named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Community Doula Program
Trains and supports community-based doulas who provide culturally grounded, trauma-informed care to underserved populations during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Full Spectrum Doula Training
Provides training for doulas in birth, postpartum, abortion, and gender-affirming care, with a focus on reproductive justice and equity.
Monthly Community Baby Showers
Hosts community events to support new and expecting families with resources, connection, and celebration.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Perinatal Support Services 4 activities
- Operates community doula training and capacity-building programsTrains and supports full spectrum doulas through workshops and community events, including hosting the first Full Spectrum Doula Training in the Capital District in 2019 in collaboration with Ancient Song Doula Services, and sponsoring over 25 local community members to participate in doula training through a partnership with Mama Glow.
- Provides direct doula and reproductive support servicesDelivers bilingual (English and Spanish) birth doula services, gender-affirming doula support for trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming individuals, and comprehensive support during pregnancy, labor, postpartum, and breastfeeding, including emotional support, physical comfort measures, and decision-making assistance.
- Provides guidance on birth planning and care provider selectionOffers practical advice to pregnant individuals on selecting care providers through interviews and references, and supports the development and communication of birth preference lists to care teams.
- Supports community-based care networks ("villages") for life transitionsBuilds and sustains support networks for key life events including birth, breastfeeding, and end-of-life through community-based care models that integrate doula services and family support.
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Reproductive Health Advocacy & Education 2 activities
- Advances birth justice through advocacy and policy collaborationEngages in social activism and facilitates collaboration among professionals, policymakers, and families to advance a research-supported wellness model of maternity care, with a focus on reducing disparities in birth outcomes for African-American women and infants in Albany and the Capital Region of New York since initiating Birth Justice initiatives in 2017.
- Distributes educational resources on pregnancy, childbirth, and racial justiceCurates and promotes access to books, essays, and informational materials on healthy pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and systemic racism, including works such as "Birthing Justice," "Killing the Black Body," and Peggy McIntosh’s “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” to support informed decision-making and racial equity in maternal health.
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Hosts community events and celebrations to support familiesOrganizes monthly community baby showers and participates in public events such as Albany Fest to celebrate Black Breastfeeding Week on August 29, 2026, fostering community engagement and support for families during pregnancy and early parenthood.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$33K
Contributions & grants$33K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue$75
expenses
Total expenses$37K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$2K
Grants paid out$9K
balance sheet
Total assets$149K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$149K
2 years on record · 2024–2025 · YoY revenue -80.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
board members · 7
- BETSY MERCOGLIANO — BOARD MEMBER
- CLYANNA LIGHTBORNE — BOARD MEMBER
- GERARADINE GEORGES — BOARD MEMBER
- NAKIA TILLMAN — BOARD MEMBER
- RANEELA KAHN — BOARD MEMBER
- TERSHIA ELLIS — BOARD CHARI
- TISHA GRAHAM — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 32
Who they work with
- Albany Family Life Center Partner — Local childbirth educator partner in New York.
- Albany Medical Center Partner — Collaborates through board member Katherine Poladian, who works as a registered nurse in the Labor and Delivery unit.
- Albany Planned Parenthood Partner — Collaborates through board member Katherine Poladian, who volunteers with Albany Planned Parenthood.
- American Association of Birth Centers Partner — Provides informational resources about birth centers through a partnership or referral relationship.
- Ancient Song Doula Services Partner — Collaborated with BirthNet to lead the Full Spectrum Doula Training in the Capital District.
- Ancient Song Doula Services Partner — Training partner for doulas affiliated with BirthNet, including Tammy, Jayana, and Tershia.
- BIPOC Doula Network Network — Mateo Uhalde is a member of this network, indicating organizational alignment.
- Black Abolitionist Directive Partner — Mateo Uhalde participates in this initiative, suggesting a collaborative relationship.
- Black women Coalition — Uses frameworks developed by Black women to guide Birth Justice initiatives and coalition-building.
- Childbirth Connection Partner — Collaborates by sharing educational resources on labor pain, comfort measures, and research evidence.
- Childbirth Connection Partner — Collaborates with or references resources from Childbirth Connection to support care provider selection education.
- Childbirth Connection Partner — Provides tools and information on choosing a birth setting through a referral or collaborative relationship.
- Childbirth Connection Partner — References Childbirth Connection's "10 Tips for Taking Charge of Your Maternity Care" as an educational resource.
- Childbirth.org Partner — Offers an interactive birth plan tool linked as a resource.
- Evidence Based Birth Classes Partner — Local childbirth education service provided by doula Mallory Emerson in New York.
- Giving Birth with Confidence Partner — Offers a birth plan template and resources, linked as a reference.
- Home Sweet Homebirth Partner — Provider of in-person childbirth and breastfeeding classes in New York.
- HypnoBirthing Partner — Offers resources on hypnotherapy techniques for childbirth comfort.
- Lamaze Partner — Provides linked resources on birth planning through Lamaze.org.
- Lamaze International Partner — Directs users to Lamaze International's resources on healthy pregnancy tips and healthy birth practices.
- Lamaze International Partner — Shares resources on stages of labor and labor positions to support childbirth education.
- Lighthouse Doula Services Partner — Organization with which Mateo Uhalde is affiliated as a full-spectrum doula.
- Mama Glow Partner — Collaborated with BirthNet to sponsor over 25 local community members to attend doula training.
- MotherBaby Partner — Links to the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative, a program of MotherBaby, as a key resource for maternity care reform.
- National Partnership for Women & Families Partner — Links to the National Partnership's Childbirth Connection program for information on models of maternity care.
- National SEED Project Partner — Links to resources hosted by the National SEED Project, including Peggy McIntosh’s work on white privilege.
- New York State Department of Health Government — Source of public data on hospital maternity practices in New York State.
- Our Bodies Ourselves Partner — Provides educational content on coping with labor pain, including epidurals and spinals.
- The Milk Mentor Partner — Local lactation support resource in New York.
- The Mother Baby Center Partner — Provides guidance on writing a birth plan, linked as a resource.
+ 2 more
strategies · 4
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.
- Birth Justice Through Anti-Racism and Centering Black Women's Knowledgemethodology: birth_justiceBy advancing anti-racism education and applying frameworks developed by Black women, we address systemic inequities in maternal health and shift power to impacted communities, because structural change requires dismantling white supremacy and centering those most harmed by the current system.
- Community-Based Doula Model as Structural Interventionmethodology: community-based_doula_modelBy training doulas from and within marginalized communities, we improve birth outcomes and challenge systemic bias in the medicalized birth system, because trusted, culturally congruent support increases engagement, reduces intervention rates, and re-centers traditional birth practices.
- Community-Centered Advocacy and Program Designmethodology: community-centered advocacyBy centering the voices and experiences of communities most impacted by birth inequities in advocacy and program development, we ensure relevance and effectiveness, because solutions led by affected communities are more sustainable and transformative.
- Informed Choice and Embodied Knowledge as Empowermentmethodology: informed_choiceBy promoting access to unbiased information, storytelling, and bodily autonomy, we empower birthing people to make decisions aligned with their values and physiology, because informed choice and trust in embodied wisdom lead to greater agency, better birth experiences, and improved outcomes.