Hello, 2026!
Welcome back to our second issue of Access for All, a newsletter for Abortion Access Circle members! Since this issue covers the end of 2025, we’ll also use this time to give you an early-access look at our year in review. Also in this issue, you’ll get a save-the-date for our most-loved event of the year. I won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say it’s nearly time to do some spring cleaning.
As always, we’d love to hear from you! You can say hello, ask questions, or send feedback directly to me, Sam, at communications@abortionfundofohio.org!
This newsletter is also available as a PDF here.
Table of Contents
Your Local Abortion Fund
AFO's Year in Brief
Client Stats
4,418 requests for support
31 judicial bypass cases completed
76 counties of residence
9 weeks, 1 day was the average gestation at outreach
$582,260 granted directly for abortion care
Your Impact
796 Abortion Access Circle members
$158,680 in contributions from AAC members
Counties with Highest Need
- Cuyahoga
- Franklin
- Summit
- Hamilton
- Montgomery
6. Stark
7. Mahoning
8. Lorain
9. Lucas
10. Fairfield
Notes from Our Clients
“Just very grateful. Such an easy process considering and it’s clear that AFO wants to help—there was no “further questions” or “delay for approval” or anything like that… which to be honest I almost expected. It almost felt like a spam text when I received it stating the amount they could help with… because it was that easy. This is not an easy thing for someone to go through, and the encounters I’ve had along the way have been so heartwarming, and just so caring.”
“I have Hashimoto’s. I’ve had 4 miscarriages already due to health issues. I didn’t get pregnant on purpose and couldn’t fathom another loss. My one was 5 months along when my body just didn’t accept I was pregnant. I was mentally destroyed to the point I lost my job. This place was amazing at helping me get the funds I need so I don’t have to go through that again. To cremate another baby will destroy me. They were also very sweet and not judgmental at all and I really appreciated that during an already difficult time for me.”
Words matter, which is why abortion stories are so critical.
Sharing your abortion story, no matter what your experience was like, is powerful. If you’ve had an abortion and want to make an impact, storytelling may be right for you! Check out We Testify, an organization dedicated to abortion storytelling, to read other folks’ stories & start telling your own.
Clothing Swap: 10th Anniversary Edition
The premise of AFO’s Clothing Swap is simple: bring what you have, take what you need, and fund abortion in the process. This year, we’re absolutely delighted to (informally) announce that the swap will return to Columbus this year, and it’ll mark the kick off of our 2026 Fund-a-Thon season. Check out the next page for more on all things Fund-a-thon.
As a member of the Abortion Access Circle, you’re getting the first scoop on the swap! Help us keep the secret until we make a formal announcement next month.
Why’s this swap so special?
We first hosted the swap in 2013, and our last Swap before COVID-19 took place in early 2020. We brought it back last year, which makes AFO’s 2026’s event 10th Anniversary Clothing Swap! We know that folks adore volunteering for the swap, and we’ll certainly need all the help we can get to make it happen. We’ll put out a volunteer form via email & social for our drop-off day and the swap itself. Perks of volunteering? Our eternal gratitude and an all-access ticket to swap til you drop!
Save the Date: AFO’s 10th Anniversary Clothing Swap will be Saturday, March 7th from 10 am - 4 pm.
Fund-a-Thon 2026
Every year, we come together to build teams and fundraise to support thousands of Ohioans who need abortion care. In 2025, we partnered with 65 incredible businesses and artists to raise over $100,000. We could not be more thankful for the HUGE outpouring of support across the state. Funding abortion & building power together is exactly the energy we’re carrying into 2026.
This massive feat is only possible because of you. If you haven’t participated in Fund-a-Thon before, now is a great time to jump in! You could create a team with friends or coworkers, join a team with a cool name, or raise funds solo. No matter which path you take, you’ll get your own fundraising page that supports Abortion Fund of Ohio. The best part? 100% of what you raise will go to people seeking abortion care. As you start dreaming up team names, here are some of our favorites for inspiration.
- Womb Tang Clan
- Social Workers for Abortion Access
- Bimbos Against the Bourgeoisie
- In Abortion Funds We Trust
- No Free Womb and Board
- Not Ovary Acting
- Girls Just Wanna Have FUNdamental Rights
- Anti-Stigma Squad
- 1: MAKE A PAGE: When Fund-a-Thon launches, you can join a team, start your own, or go solo.
- 2: FUND ABORTION: Join our community, host house parties, ask your friends, and fund abortion across the state!
- 3: CELEBRATE WITH US: Come to our Wrap Party knowing that 100% of your fundraising goes to abortion care.
Volunteer Spotlight
We also had SO many incredible events organized by our Regional Fund-a-Thon Ambassadors!
That includes the Abortion is Love storytelling event & Yellow Cab Tavern Bingo (organized by Katie N. in Dayton) as well as the Ladies Arm Wrestling Tournament and 2000s Bracelet-Making Party (organized by Angela C. in Cincinnati).
We could not be more proud of the incredible organizing in every corner of this state!
In the Community
Protest Banner Workshop at Craft Raccoon
A huge thank you is in order to our friends over at Craft Raccoon for hosting Protest Banner Workshops that benefit AFO! They’ve hosted several fun-filled banner events, and though the next class on January 16th is already full, the word on the street is that there will be more to come. Keep an eye on their social media or website to sign up when the next classes drop!
Get Involved
Court Advocate Volunteer
Did you know that people under 18 can get an abortion in Ohio, either with parent/guardian consent, or through a legal process called Judicial Bypass? For minors who need help with Judicial Bypass, AFO can help! We can help navigate the process, connect them with pro bono attorneys, and provide practical support, like rides & care packages. That’s where our Court Advocate Volunteers come in.
As an AFO Court Advocate, you would provide grounded, unbiased, and destigmatized emotional support to minors, whether they are considering abortion, parenting, or adoption. Each Court Advocate gets in-depth training from AFO, which was designed in partnership with All Options. You can choose what kind of support you’re able to provide, whether that’s packing care packages, providing rides to the court & clinic, or simply sharing a meal before or after appointments.
Sign up now to be notified of the next training!
Small Business Solidarity Collective
As the Abortion Access Circle takes shape, we want to widen the circle to include values-aligned businesses that have consistently showed up for abortion access. So many Ohio-based businesses, artists, independent contractors, and collectives have offered time, services, goods, and financial support, helping to make our work possible.
The Support Local Abortion Access program is a pilot initiative to invest in businesses that invest in abortion access, creating a reciprocal relationship among businesses, patrons, and Abortion Fund of Ohio. The program seeks to:
- Create easy and customizable pathways, including and beyond financial contributions, for small businesses to support abortion access.
- Center sustainable actions that benefit your business and your community.
- Provide incentives and increase revenue for businesses living out their pro-abortion values.
You can learn more about the program in our introduction packet—please share with local businesses you know and love! If you’re a business owner ready to take the next step, complete this program interest form, and AFO will be in touch to discuss the next steps. The form doesn’t lock you into anything! It’s just an opportunity to explore what a sustainable partnership might look like.
Please contact development@abortionfundofohio.org with your questions and feedback! There are many pathways to contribute to Reproductive Justice, and it takes all of us to get there.
Featured Resources
Abortion Fund of Ohio's Legal Access Program
With abortion criminalization hitting the news again, now is a great time to tell folks about legal resources! Ohioans with questions about their legal rights or those who are facing criminal charges related to abortion, pregnancy, or pregnancy loss, contact us at 614-799-2843 or complete our intake form.
Our Legal Access Program provides free & confidential brief legal advice, info on the law, or referral to pro bono counsel. For folks who live outside Ohio, If/When/How provides a similar service through their Repro Legal Helpline.
Repro in the News
Kentucky Police Ignore State Law to Arrest Woman for Allegedly Self-Managing Abortion
You likely have seen a slew of misleading or straight-up inaccurate reporting on this story. This article in Jezebel gets it right. Despite the clear outlines in Kentucky law, police still charged an individual under it. There’s now been an update to the case, where the prosecutor has dropped the fetal homicide charge, but left other charges, including “abuse of a corpse,” among others.
US abortion pill access under fire: Lawsuits and regulatory battles to watch in 2026
As of January 2026, there are already several pending lawsuits & administrative attacks on abortion, specifically those targeting medication abortion. We’ll give it to you straight: no single case at this point is the nail in the coffin, but this buckshot strategy spells incredibly bad news for abortion access in the future. Whether from the FDA or the Supreme Court, it’s clear that limits—or even a ban—on medication abortion may be in our future.
Right now, telehealth & abortion pills by mail are still legal and accessible in Ohio. More information is available at YouAlwaysHaveOptions.com.