Chicago Beyond Invests $4 Million in Nonprofit Organization ‘Birth Center Equity’ to Transform Maternal Health Disparities

Chicago Beyond, a philanthropic organization that addresses systemic inequity by exponentially increasing the impact of community-backed solutions, today announced a significant investment of $4 million in the nonprofit organization Birth Center Equity (BCE), a vital nationwide support network for individuals seeking safe birthing options in their own communities. This strategic investment aims to address the alarming racial disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly within the Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) communities, and champion the establishment of community birth centers in America.

In the United States, high maternal mortality and morbidity rates are a critical public health concern, disproportionately impacting BIPOC women, birthing people, and families who experience rates of maternal mortality and childbirth complications that exceed rates of other racial groups. Chicago Beyond recognizes the urgent need for comprehensive and community-centered solutions to combat these disparities, which led to their investment in support of BCE’s work. 

BCE was established amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when the longstanding need for safe alternatives for childbirth outside hospitals became acute. Today, BCE is committed to expanding access to the expert care of midwives by expanding community-centered birthing options across the country, particularly by supporting and empowering BIPOC-led birth centers with the expertise needed for real solutions. Birth Center Equity is a network of over 40 community birth centers who represent an extraordinary depth and breadth of expertise in evidence-based midwifery care that advances racial equity. Through technical assistance, funding, and peer support, Birth Center Equity has helped to increase the number of freestanding birth centers in communities of color in the US, in both rural and urban settings. 

Building on the strength of its community-based network, Birth Center Equity has established itself as a transformative organization that seeks to ensure BIPOC communities – and all communities – across the U.S. have access to safe and loving midwifery-based birth center care.

BCE will leverage Chicago Beyond’s investment to enhance their key areas of work, which includes:

• Expanding Access to Community-Based Midwifery Care for Prenatal, Labor, Birth and Postnatal Care: Chicago Beyond’s investment will support the establishment of BIPOC-led birth centers and increase access to high-quality care for communities.
• Strengthening Community Birth Center Economic Stability and Sustainability: Chicago Beyond will also support BCE’s funding of grants to emerging and established BIPOC-led community birth centers throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
• Advancing Community Awareness and Understanding: Funding from Chicago Beyond will also support the development of BCE’s national narrative campaigns to raise awareness about maternal health, midwifery care, and the unique value of community birth settings.
• Nurturing a Powerful Community of Birth Leaders: Chicago Beyond’s investment will enable BCE to further build its network of birth center leaders by facilitating knowledge sharing, peer support, and community building among  BIPOC birth center leaders.

“Our investment in Birth Center Equity not only represents a financial contribution, but also a profound endorsement of our mission to revolutionize maternal health care,” said Liz Dozier, Founder and CEO of Chicago Beyond. “Aligned with Chicago Beyond’s commitment to equity and community-backed solutions, our support of BCE signifies our dedication to BIPOC communities and fostering environments where every woman and individual is heard, respected, and supported throughout their healthcare journey.”

Midwifery care emerges as a potent solution to the troubling disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly concerning the alarming loss of life within Black communities. A recent analysis found that a midwife workforce, integrated into health care delivery systems, could provide 80 percent of essential maternal care around the world and potentially avert 41 percent of maternal deaths. BCE’s approach not only champions the establishment and flourishing of individual birth centers but also confronts a healthcare system that disproportionately affects Black women, individuals, families, and communities. Essentially, it is a collective effort to usher in a new era of equitable and safe childbirth experiences.

An investment in Birth Center Equity represents an opportunity to catalyze transformative shifts in the landscape of childbirth in the United States. BCE is expanding access to culturally responsive birth care that prioritizes safety, minimizes unnecessary medical interventions, embraces holistic approaches, and centers the needs of communities impacted by disparate maternal health outcomes. By fostering the economic sustainability of birth centers and actively reshaping prevailing narratives that sustain the status quo, BCE can pave the way for improved maternal health outcomes to become a reality. Chicago Beyond’s investment and partnership can play a pivotal role in propelling this positive change forward.

“Chicago Beyond’s investment comes at a critical growth moment for Birth Center Equity,” said Leseliey Welch, CEO and Co-Founder of Birth Center Equity. “Chicago Beyond’s significant investment enables us to build the capacity we need to move at the scale and support this moment demands to grow and sustain more community birth centers that provide safe, culturally reverent midwifery led care in our communities.”

Chicago Beyond’s investment into Birth Center Equity builds upon their commitment to transforming maternal health outcomes. In 2023, Chicago Beyond launched the Fellowship for Black Maternal Health at the Clinton Global Initiative. The initiative aims to collaborate closely with funders, birth equity organizations, and institutional health systems to identify, select, and provide substantial support to a cohort of Black maternal health leaders across the United States. The fellowship is an expansion of Chicago Beyond’s active investment in Black maternal health solutions and engagement. Chicago Beyond’s current Leader in Residence, Jeanine Valrie Logan, has built her career in birth justice, including her ongoing work to open the Chicago South Side Birth Center. 

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