Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) hold a 5:1 funding advantage over legitimate abortion funds and clinics nationwide, a study released by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) finds.

The report, The Threat of Crisis Pregnancy Centers to the Future of Abortion Access, which is part of Funding The Frontlines: A Roadmap To Supporting Health Equity Through Abortion Access, found that between 2015 and 2019, groups engaged in crisis pregnancy efforts were funded at five times the rate of those dedicated to ensuring abortion access ($278 million in foundation support compared with $56 million). According to the study, CPCs outnumber legitimate abortion clinics three to one and use false advertising and medical misinformation to target and pressure abortion seekers to carry unwanted pregnancies to term. Even in the 16 states and the District of Columbia where abortion is protected, funding during this period was 1.5 times higher for organizations with CPCs than for local clinics and funds.

“If we look in the 13 trigger law states that banned abortion immediately after the Dobbs decision, crisis pregnancy efforts have historically gotten six times as many philanthropic dollars as legitimate abortion clinics and funds,” said NCRP president and CEO Aaron Dorfman. “There is a lesson here for funders: Failure to meaningfully invest in progressive infrastructure in conservative states has disastrous life or death consequences.”

“Grantmakers have plenty of choices to fund organizations who provide safe, transparent, and welcoming care,” said NCRP movement engagement manager Brandi Collins-Calhoun. “Organizations like Sister Reach, CHOICES, National Birth Equity Collaborative, the Birth Justice Care Fund, and Indigenous Women’s Rising are just some of the many committed community-focused groups working locally to inform pregnant people of their full range of options without judgement or misinformation.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Douglas Rissing)