irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $778KRAISING AWARENESS & EDUCATION - IN 2024, THE ORGANIZATION ENGAGED 303,829 PEOPLE THROUGH EVENTS, CAMPAIGNS, RACES, AND FILMS THAT HELPED SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON MATERNAL HEALTH. BY AMPLIFYING THE VOICES AND STORIES OF MOTHERS, PROVIDERS, AND ADVOCATES, WE EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT MATERNAL HEALTH CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS AROUND THE WORLD. THROUGH COMPELLING STORYTELLING AND ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SUCH AS OUR RUNNING AND FITNESS EVENTS AND DIGITAL CAMPAIGNS, WE HAVE GROWN A COMMUNITY OF INFORMED SUPPORTERS AND INSPIRED THESE INDIVIDUALS TO BECOME ADVOCATES FOR THEMSELVES AND OTHERS.
- #2 $295KPOLICY & ADVOCACY - TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, THE ORGANIZATION ADVOCATES FOR SYSTEMS CHANGE. IN 2024, THE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTED 9 PIECES OF LEGISLATION AT THE U.S. FEDERAL LEVEL TO ADVANCE MATERNAL HEALTH AND MOBILIZED OVER 250 ADVOCATES THROUGH EMC'S TAKE ACTION CAMPAIGNS.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Choice in Childbirth
Free online educational series providing pregnancy people with tools to understand care options and advocate for their rights during childbirth.
JustBirth Space
Free virtual support platform offering text-based compassionate care to birthing people, serving over 6,200 individuals in 2022 with person-centered resources.
Policy & Advocacy
Advocates for systems change by supporting federal legislation and mobilizing advocates through the "Take Action" platform to advance maternal health policy in the U.S.
Raise Awareness & Education
Engages the public through films, social media, running events, and digital campaigns to educate about maternal health challenges and solutions, reaching hundreds of thousands annually.
U.S. Maternal Health Press Fellowship
Program that trains and supports journalists to report on maternal health issues, with travel and briefings to states like Minnesota to highlight disparities and policy solutions.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
-
Reproductive Health Advocacy & Education 4 activities
- Advocating for maternal health policy changeAdvances maternal health equity through advocacy campaigns, policy engagement, and public mobilization. Supported 33 pieces of U.S. federal legislation and engaged over 14,681 community members to take more than 17,655 actions for policy change through training and Take Action campaigns.
- Delivering public education on maternal health through presentations and mediaEngages the public through films, events, campaigns, races, and over 50 educational presentations delivered via panels, webinars, articles, and podcasts to raise awareness about maternal health challenges, disparities, and policy solutions.
- Running public awareness and engagement campaignsLaunches digital and social media campaigns such as #15ForEveryMom, Birth Justice Now, Delivering Hope, and the Orange Rose campaign to amplify stories of mothers and caregivers, encourage public solidarity, and mobilize support for maternal health globally.
- Supporting individual advocacy through digital toolsOperates the "Use Your Voice" webpage to enable individuals to contact elected representatives and support key maternal health policies, increasing public participation in advocacy.
-
-
Women's Rights and Empowerment Grants 1 activity
- Funding community-based maternal health initiativesFunds community-based organizations and models of maternity care—including community birth centers, doulas, and midwifery—to improve access to respectful, equitable care and strengthen the maternity workforce in underserved areas. Has invested over $54 million in such efforts.
-
-
Support for Investigative and Independent Journalism 1 activity
- Operating the U.S. Maternal Health Press FellowshipRuns a fellowship program that educates journalists on maternal health through virtual learning, site visits (e.g., to Arkansas and Minnesota), and fully covered travel expenses to deepen media understanding and expand coverage of maternal health issues in the U.S.
-
-
Documentary Film Production 1 activity
- Producing documentary films on maternal healthCreates documentary films such as "No Woman, No Cry" and "Perilous Passage: Birth in America" to examine maternal health challenges in the U.S. and globally, particularly in the context of reproductive rights and systemic inequities. These films have been viewed by 85,623 individuals.
-
-
Perinatal Support Services 1 activity
- Providing direct maternal health education and virtual supportOffers direct services including JustBirth Space, a free virtual support platform providing person-centered text support to over 6,200 birthing people, and Choice in Childbirth, an online educational series to help pregnant individuals understand care options and advocate for their rights.
-
-
Uncategorized 1 activity
- Conducting research and policy analysis on maternal healthProduces research briefs, policy analyses (e.g., of H.R. 1), and scholarly works—22 in total with 1,300 citations—to inform maternal health discourse and decision-making. Also produced the Maternal Health in Minnesota Brief for press fellows.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$6.69M
Contributions & grants$6.29M94%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$466K7%
Other revenue$-58K
expenses
Total expenses$7.31M
Program expenses78%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising12%
Salaries & benefits$2.07M
Grants paid out$3.10M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$10.82M
Cash$280K
Investments$8.98M
Liabilities$781K
Net assets$10.03M
Liquid reserves15.2 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -13.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 7
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| COURTNEY YANNACCI | CHIEF OF STAFF | 40 | $198K |
| NINA R BLECKER | VP. COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING | 40 | $179K |
| YALDA NIKOOMANESH | VICE PRESIDENT (AS OF 3/13/24) | 40 | $171K |
| MELISSA GRADILLA | DIRECTOR, GRANTMAKING | 40 | $151K |
| GRACE KELLUM | DIR. OF BRAND PARTNERSHIPS | 40 | $141K |
| JAMES BOYD | DIRECTOR OF FINANCE (AS OF 1/31/24) | 40 | $140K |
| DIVYA SOORYAKUMAR | VICE PRESIDENT (AS OF 4/9/24) | 40 | $135K |
board members · 12
- ANDREA SMITH — DIRECTOR (AS OF 12/10/24)
- ANJALI KUMAR — DIRECTOR
- AUTUMN HUNTER — DIRECTOR
- AVIVA ROMM — DIRECTOR
- CHRISTY TURLINGTON BURNS — PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER
- CRISTINA GAMBOA — DIRECTOR (AS OF 12/10/24)
- DR SHARMILA MAKHIJA — DIRECTOR
- ELIZABETH LIZ HOWELL — DIRECTOR
- ELIZABETH LIZ ROBINSON — CHAIR, TREASURER
- HILANI KERR — DIRECTOR
- KIM THU-POSNETT — DIRECTOR
- MARIAM NAFICY — DIRECTOR
relationships · 22
Who they work with
- Accompany Doula Care Partner — Grantee partner in Massachusetts receiving general operating support.
- Alaska Native Birthworkers Community Partner — Grantee partner in Alaska receiving general operating support.
- Ancient Song Doula Services Partner — Grantee partner in New York receiving general operating support.
- Asociación Corazón del Agua Partner — Grantee partner in Guatemala receiving general operating support.
- Birth Center Equity Partner — Grantee partner providing nationwide discretionary programming.
- Birthmark Doula Collective Partner — Grantee partner in Louisiana receiving general operating support.
- Bumi Sehat Partner — Grantee partner in Indonesia receiving emergency and general operating support.
- Changing Woman Initiative Partner — Grantee partner in New Mexico receiving general operating support.
- Christy Turlington Partner — Collaborated with Christy Turlington as a producer and featured figure in the documentary on maternal health.
- Dandelion Africa Partner — Grantee partner in Kenya receiving general operating support.
- Education for Employment Partner — Grantee partner in Palestine receiving emergency support.
- Foundation for Advancement of Haitian Midwives (FAHM) Partner — Grantee partner in Haiti receiving general operating support.
- Foundation for African Medicine and Education (FAME) Partner — Grantee partner in Tanzania receiving general operating support.
- HBO Max Partner — Partnered to promote maternal health awareness through the documentary "Perilous Passage: Birth in America" streaming on its platform.
- HBO Max Partner — Partnered to stream documentary 'Perilous Passage: Birth in America' to raise awareness about maternal health.
- HBO Max Partner — Platform for streaming "Perilous Passage: Birth in America," a film used to raise awareness about maternal health.
- HBO Max Partner — Platform streaming the film "Perilous Passage: Birth in America".
- Mamatoto Village Partner — Grantee partner organization working to improve maternal health outcomes for Black, American Indian, and immigrant families.
- See It Now Studios Partner — Collaborated on the production of the documentary "Perilous Passage: Birth in America."
- Sueños Sin Fronteras de Tejas Partner — Grantee partner in Texas receiving general operating support.
- The Anarcha Lucy Betsey Day of Reckoning Conference 2026 Partner — Grantee partner receiving discretionary funding for nationwide programming.
- The Missouri Community Doula Council Partner — Grantee partner in Missouri receiving discretionary funding.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Led, Culturally Responsive Caremethodology: community_led_solutionsBy partnering with locally led organizations and investing in community-based care models, we improve maternal health access and outcomes, because solutions designed and led by communities are more culturally aligned, trusted, and effective in addressing local barriers.
- Story-Driven Advocacymethodology: story_driven_advocacyBy using documentary filmmaking, personal narratives, and media campaigns to humanize maternal health issues, we increase public awareness and inspire action, because stories make systemic problems relatable and emotionally compelling in ways that data alone cannot.
- Systems-Level Change Through Policy and Workforce Developmentmethodology: systems_changeBy advocating for systemic policy reforms and expanding the diverse maternity care workforce, we address structural inequities in maternal health, because sustainable improvement requires transforming health systems and removing structural barriers like provider shortages and geographic disparities.