Texas Equal Access Fund

The Texas Equal Access Fund, also known as the TEA Fund, is an organization that raises funds in order to subsidize abortions for mothers who are low-income, or of an ethnic minority. It is a member organization of the National Network of Abortion Funds.

About

The Texas Equal Access Fund was co-founded in Jan. 2005 by Gretchen Dyer, Samantha Sewell, Lena Glover, Merritt Tierce, Lulu Beall, and Erin Wackerla.

Personnel

Board

2008

As at 2008 the following served on the Board:

• Jose Chaidez
• Sulan Chang
• Maia Cudhea
• Valerie Gonzales
• Charlie Hughes
• Lynn Jackson
• Anna Ruth
• Merritt Tierce, President
• Samantha Sewell (January 2005 – Present)

2011

As at June 4, 2011, the following served on the Board:

• Sulan Chang
• Jordan Hughes
• Sarah Katie Law
• Maia Cudhea
• Jenni Heasman-Beaver
• Merritt Tierce (2004 - present)
• Lena Glover

2012

To the right is a photo from the Winter 2012 Retreat of the Board of the TEA Fund.

third from left: Jenni Heasman-Beaver, Sulan Chang, rest: unidentified

• Gretchen Dyer, co-founder/Executive Director (as at 2009)
• Nancy Latner, First Bloom Founding Chair (as at 2009)

Staff

2014

In Aug. 2014, Nan Little Kirkpatrick took over from Merritt Tierce as executive director.

2008

As at 2008, the following worked for the Fund:

• Gretchen Dyer, Executive Director
• Lynn Jackson, Intake Director
• Jordan Hughes, Intern
• Brit Schulte, Intern

Volunteers

As at 2008, the following were volunteers for the Fund:

• Lali Bonanni
• Liz Buford
• Kamyon Conner
• Dawna Cornelissen
• Rachel Duhon
• Mary Forrest
• Lena Glover
• Jamila Hammami
• Ashley Hardinger
• Tracy McShan
• Rina Nakamoto
• Katie O’Rear
• Drew Ortiz
• Chelsey Powers
• Aleda Reyes
• Tia Wells
• Jo Wunderlic

Supporters

• Annette Maxberry-Carrara, Austin, TX

Partners

Corporations

Albertson’s, Kroger and Tom Thumb are Texas grocery stores that donate 1% of the purchases of registered TEA Fund members to the TEA Fund:

The banking company Capital One offers a Visa credit card that will contribute 2% of members' grocery/gas purchases and 1% of all other purchases to the TEA Fund.

Organizations

In 2005, the Lilith Fund entered into a collaborative agreement with Texas Equal Access Fund. Under this agreement, TEA concentrates their financial resources assisting women in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Waco areas while the Lilith Fund focus its resources throughout the rest of the state. In some circumstances, TEA and the Lilith Fund work together to provide collaborative funding for a client.

The Center for Nonprofit Management is affiliated with the TEA Fund.

The Dallas Foundation donated $2,000 to the TEA Fund in 2010.

Abortion Providers

The TEA Fund works with the following abortion businesses and will only subsidize abortions carried out these locations:

• Planned Parenthood Surgical Health Services of North Texas, Dallas
• Routh St. Women’s Clinic, Dallas
• Southwestern Women's Surgery Center (formerly Fairmount Center), Dallas
• Abortion Advantage, Dallas
• North Park Medical Group, Dallas
• Whole Woman's Health of Fort Worth
• Henderson Clinic (Planned Parenthood), Ft. Worth
• Aaron Women’s Clinic, Lubbock
• Midland Byerley Center (Planned Parenthood), Midland
• San Angelo Center (Planned Parenthood), San Angelo
• Planned Parenthood of Central Texas, Waco
• Planned Parenthood of South Austin
• Aaron Women’s Center of Houston (aka Women’s Pavilion)
• Hope Medical Group for Women, Louisiana

Statistics/Finances

The TEA Fund assists paying for abortions for girls as young as 12-years-old.

2008

In 2008, the Fund provided funds for 724 pregnant mothers to obtain an abortion. 47% of these mothers were African American, 19% were Hispanic. 46% of the mothers were between the ages of 12 - 22. 93% of the mothers were unmarried.

2010

In 2010, the TEA Fund provided financial assistance to 1,012 women ($151,000). 2010 was the Fund's first year to fund more than 1,000 women (they funded 914 in 2009). In 2009 a woman received an average grant of $98 from the TEA Fund. In 2010 that number was about $150.

Abortions for Inmates

In 2008, the Lilith Fund, in collaboration with the Texas Equal Access Fund, started the Andrea Project. The goals of the project are to gain a better understanding of incarcerated women’s access to abortion services and then to provide assistance, both in the forms of funding and legal assistance, to women that desire an abortion but do not have the resources to obtain it.

Contractors

The following are companies that the TEA Fund has paid to perform services.

Southern Hospitality Designs

Southern Hospitality Designs (4321 Simpson Avenue, Cincinnati, OH.) has performed the following services for the TEA Fund:

• General branding (logo, stationary, business cards)
• Website design
• T-shirt design
• “Reproductive Rights Breakfast” invitation
• Holiday fund appeal
• Quarterly report

Haley Elkins

Haley Elkins is a website developer and strategic planner for non-profit and activist organizations. She has worked with the TEA Fund, helping to improve its branding.