The Purpose

We are rallying to bring awareness to a problem and a solution.  So many people are unaware of just how much room for improvement there is in our maternity care system: of how much of a gap there is between “routine” or typical care and care that is based on scientific evidence and known best practices.  So many women are unaware that respect and compassion in childbirth aren’t just luxuries; they’re a human right.

We are taking those messages to the streets, to the general public.  Because we are the solution–-the mothers and families whose business drives the maternity care system.  Imagine what change we could effect if we really took hold of our power as consumers and wielded it to make evidence-based maternity care the new “standard” of care, and to make humanity in childbirth a given.

Fund a rally location - $75 (estimate of at least 200)

Every $75 dollars raised will fund a rally location. This covers the very basic needs of,  Marketing Material, Goodie Bags, Event Liability Insurance and Shipping Expenses. Each location may have additional fees for permits and sign making materials.


What We’re Doing

ImprovingBirth.org needs your support now if we’re going to do more.  We are working around the clock to spread the word about the need for change, to support mothers and communities in asking for change, and to grow our national organization into a force to be reckoned with.  In some places, it’s a race against time as we see hospital policies and state regulations getting even worse, away from evidence-based care and away from family-friendly practices. With your help, we could do so much more, and we could do it sooner.  

Public Awareness

Our national Labor Day Rally to Improve Birth is the only demonstration of its kind in the United States.  Last year, almost 10,000 people across the country attended over 100 local rallies in 46 states to show the public and the media that “We Can Do Better” when it comes to childbirth.  These powerful messages were reported in hundreds of local media outlets, including The Chicago Tribune and the St. Louis Observer, while our digital media reach went as far as 1,000,000 people! This year, our goal is to double the size of the national rally. Your contribution helps us cover the cost of producing the rally, including merchandise for sale, liability insurance, press releases, design and printing for educational and promotional materials, and the RallytoImproveBirth.com website. 

Communication

We run a 24/7 public communications campaign, including an active Facebook page that has doubled in number of supporters in the last six months to almost 7,000; Pinterest and Twitter accounts; two websites; monthly email newsletters; weekly email updates; and over 100 individual local Facebook pages.  Our popular blog, featuring high-quality, often peer-reviewed content, earns tens of thousands of hits a month. 

Support for Mothers

We receive messages and phone calls from women on a daily basis, asking for information, resources, help finding providers, and help accessing medical or legal advice.  We connect them with that information and those resources as best we can, and, as a founding member of a national legal advocacy network set to launch in the next year, are working to formalize some of that support. 

Support for Communities

ImprovingBirth.org‘s grassroots support is made up of over 100 cities where rally coordinators are often hubs of local efforts providing support to area moms, growing the advocacy network, and working for change in local hospitals. 

Giving Mothers a Voice

We are always looking for ways to grow our organization as a credible, singular voice on behalf of YOU.  We are constantly communicating with other national organizations on behalf of our supporters as a whole, to “watchdog” the issues and initiatives that affect us all.  We fund our own travel to the conferences and meetings where decisions and plans are made by policy institutes, government, corporate interests, and research foundations.  Funding in this area would allow us to do exponentially more. 

Growing the Organization

ImprovingBirth.org‘s growth is limited by the fact that we’re run solely by volunteers, a few of whom treat it as a seven-day-a-week, full-time job.  We are ready to take the next step–growing ImprovingBirth.org in something more sustainable and long-term.  First, that means paying a small staff to run the organization and raise funds. If we’re going to move forward, it’s now or never.   There’s never been a better opportunity, where current events, healthcare reform, and emerging human rights issues are meeting to give us a platform for real, lasting change in American maternity care.