National Advocates for Pregnant Women
51
16
"Up" is the number of experts who agree that the nonprofit has had the most impact in the
field. "Down" is the number of experts who disagree that the nonprofit has had the most impact in field.
Headquarters Location: New York, NY
Founded: 2001
Mission: National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) seeks to protect the rights and human dignity of all women, particularly pregnant and parenting women and those who are most vulnerable including low income women, women of color, and drug-using women. NAPW uses the lessons learned from the experiences of these women to find more effective ways of advancing reproductive and human rights for all women and families. Our work encompasses litigation, litigation support and legal advocacy; local and national organizing; public policy development, public education and outreach. Two principles guide all NAPW activities: to build bridges and align agendas across diverse public health and social justice movements, and to leverage and connect local organizing and activism with national advocacy and policy work.
Tags:
national, women's reproductive health, advocacy, reproductive justice, reproductive rights, policy, public education, pregnancy
Summary
Stories
Expert Reviews
Leadership
From the Nonprofit
Leadership
Lynn Paltrow.
Lynn M. Paltrow, J.D., is the Founder and Executive Director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women ("NAPW"). Ms. Paltrow is a graduate of Cornell University and New York University School of Law. She has worked on numerous cases challenging restrictions on the right to choose abortion as well cases opposing the prosecution and punishment of pregnant women seeking to continue…
See full bio.
Financial Data
| Overhead Ratio: 18.60% |
| Total Revenue: $929,500 |
From the Nonprofit
|
Sonya Shields
Director of Development Oct 20, 2010 |
This is a response to the expert reviews for Advocates for Pregnant Women. NAPW is thrilled to be selected as one of the top 2010 top non-profit organizations working in the women's reproductive health, rights, and justice field at the… Read More. |
Contact Info
E-Mail:
info AT advocatesforpregnantwomen.org
Phone:
212-255-9252
Facebook:
Address:
15 W 36th St Ste 901
New York, NY 10018, USA
Twitter:
Story:
Read about the case of Keila Lewis:
On April 4, 2003, Keila Lewis gave birth to S.H., who tested positive at birth for marijuana. The State contended that Ms. Lewis admitted to smoking once during pregnancy — a single marijuana joint in September — and that she had been in the presence of other people who were smoking marijuana during her pregnancy. Ms. Lewis was arrested and charged with the felony of endangering the welfare of a child, despite the fact that there is no scientific evidence that a single prenatal exposure to marijuana can cause any harm.
NAPW recognized the magnitude of the case, which made clear that prosecution of pregnant women is neither limited to certain drugs, nor in fact designed to protect children, so they sprang into action. Near the end of 2004 they received the heartening news that the court had dismissed the charges.
(Read more cases at: http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/file/NAPWAnnualReport2004.pdf)
Expert Reviews of National Advocates for Pregnant Women
Evidence of Impact Summary:
Experts seemed to like the niche which this organization served: addressing the reproductive needs of pregnant women. They considered this an important but underserved population within the broader reproductive rights area.See expert comments.
Organization Strengths Summary:
Respondents compliment the programs' leadership, media presence and efficient operations. The groups fundraising ability received praise from some experts, as well.See expert comments.
Areas for Improvement Summary:
Experts cite heightening advocacy multiple times while also commenting on a need for better marketing. Even the big supporters see opportunity in scaling operations.See expert comments.
Expert Comments: Evidence of Impact
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Impact |
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This organization is unique in addressing reproductive rights during pregnancy, an area that is not usually addressed by reproductive rights organizations. Through strong and visionary leader, they have strongly linked reproductive rights with broader social justice issues and also brought together actors that traditionally have not worked together. | ||
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This is a very small organization with big, bold cutting-edge ideas and advocacy. They have a strong legal capacity and take on specific cases of pregnant women being denied rights. They not only work on cases but use them to garner state and national media attention to further impact policy and culture change. They have worked on (and won) many cases over the years having to do with the rights of pregnant drug addicted women and the rights of pregnant women in hospital delivery rooms. | ||
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In Oklahoma, they worked with community members to change the public discourse about prosecuting pregnant women. I was won over by their savvy, knowledge, and tactics for public education and reframing the terms of debate. Specifically, in the case of Oklahoma vs. Hernandez, a woman was arrested and charged with homicide for suffering a stillbirth and having that stillbirth test positive for drugs by corrupt medical techniques. She spent four years in jail until the organization did grassroots organizing and provided medical experts in two public forums that effectively changed the media's perception and reporting about this case. More stunningly, these efforts actually changed the minds of prosecutors and other officials who will stay in power for some time. | ||
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While many of the mainstream pro-choice organizations have focused on opposing laws restricting abortions, anti-choice activists have been building an extensive body of legislation and case law recognizing fetal rights. These laws create the foundation for ultimately overturning Roe v. Wade and providing the precedent to punish abortion -- not just as a crime, but as the crime of murder. National Advocates for Pregnant Women has been the leading organization to recognize the risk these as well as personhood measures pose to all pregnant women. They have, through its legal advocacy had a huge impact, winning numerous cases across the country stopping courts from setting precedent that would permit states to treat the unborn as "children" protected under criminal and civil child welfare laws from the pregnant women who carry them. They have also been one of the few groups -- to truly expand the base of reproductive justice and rights activists. By building alliances with other social justice movements and especially by reaching out to birthing rights activists they have actually brought new people into the movement. They have shown these allies that anti-abortion measures hurt all pregnant women, including those going to term. As a result women who want respectful births, and women who consider themselves pro-life, but also care about the lives of pregnant women are now speaking out against personhood and anti-abortion measures. | ||
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Their work and analysis forces changes and advancement in the reproductive rights and justice rhetoric. This impact in not easily measured but is invaluable. | ||
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They expand reproductive health, rights, and justice to include all pregnant women--not just those who seeking abortions--as well as parenting women. They represent vulnerable and marginalized groups that are overlooked by other organizations. This organization is sometimes able to provide practical services in the form of legal consultation and representation. They are helping broaden the way our field thinks about the issue of pregnancy. | ||
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They have defended almost all of the women prosecuted for drug use while pregnant. | ||
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They have had success with numerous legal actions brought on behalf of many disadvantaged women. The eloquence of their ED and her access to important media venues for reaching both policy makers as well as the general public are also assets. Their path-breaking work broadening the concept of women's reproductive justice (to include such issues as forced cesarean section, lack of access to the safest and most effective options for childbearing women, etc.) is also an example of their impact. | ||
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They defend poor women and women of color being prosecuted for substance issues while pregnant and others for choosing non-medicalized birthing techniques, and stand up for marginalized and stigmatized women. | ||
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They are helping people think differently about abortion, reproductive health, rights, and justice by centering on the experiences of pregnant women. They are bridging the birthing rights movement with the abortion rights movement with the drug policy movement. | ||
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They have served as an invaluable resource on the rights of pregnant women. They have also introduced advocates from very different worlds to one another with their conference a few years back. They take a very unsympathetic character--a woman who does drugs while pregnant--and humanize her in the eyes of the public. | ||
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Their ability to bring together pregnancy advocates in both the abortion rights and the prenatal/parent rights camps, to reframe issues around the needs and rights of pregnant women, regardless of those women's beliefs or decisions, and to defend the rights and dignity of some of our most vulnerable women. | ||
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They have and continue to help bridge the gap between reproductive rights and birthing/pregnancy rights advocates by consistently highlighting that our clients and communities are one in the same. | ||
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Because their strategy focuses on multi-level systemic change, the impact of their work is felt by individuals, families, communities, and population groups. It influences the focus and efficacy of sister organizations, coalitions, and collaborations at all levels and broadens the circle around issues we do agree on. | ||
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They created a framework of "criminalizing pregnancy." They raised awareness about the links between criminalizing behavior of pregnant women and efforts to limit access to abortion. They also provided invaluable messaging about the shared values underlying these attacks on reproductive rights. | ||
Expert Comments: Organization Strengths
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Name Recognition |
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I'd say their biggest strength is this small organization's ability to get media attention for their work and the rights of pregnant women in general. A related strength is their view point. If they were not in the reproductive rights movement, a very important voice would be missing. It's often a hard position to defend (i.e. drug addicted women) but NAPW does it well and in a way that can get even the most conservative opponent to understand basic human rights. | ||
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They have fairly decent media presence; they are also able to discuss the cases they work on in the media using their messages and frames. | ||
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They produce excellent op-eds. | ||
Collaboration |
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They have done unbelievable press work and boast an uncanny ability to connect very disparate groups (women who have had C-sections and drug addicted pregnant mothers) and figure out a way to unite them. They have great strategic litigation. | ||
Staff |
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They currently have a full time staff of 6 people. Because of their extensive collaborations and respectful and nimble work style, they accomplish far more than they should. Their conservative fiscal style has ensured its survival during challenging financial times. The staff is diverse and exceedingly collegial, the organization practices what it preaches about respect for pregnant and parenting women. | ||
Leadership |
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Leadership and marketing are strengths. Lynn Paltrow is an innovative and dynamic leader. Op-ed and essays written by National Advocates for Pregnant Women staff and board members help bring public attention to overlooked issues pertaining to the rights of pregnant women. | ||
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They have visionary leadership. | ||
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Lynn Paltrow is a force unto herself. I've also been impressed with how this organization has pulled medical experts and organizations into this issue to speak against punitive measures against pregnant addicts. | ||
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Their leader, Lynn Paltrow, is visionary in her ability to reframe the rights of pregnant women to build bridges between the abortion advocates and folks working to expand support for women planning to parent. | ||
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They have had repeated success in protecting some of the most vulnerable women from inappropriate incarceration and other excesses of law enforcement representatives. Lynn Paltrow is one of the most eloquent and persuasive writers and speakers in this field. | ||
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They have a visionary leader, able to have great impact on very small budget. They are very collaborative and have a broad vision of reproductive justice which impacts entire movement. | ||
Program Design |
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They have a broad vision and ability to mobilize wide range of players. | ||
Mission Focus |
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They do work that no one else is doing and have a great and growing media presence, directly advocating on behalf of high profile cases of women whose reproductive rights are being violated because of their race and socioeconomic status. | ||
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They do important work that no one else is doing. | ||
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It is a little extreme but represents an important point of view and defends women who might otherwise be forgotten. | ||
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They fill a critical gap in the movement in its commitment to marginalized women and the connections it makes between birthing rights and the right to contraception and abortion. | ||
Operations |
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They make efficient use of resources (have more impact than many other orgs with double or triple their budget). They are committed to advocacy with an evidence-basis, leading to greater credibility among knowledgeable experts. | ||
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As the organization has grown, a key strength has been in organizing and streamlining financial and operational systems. Through careful assessment and planning and by hiring consultants and staff with the skill sets needed, they've built sound foundations for the next period of organizational growth. | ||
Communications |
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They have communications strengths -- they have been able to turn the tide on these very difficult issues. Their leadership is strong and they do powerful work few do on behalf of low-income women and women of color in prison. | ||
Advocacy |
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Its work to promote autonomy for pregnant women is important in affirming respect for all women, including those who choose to end pregnancies. It is involved in difficult and controversial areas (for example, pregnant drug addicts) and its provocative advocacy causes the public to understand why punitive government actions in regulating pregnancy and reproductive options are destructive. | ||
Impact & Leadership |
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They have achieved tangible results, have fabulous leaders and a leadership style that is based in community, open to all perspectives, making connections in new ways about old issues, and expanding the dialog. This is a phenomenal organization! | ||
Expert Comments: Areas for Improvement
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Foundation Professionals (F)
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Researchers and Faculty (R)
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Nonprofit Senior Staff (N)
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Other (consultants, journalists, policy makers) (O)
Outreach |
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They have made some inroads to bring into its fold as well as to outreach to professionals who are not at clinics. More work of that sort may help to further the goal of having abortion less marginalized. They do amazing work with a small staff; it would benefit from having more staff and expertise in house. | ||
Funding |
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This isn't so much an "improvement" as it is a barrier - this group needs more funding and staff. Much of the work is done by an ED who is great but in order for the work to have even greater impact, they need other faces in the field and media. | ||
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A foundation needs to provide major support for leadership development and succession planning, as I believe that they are seriously under-resourced now. They accomplish a great deal even with the minimal funding they now have. | ||
Bench Depth |
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They need better second tier leadership and probably need a great deputy director who can take over the day to day management tasks. | ||
Leadership |
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They need to build its senior level staff. It is in the process of doing this but need to be able to find the right people with the right mix of talent and diversity. | ||
Name Recognition |
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They should be more well-known and more mainstream. | ||
Marketing |
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They could still use some improvement in marketing. They need to have more of a presence in the reproductive rights field. Lynn pulled together a really fantastic conference several years ago and we need more opportunities of that sort to get the wide array of activists around this issue together. | ||
Depth of Bench |
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This is almost a one woman show. | ||
Capacity |
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They could improve by having greater capacity to get their work known on a greater scale. | ||
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Capacity is definitely a challenge, both in terms of staff size that could truly maximize the scale of work being done (and resulting impact), and in terms of selecting key areas of capacity-building on which to concentrate in regard to board and issues/areas of work. | ||
More Advocacy |
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Sometimes they seem to suggest that too much attention has been spent on advocating for the right to abortion and too little on the issues they work on. They would be stronger and build stronger movement to find links, instead. | ||
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I think they could do more on the policy end to prevent prosecutors from bringing these cases in the first place. | ||
More Collaboration |
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They could benefit from learning how to play nicely with other reproductive organizations. | ||
Collaboration |
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It is unclear to me if it is an organization that collaborates or wishes to collaborate with others. It is an effective outlier; I would be interested to see if/how it might join forces with other effective outlier orgs. | ||
More Resources |
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They have low resources and thus have minimized opportunities to expand work. | ||
Leadership
Lynn Paltrow
Founder and Executive Director
Founder and Executive Director
From the Nonprofit
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Sonya Shields
Director of Development Oct 20, 2010 |
This is a response to the expert reviews for Advocates for Pregnant Women.
NAPW is thrilled to be selected as one of the top 2010 top non-profit organizations working in the women's reproductive health, rights, and justice field at the national level. We are honored to be among such an impressive groups of allies, colleagues and clients. NAPW has been able to achieve as much as we have in part as a result of our extensive collaborations at both the local and national levels with pro-choice organizations and a wide range of reproductive justice, social justice and criminal justice and drug policy reform organizations. In our legal advocacy we act as legal counsel for many of our sister organizations, helping to bring their views and expertise to the attention of the courts. In all of NAPW’s advocacy, education and organizing we work with local and national public health organizations, treatment advocates and providers and people directly affected by punitive policies. Most recently we collaborated with the Alabama Women’s Resource Network and the Alabama Substance Abuse Coordinating Committee to give local legal advoctes, health care providers and treatment specialists the opportunity to meet with leading state and national experts and women directly affected -- who could address the misinformation and junk science that is so often used to justify the arrest of pregnant women. NAPW programs like these have helped prevent new prosecutions and new, counterproductive child welfare interventions in such places as Oklahoma, New York and Kentucky. With new staff and ever increasing collaborations, NAPW is extending its reach. We are proud to announce that we have hired two, new highly experienced senior staff people, Sonya Shields, Director of Development and Emma Ketteringham, Director of Legal Advocacy. They join a growing staff including our two staff attorneys Kate Jack and Farah Diaz-Tello. Both of these attorneys have added significantly to the scope of NAPW’s work. For example they have led NAPW in preparing and presenting our first international human rights report (http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/main/publications/articles_and_reports/napw_written_statement_to_the_us_state_department_universal_periodic_review_consultation.php), making clear that the prosecution and punishment of pregnant women constitute violations of international human rights principles. NAPW looks forward to expanding our work, making clear that efforts to re-criminalize abortion and to legally segregate the “unborn” from pregnant women not only threaten women’s reproductive rights, but also women’s status as full moral and legal persons. For now, NAPW is focusing more on building our collaborations, supporting grassroots allies to have their voices heard, and developing new positive frameworks than we are on marketing our organization. But please do expect to hear much, much more about us in the near future! |