Institute, as well as a $500 stipend for travel and lodging if attending in person. The 2021 Recipients are Triana Boggs (Plant City, FL); Katie Butler (Lafayette, CO); Alison Hart Bennett (Wausau, WI); Rodin Molina (Tucson, AZ); Michele Nizza (Monterey, CA); Kayla Smith (Jeffersonville, IN); Brandie Stoneking (Carmel, IN); Bridget Strub (Rochester, NY); Denise Washington (Austin, TX); and Alexandria Westlake (Eugene, OR).

The AABC Foundation will be accepting applications for 2022 Amy Polk Scholarships in January and will be accepting applications for 2022 Lisa Ross Scholarships in early spring of 2022. Learn more at aabcfoundation.org/scholarships

Research Funding

The AABC Foundation is accepting letters of intent now until November 5th 2021 to be considered for our 2022 Research Grant cycle. These grants provide up to $5,000 to support research projects on issues related to the birth center model of care.

Who can apply?

• Open to individuals or organizations

• Non-profit status not required

• Research project related to the birth center model of care

• A demonstrated capacity and a plan to complete the research in accordance with the project's timeline

Learn more at aabcfoundation.org/research-grants.

The AABC Foundation will now be considering requests for funding to make a research article “open access” in a journal that has selected their article for publishing.

The first recipient of Open Access Funding is “Being Known: A Grounded Theory Study of the Meaning of Quality Maternity Care to People of Color in Boston” written by Sanam Order-DeWan, MD, DrPH; Nashira Baril, MPH; et al and published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health.

Proposals for open access funding will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Review and approval can take 2-3 months. Learn more and apply at aabcfoundation.org/open-access.

Grants to Support Birth Centers

Congratulations to the following birth centers that were awarded Membership Support Grants: Kodiak Birth & Wellness (Kodiak, AK); Heart of Gaia Midwifery Services (Brownsville, TX); Federal Way Birth Center (Federal Way, WA); Oregon Birth and Wellness (Springfield, OR); and Saige Birth Center (New Orleans, LA). Birth Center Membership Support Grants assist awardees with up to 50% of membership fees due to the AABC, whether you’re a birth center applying for membership for the first time, or if you’re renewing your membership while experiencing financial difficulties. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Learn more at aabcfoundation.org/membership-support-grants.

The AABC Foundation also offers grant opportunities for birth centers that are becoming accredited for the first time or renewing their regular fees. Applications for Birth Center Accreditation Support Grants are also accepted throughout the year on a rolling basis. Learn more and apply at aabcfoundation.org/accreditation-support.

Spring It On! Results

Lastly, thank you to our supporters for making the Spring It On! 2021 AABCF Challenge a success! With the help of 61 athletes, 9 sponsors, and numerous donations, the AABC Foundation raised $26,311 while virtually racing through the Joshua Tree National Park. That makes the 2021 Challenge our most successful challenge to date. Let’s make the Spring It On! 2022 AABCF Challenge even bigger!

Thank you again to our Spring It On Sponsors:

• Coach Sponsors: AABC, Arizona Chapter of AABC, The Midwife Plan by Southern Cross Insurance Solutions

• Assistant Coach Sponsors: Jill Alliman, CABC, Midwife Center for Birth & Women’s Health

• Trainer Sponsors: Jackie Griggs, Judy Ruszkowski, Bauer Family

Spring 2021

Research Grants

Congratulations to the following projects that have been awarded a 2021 Research Grant!  Sarah A. Sanders, MPH is researching a project for her doctoral dissertation titled “Using spatial analysis to gauge birth center access for Black and Medicaid populations.”  Kirby L. Wycoff, PsyD, EdM, MPH, NCSP will be leading a project at Thomas Jefferson University titled “Developing a Framework to Expand Education and Access to the Birth Center Model in a Semi-Rural County in Pennsylvania.”

Through the generosity of our donors, the AABC Foundation offers 1-year grant opportunities of up to $5,000 to support research projects on issues related to the birth center model of care.  Letters of Intent are accepted in late fall, and applicants may then be invited submit a full application in winter for an award decision in early spring. 

Membership and Accreditation Grants

Congratulations to the following birth centers that have been awarded a Membership Support Grant!  Sunflower Birth & Family Wellness (Winfield, KS), Birth Center of Northern Michigan (Petoskey, MI), Grace Midwifery (Berne, IN), Nightingale Birth Center (San Mateo, CA), and Hill Country Birth Center (Burnet, TX).  Thanks to our donors, the AABC Foundation has been able to award Membership Grants since 2006 that assist birth centers with 50% of AABC membership dues.

We would also like to congratulate the following birth centers that have been awarded an Accreditation Support Grant!  Sunflower Birth & Family Wellness (Petoskey, MI), the Birth Center of St. Pete (St. Petersburg, FL), Seven Sisters Midwifery & Community Birth Center (Florence, MA), Grace Midwifery (Berne, IN).  Accreditation Support Grants pay the second half of the initial payment for CABC accreditation or half of an accredited birth center’s annual fees. 

Scholarships

Want to join AABC in San Diego, CA at the Birth Institute, but need financial help?  The AABC Foundation will be accepting applications for the Lisa Ross Scholarship from April 1st through June 30th.  The Lisa Ross Scholarship is a tuition scholarship with a $500 stipend to attend the AABC Birth Institute.  Apply today!

Keep an eye out for the next installment of the Foundation Communication where we’ll announce the recipients of the 2021 Amy Polk Scholarships.  The Amy Polk Scholarship is a tuition scholarship to attend the AABC How to Start a Birth Center Workshop, and also provides a $500 stipend for recipients who will attend an in-person workshop.  Scholarship applications are typically accepted through January and February.