About Abortion Care Tennessee
Abortion Forever. No Matter What.
We’re on a mission. And we’re not backing down.
Abortion Care Tennessee builds power for Tennesseans by increasing access to reproductive and sexual health care—including safe, legal, and supported abortion—for all people.
We envision a Tennessee where everyone’s right to bodily autonomy is honored and protected, and where abortion is accessible, affordable, and free from shame and stigma—no matter who you are or where you live.
Where It All Began—and Where We’re Going
First of all: Abortion Care Tennessee is not going anywhere.
Abortion Care Tennessee (ACT) was founded in 2019, when abortion was still legal in Tennessee—but never truly accessible for many. With the support of seed funding from Healthy and Free Tennessee, ACT began with a clear and urgent mission: to help Tennesseans afford abortion care without shame, stigma, or financial barriers.
Even then, we knew the system was already failing our communities. Abortion restrictions were piling up, forcing people to travel, pay out-of-pocket, and jump through unnecessary hoops to access basic health care. But we were just getting started.
By 2020, Tennessee had passed one of the nation’s harshest restrictions—the Heartbeat Bill—effectively banning abortion at six weeks, before many people even know they’re pregnant. Then in 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned, and abortion was fully banned in Tennessee. That moment was a seismic shift—but it wasn’t the end of our work. It was the start of a new chapter.
Today, Abortion Care Tennessee is still here, still fighting, and still funding abortion. We support Tennesseans forced to leave the state to access care, working closely with trusted partner clinics in nearby states. We don’t fund people directly—we work in the background to make sure our partner clinics have the money ready and waiting for you when you show up for your appointment.
We believe no one is expendable. Everyone deserves access to abortion care, no matter their race, zip code, immigration status, gender identity, or income. Our work is grounded in Reproductive Justice, and we envision a Tennessee where everyone is free from reproductive control, oppression, and stigma.
While the fight for abortion access is serious, we also believe in finding joy in community care. So we throw dance parties, host art builds, and celebrate the power of showing up for each other. Because this is what Southern liberation looks like.
What we value.
Accountability
We are committed to transparency, compassionate and direct communication, and being open to receiving constructive criticism to drive our individual and collective growth.
Centering the Reproductive Justice Framework
We see all oppression as interconnected and strive to dismantle all forms of oppression, especially white supremacy, by engaging in cross-movement power building.
Accessibility
We strive to make our spaces, services, and advocacy accessible to everyone and to center the needs and leadership of the most marginalized.
Sustainability
We strive to support each other in this work to ensure the sustainability of each of us and of the continuity of the fund.
Southern Liberation
ACT is committed to uplifting our community and to building autonomy and collective power in the South.
How You Can Help
Put Your Money In The Fight
We rely on community donations to fund abortion access. Help us serve more Tennesseans—we can’t do it without you.
ACT Now! Join Us.
Want to get involved? We’ve got work to do, and there’s a place for you in this movement.
ABORTION FOREVER, NO MATTER WHAT.
ABORTION FOREVER, NO MATTER WHAT.
Sign up for our newsletter to receive news, updates, and more opportunities to become involved.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Subscribe to our newsletter
ACT FAQs
-
Abortion Care Tennessee was founded in 2019 with seed funding from Healthy and Free Tennessee. We were created in response to increasing abortion restrictions in Tennessee, with the mission to help people afford the care they need without shame or barriers.
-
Abortion Care Tennessee values accountability, accessibility, sustainability, and Southern liberation. We are rooted in the Reproductive Justice framework and work to dismantle systems of oppression, especially those impacting marginalized communities in the South.
-
We provide grant funds to abortion clinics that serve Tennesseans seeking abortion care out of state. While we don’t fund patients directly, our partner clinics can apply ACT funding to your procedure once you make an appointment. Just ask your clinic about ACT funding when scheduling.
-
Abortion bans and restrictions hit hardest for those already pushed to the margins by our health care system. Every delay, every added cost, is a burden—and funding abortion is a tangible way to remove barriers and show up for people in crisis. Abortion rights mean nothing without real, funded access.
-
Reproductive Justice is the human right to maintain bodily autonomy, have or not have children, and raise families in safe and supportive environments. It was created by Black women in 1994 to center the experiences of people historically excluded from mainstream reproductive rights movements.
-
Abortion is completely banned in Tennessee, with only narrow exceptions for medical emergencies. Minors face additional barriers, including notarized consent laws that limit their ability to travel. Abortion providers face criminal and civil penalties. Yet despite these restrictions, Tennesseans are still getting the care they need—with support from groups like ACT.
-
Donate to local abortion funds like ACT, share your abortion story, and listen without judgment to the stories of others. Support independent clinics and reproductive justice organizations doing the day-to-day work of keeping care accessible and community-centered.
-
Absolutely. ACT is not going anywhere. We’ve grown in response to the bans and are more committed than ever to helping Tennesseans access abortion care, no matter what state they have to travel to.
-
Not at this time. ACT provides block grants to partner clinics in neighboring states. Once you make an appointment, just ask the clinic about ACT funding—there are no applications or requirements. If you're a Tennessean, we’re already in your corner.