Elaine Welteroth’s BirthFUND program has recently raised over $1.2 million.
Launched earlier this year, the organization aims to reduce the Black maternal mortality rate by connecting expecting parents with a vetted network of midwives and providing grants to offset birthing costs.
“At a BirthFUND event with TIME CMO Sadé Muhammad during Black Maternal Health Week, Welteroth expressed the need to move from shock to action. ‘We’re tired of the tragic stories,’ she said. ‘We’re here to change the statistics through solutions like midwifery.’”
The fund is supported by several notable figures, including Serena Williams, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Kelly Rowland, Ashley Graham, and Karlie Kloss.
According to an AfroTech report, Welteroth highlighted the efforts of advisor Charles Johnson, who lost his wife Kira after a routine C-section. Johnson aims to achieve zero preventable maternal mortality by 2030, and BirthFUND is working with him and other partners to make this goal a reality.
