Earlier this year, we started thinking deeply about the mission, vision, and values of Lilith Fund. We reflected on the work we’ve been doing since Lilith Fund started funding abortions in 2001 and the work we are doing now. We asked ourselves where we had been and where we are going—especially as a grassroots abortion fund in Texas at this important time in our history. 

The process of developing the new iteration of these statements involved collective input from staff, board, hotline volunteers, and former clients who have received financial assistance from Lilith Fund. We are excited to share with y’all the results of that collaboration, and we look forward to holding ourselves and each other accountable to the powerful commitments we made together.

Mission

We provide financial assistance and emotional support while building community spaces for people who need abortions in Texas—unapologetically, with compassion and conviction. Through organizing and movement-building, we foster a positive culture around abortion, strengthen people power, and fight for reproductive justice in and with our communities. 

Vision

We dream of a reality where everyone has the agency, power, and resources to thrive in their communities. We envision a world where the full range of reproductive decisions are affirmed and accessible, people have the dignity of thriving wages, and we can all build and care for our families free from state-sanctioned violence or separation. In this world, all people have access to comprehensive healthcare—including abortion—and the opportunity to have a fulfilling sex life without shame or stigma. 

Values 

Compassion:  We lead from the heart and do our work with love, care, and compassion. We center the role of emotion and struggle within our humanity and create stigma-busting, judgement-free spaces for our callers, communities, and ourselves.

Intersectionality: We recognize that the overlap of various identities creates systemic forms of oppression and privilege that are extremely complex. We embrace this complexity and respond by centering low-income people of color and those who are most impacted by compounding barriers to abortion access.

Anti-racism: Within our organizational culture and through our work to fund abortions and build power, we strive to honor the dignity of  Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color. We acknowledge that white supremacy and anti-Blackness create violence and harm in our society, in our movement, and to ourselves. We work to dismantle these systems of oppression and replace them with racial justice.

Client-centered: We are grounded in the belief that the voices and leadership of those who have had abortions should be centered and uplifted in our work. We also remember that while many communities are impacted by abortion restrictions, those who call our hotline—who are mostly low-income women of color who are parenting—should guide and inform our work and decision-making.  

Inclusivity:  We recognize that reproductive justice is for everyone. We commit to challenging ourselves to look for every opportunity to include communities that are impacted by the barriers to abortion access. Specifically, this means using gender-inclusive language, ensuring our spaces are accessible to people with disabilities, and actively considering many different barriers affecting people’s power to show up in this work.  

Collaboration: It is a privilege to do this work, and we acknowledge the power we hold. In our partnerships, we embrace the responsibility to operate with transparency, prioritize intentional communication, and practice accountability and equity in our work.