Our Core Values: How We Do Our Work
Bodily Autonomy + Self-Determination
RFFNH believes that bodily autonomy is a human right. No person should have to carry a pregnancy to term against their will. Every person has the right to decide how, when, and where to have a family.
Intersectionality
RFFNH understands that various social identities, such as race, gender, class, and sexuality, interact to create unique experiences of oppression or privilege. These identity markers are not independent of each other, and each informs the other.
Community-Leadership
Volunteers are engaged in every aspect of our work, including fundraising, case management, and collective decision-making. Community members are encouraged to take ownership of this work, and are prioritized when RFFNH has leadership development opportunities. We center the experiences, leadership, and voices of the most marginalized among us in our work.
Compassion
RFFNH believes that people should be met with compassion, not shame or stigma, as they navigate life, and this includes abortion care.
Our Frameworks: The Foundation of Our Work
Reproductive Justice
SisterSong defines reproductive justice as, “The human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities”. Reproductive justice is about access to abortion, not the legal right to one. Though the legal right to an abortion is necessary, it is not enough. There is no choice without access.
While abortion access is critical, the movement for reproductive justice demands we also work on a broader set of issues that impact people’s ability to live out those values. This includes fighting for a society where people are empowered and supported in parenthood, have safety and security in their communities, and have access to any reproductive healthcare they may need.
Collective Liberation
RFFNH seeks to address barriers to abortion access by dismantling the systems of oppression that created, and continue to perpetuate, these barriers in the first place. We know that the change our communities need requires us to actively challenge patriarchy, capitalism, and white supremacy, along with all other systems of oppression and domination. Our struggles for liberation are intertwined and in order to achieve collective liberation we cannot organize in isolation, narrowly focused on our own priority issues – liberation is only possible when it’s available to us all.
Mutual Aid
RFFNH doesn’t see the work we do as charity, but instead as a form of solidarity with our community. Without providing conditional aid or undue pressure, we provide pathways for patients to stay engaged with our work in order to maintain a holistic, community-based network of care. Mutual aid addresses the root causes of challenges we face and demands transformative change.
Values-Based Governance + Funding
RFFNH makes decisions based on our values, principles, and community need. Our strategy and decision-making are not defined by the nonprofit establishment in NH, nor any personal risks or desires of the staff or board. The majority of our funding comes from grassroots donations, which is essential to remaining true to our values and community. We have never received funding from major corporations, government agencies, or funders who don’t share our values.