Student Leader Handbook
2015
Table of Contents
Introduction to Medical Students for Choice
Page 2
Medical Student Leadership Roles and Structure
Page 2
Student Activism and Organizing
Page 3
-Student Leader Email List and Member Communications
Page 7
-Organizing Your Chapter
Page 8
-Effective Event Organizing
-Managing Your Chapter’s Finances
(Student Activism Funds and Trust Accounts)
-Fundraising
Page 10
-Curriculum Reform
Page 19
-Transitioning Leadership
Page 22
Security Protocols
Page 12
Page 16
Page 22
Directories
-MSFC Headquarters Staff Roster
-Ally Organization Directory
-US Professional Associations, Physician, Resident, and Medical
Student Organizations and Accreditation Councils
Resources
Page 24
Page 25
Page 38
-Conference on Family Planning Flyer
Page 39
-Reproductive Health Externship Funding Program Flyer
Page 40
-Sample Constitution
Page 41
-Event Planning Checklist
Page 43
-Manual Vacuum Aspiration Workshop Checklist
Page 45
-Intrauterine Device Workshop Checklist
Page 46
-No Scalpel Vasectomy Workshop Checklist
Page 47
-Sample Solicitation Letters
Page 48
-Sample In-kind Solicitation Letter
Page 49
Medical Students for Choice®
Creating tomorrow’s abortion providers and pro-choice physicians
Since the beginning, Medical Students for Choice® has been a student-driven organization. We depend
on passionate student leaders to further our mission. Student Leaders are the foundation of the
organization and are integral to the success of MSFC: assessing campus needs; organizing fellow
students around these needs; filling the gaps in curriculum through educational events; promoting
MSFC programming opportunities to classmates; and working with administrators to officially add
abortion and family planning to the medical school curriculum.
As a student leader, you are part of an international organization with over 10,000 members.
This handbook is a guide to organizing your campus. It outlines the resources MSFC offers and shares
the lessons learned through years of organizing and mission-driven work.
Our History
Medical Students for Choice was founded in 1993 by a small group of student activists determined to
make abortion training available at their medical schools. Jody Steinauer, a medical student at
University of California, San Francisco, and her colleagues formed MSFC chapters at 3 medical
schools, beginning the destigmatization of abortion care in the medical community.
In the 21 years since its inception, Medical Students for Choice has spread to more than ¾ of the
medical school campuses in North America and is active at schools in 13 countries. Every year, our
chapters organize over 1,000 educational events, ensuring that abortion and family planning education
has a presence on their campuses. Often, MSFC events are the only exposure students have to
comprehensive reproductive healthcare education. In addition to providing extracurricular education to
their classmates, MSFC activists work with their administrators and faculty to include family planning
education formally in the curriculum.
We have educated thousands of students, made curriculum changes on 120 campuses and have made
major inroads in changing the culture of the medical community around abortion care. MSFC alums
have entered the medical world as abortion providers and pro-choice physicians, serving as mentors
and advocates for the continuing work of MSFC student activists. The high caliber of MSFC members’
extracurricular education and activism is now well-known, and MSFC activists are highly-sought
candidates for 100+ residency programs in North America.
Medical Student Leadership Roles and Structure
MSFC Headquarters acts as a central source of information and resources for our grassroots network,
tends to the organizational details needed to run a successful non-profit, and facilitates communication
through all levels of MSFC. MSFC is staffed by a team of non-profit professionals with expertise in
community-building and organizing, program management, and non-profit administration. MSFC staff
use their expertise to ensure that MSFC’s resources are accessible to and readily utilized by our
grassroots. You can partner effectively with MSFC’s staff by communicating with the office about your
chapter’s plans as they unfold.
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MSFC Headquarters Contact Info:
Medical Students for Choice
P.O. Box 40188
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: 215-625-0800 Fax: 215-625-4848 Website: www.msfc.org
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST
MSFC Staff: Behind the Scenes
 Links MSFC residents and students to each other, clinics, abortion providers, and pro-choice
organizations
 Organizes and coordinates the Abortion Training Programs
 Provides funds to support local organizing efforts through the Student Activism Fund
 Helps establish new MSFC chapters at medical schools and residency programs
 Provides educational resources and assistance to MSFC Student Leaders and activists throughout
our international network
 Conducts outreach to medical students, residents, and doctors at professional and medical
association meetings
 Organizes MSFC’s Conference on Family Planning, Training Institutes, and Region-Specific
Meetings
 Produces the organization’s materials and publications
 Designs and manages the MSFC website, www.msfc.org
 Directs media outreach and public advocacy efforts
 Creates and utilizes tracking instruments to help MSFC evaluate our successes
 Serves as a communication link for MSFC activists
Student Organizing Program
MSFC program staff work in collaboration with MSFC chapters to aid in campus activism and to track
community organizing efforts as they happen across the organization. Program staff support Student
Leaders’ efforts to educate fellow medical students on abortion and family planning. The Student
Organizing Program offers the following resources to aid you as a student leader in campus activism:
 $150 USD per semester from the Student Activism Fund for each MSFC chapter to be used on
abortion care and family planning events
 Contact information for expert faculty, often MSFC alums, who can speak on many different aspects
of the reproductive justice movement
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 Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA), Intrauterine Device (IUD), and No-Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) kits
to use in hands-on workshops
 Workshop and event media including presentations, documentaries, training videos, and more
 Survey instruments, sample curricula, research, and staff expertise for your curriculum reform efforts
The Student Organizing Program also works to expand the scope of MSFC globally. It puts significant
resources into establishing new MSFC chapters and strengthening fledgling chapters. Additional financial
resources are available to new MSFC chapters to ensure longevity and success. If you know somebody
who is pro-choice at a medical school without an MSFC chapter, please contact MSFC staff so that
we can reach out to them.
Abortion Training Programs
At Medical Students for Choice, we believe that medical should have clinical exposure to abortion
care. MSFC has two programs to support medical students’ efforts to receive this exposure.
1. MSFC’s Reproductive Health Externship Funding Program (RHE) provides medical students with
financial support for receiving clinical exposure to abortion care outside of their institution’s standard
curriculum. Externs should spend at least 2 weeks in a clinic or clinics of their choice. Accepted
applicants qualify for a stipend to offset the costs associated with participating in the externship.
2. MSFC’s Clinical Abortion Observation is an opportunity for medical students to spend up to 2 weeks
in a clinical setting receiving exposure to abortion care. Financial assistance may also be available for
this opportunity.
To learn more about the application process and apply for funding, please visit the Abortion Training
section of our website. Further assistance locating a training site and information about sharing this
opportunity with your chapter membership can be obtained by contacting MSFC staff at externs@msfc.org
or 818-370-5413.
Conference on Family Planning
Each fall, MSFC’s Conference on Family Planning offers two days of focused seminars and workshops
presented by expert faculty. Topics cover a range of reproductive health and justice issues often absent
from medical school curricula. Over 400 medical students and residents take advantage of this conference
to further their education and network with pro-choice colleagues from around the world!
We depend on you to help us spread the word to your chapter and encourage students to attend. The
Conference on Family Planning fills educational gaps, connects you to a pro-choice community of
students, faculty, providers, and inspires action upon returning to your campus. If you need help sending
members of your chapter to the Conference on Family Planning, MSFC offers assistance for fundraising.
Student Leaders
Student Leaders are our on-campus activists organizing and educating medical school communities.
Student Leaders typically serve a one-year term, transitioning out of this role when they advance to their
clinical years. This vital role is responsible for building MSFC’s network and maintaining the momentum of
campus activism from year to year. As a Student Leader, your responsibilities are as follows:
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Complete the Student Leader Survey 2 times a year.
Twice a year, you will be asked to fill out a brief survey (about 5-7 minutes) detailing the MSFC activism
on your campus. This information is used to monitor the health and growth of our grassroots and to tailor
MSFC’s programs to better serve you.
Distribute information about our Conference on Family Planning, abortion training programs,
and additional meetings and events.
We’ll make it easy for you to spread the word by providing you with flyers, brochures, and programs.
The success of our programs depends on you sharing the opportunities with your fellow students.
Send your chapter’s membership list to MSFC staff.
Sending your chapter’s roster, including name, year in school, and email address, allows MSFC staff to
share program opportunities with all interested students. Membership lists also serve as an extra layer
of security, allowing staff to confirm that conference registrants are chapter members.
Host educational events for your campus.
This handbook outlines strategies to make events successful and rewarding. The program staff is
available to share past successful events, to connect your chapter with potential speakers or workshop
facilitators, and to answer any questions you may have throughout the process.
Work towards lasting improvements in your school’s curriculum.
Throughout the year you can identify gaps in your school’s reproductive health curriculum and work with
MSFC Headquarters to develop strategies for improvement. These changes support MSFC’s mission by
expanding the number of students exposed to reproductive health education.
Help your chapter fundraise.
The handbook and the website have tips and strategies for fundraising. Staff can help you to develop
and carry out a successful fundraising plan.
Identify new leaders and facilitate leadership transitions.
Successful transitions are a key factor to maintaining MSFC’s health. It’s important to cultivate
leadership early by including medical students in their early years in activities and planning for the
chapter. Please stay in contact with MSFC staff as you are preparing to move on from your student
leadership position.
MSFC staff is on hand to help you fulfill your responsibilities and drive MSFC’s mission forward.
Experienced Student Leaders
Student Leaders who transition out of campus leadership can still stay actively involved with MSFC by
applying for an Experienced Student Leader position. Experienced Student Leaders work with program
staff to support our grassroots efforts by:



Supporting on-campus Student Leaders and sharing their expertise and leadership experience in
event-planning, fundraising, curriculum reform, and leadership development.
Establishing new MSFC chapters.
Coordinating with staff to promote MSFC programming, including the Conference on Family
Planning.
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Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is the governing body of MSFC, responsible for long-term organizational
planning, financial oversight, and program and policy development. A medical student majority always
serves on the Board and the president of the Board is always a medical student.
A medical student’s term is capped at three years or until graduation. The Board of Directors meets in
person 3 times a year. Applications for the Board of Directors are available in early January. Look for
announcements calling for applications on the website and the Student Leader Email List.
Our Structure
Our structure is designed to ensure that all of our stakeholders are informed and engaged with each
other. The Board creates a broad strategic vision for the organization. Our school chapters form the
grassroots of the organization. Led by our Student Leaders, they provide the education and
momentum for change on a local level. They move the organization forward and help achieve MSFC’s
strategic vision. Staff work with Student Leaders to help them implement programming, manage
resources, and provide expertise. Experienced Student Leaders work to further the reach of MSFC HQ
to better support the chapters. Staff collect data from MSFC chapters around our network to gauge
MSFC’s health and to learn about new challenges. The Board of Directors use these data to ensure
that the strategic vision is being carried out and evolves appropriately with the changing grassroots
environment.
Board of
Directors
MSFC
Headquarters
Experienced
Student Leaders
The Grassroots – 169 Chapters
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Student Activism and Organizing
MSFC chapters play a number of important roles on campus:
 Identifying and building a network of pro-choice medical students.
 Increasing reproductive health training and educational opportunities.
 Creating a forum for medical students to raise concerns and have discussions about abortion
and other reproductive health care issues.
 Changing and improving reproductive health curricula.
Student Leader Email List and Membership Communications
All Student Leaders, Experienced Student Leaders and Board Directors are subscribed to MSFC’s
Student Leader Email List. The Student Leader Email List is designed to create an open, electronic
forum for you to stay connected to student leaders from our entire international network. Post to the
Email List to ask questions and share ideas, resources and information about MSFC’s work with
each other. To post messages to the Student Leader Email List, send your message to
students@msfc.org.
The Email List is used in several ways:
By the Staff:
 Event ideas: easy-to-plan educational events developed by the staff or culled from successful
campus activism
 Success stories: brief interviews with student leaders about a successful campus event
 Program announcements, including conferences and specialized educational opportunities
 Policy, legislation, or training updates that affect a large portion of MSFC activists
 Opportunities from our allies
By Student Leaders:
 Ask questions: gather feedback from fellow student leaders on curriculum reform challenges,
recruitment, and event ideas.
 Share ideas and successes: share unique and successful events and fundraisers with the
community.
MSFC never rents, sells, or shares our activists’ contact information.
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Organizing Your Chapter
Some of you may wonder if you are the only pro-choice student on your campus, while others may
have well-established chapters eager to take on large projects. Whichever category you fit into, we
think the information, activities, and suggestions in this section will prove useful.
1. Know Your Campus
 What is the political climate like? Are students, faculty and administration generally supportive,
neutral or opposed? How passionately or apathetically do people express their beliefs?
 Is there a hot issue that everyone’s talking about on campus? Does it relate to our work? Even if
there is not an obvious connection, can you figure out a way to join the issue with MSFC in a
way that might attract people on your campus?
 What do other medical student organizations on campus have in common with your chapter?
Which groups are most likely to be your allies?
 If applicable, how does the medical school campus relate to the other graduate school
campuses and to the undergraduate campus?
 Are there other local pro-choice organizations or providers?
 What are the major reproductive health access problems on your campus and in your
community?
2. Find Allies and Build Support on Campus

If possible, bring in at least one like-minded person to share the leadership workload.

Identify and contact supportive faculty members. Ask one of them to act as your faculty
advisor. You are not required to have a faculty advisor, but MSFC HQ may be able to help if
you have difficulty finding one.

Meet with other pro-choice medical student organizations on campus.

Keep an archive of your contacts – interested medical students, campus groups, ally
organizations, faculty, etc.
3. Spread the Word on Campus

Email your classmates information about MSFC and how they can get involved. If possible,
send an email to the lists of allied organizations.

Talk about MSFC with people you know to encourage your pro-choice friends to join.

Leave MSFC brochures or meeting flyers in conspicuous places where medical students
congregate, e.g. student lounges, dining halls, etc.
4. Recruit New Members

Identify ideal activities and events on campus.

Sponsor an information table at your fall Club/Activities Fair.

Speak about MSFC at other student organizations’ meetings.
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
Set up an informal table near the cafeteria at lunch.

Hold an initial event or planning meeting. Advertise with posters, flyers, email and word of
mouth. Hold the event in a central location, like a room in the student union, if possible.

Recruit throughout the year.
- Bring a sign-up sheet to every event and meeting. Personally contact students who have
expressed interest in MSFC but have yet to become active members.
- Create a Google Group or other online network for your chapter to communicate and plan
educational events.
- Send your membership list to MSFC Headquarters so staff can share educational events,
scholarship opportunities, and inspiration from other chapters’ activism.
5. Register as an Official Group on Campus (Optional)

Your chapter does not have to be officially recognized by your school to be considered an
MSFC chapter or to have access to MSFC’s resources.

Becoming an official group on campus may have advantages for your chapter. Some
schools offer funding to officially-registered groups. Some schools list official groups on their
webpage, alerting the student body to the opportunity to join your chapter. Some schools
require groups be officially approved in order to do any activities on campus.

To become an officially recognized campus group, many schools require you to submit a
constitution. See the Sample Constitution at the end of this handbook.
6. Make a Plan for the Year

Assess your chapter’s organizing climate and resources in relation to your long-term goals.

Collaborate with your membership to brainstorm goals:
- Curriculum reform
- Increased training opportunities at your school
- Increased student involvement in pro-choice issues
- Creation of a network of pro-choice support on and/or off campus

Prioritize 2-3 goals you would like to accomplish as a chapter this year. Bear in mind
available resources. Your chapter’s funds are maintained in two accounts:
- Student Activism Fund ($150.00 USD per semester for abortion and family-planning
events supplied by MSFC staff)
- Student Trust Account (monies you fundraise and/or receive as donations)

Establish short-term goals that will bring your chapter at least one step closer to realizing its
long-term goals.

Develop a timeline.

Delegate projects and tasks to volunteers or committees.
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7. Meet Often and Hold a Variety of Events

Have at least one group meeting per semester/quarter to evaluate progress, refocus efforts, set
goals and plan for upcoming events.

Hands-on workshops, values clarification sessions, and clinic visits may appeal to completely
different people among your potential membership, so we recommend holding a variety of
events throughout the year to include as many people as possible.

See the next section, “Effective Event Organizing,” for an event planning guide and a list of
event topics.
8. Work with other Organizations on Campus and in your Community

Brainstorm topics that interest other organizations: issues that affect communities of color,
international perspectives on reproductive health care, etc.

Understand and make use of your potential support base – it’s broader than you might think!

Find out if your campus’ chapters of AMWA, AMSA, or SMNA are pro-choice. Contact LSRJ
and undergraduate or local pro-choice groups to propose collaborative projects. See the Ally
Organization Directory on page 30 for ideas.

Offer to help groups working on topics of mutual concern.

Organize local events with other area MSFC chapters. See page 24 for a list of chapters.
9. Keep Students Engaged: Train, Involve and Recognize New Students
 Take the time to train new people. Teaching someone a skill today will strengthen and
empower your chapter members for the future.

1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year medical students as well as nursing, PA and other health professional
students can play active roles in your MSFC chapter.

Involve people further by asking them to take on a task. At first, it could be something as
simple as hanging flyers in their classrooms or sending email announcements to their
classmates.

Make it a point to show appreciation for the time and energy that your members put into MSFC
activities. Capitalize on every opportunity to praise your members’ contributions. It’s one great
reason to throw an end of semester party for your chapter!

Give members a voice in chapter decision making. Plan events with your members so you can
share responsibility and leadership.
Effective Event Organizing
Organizing events on campus that educate and engage your colleagues is crucial to the overall
success of MSFC. Throughout the academic year, these events help build and maintain a strong
membership base. You can use the Student Activism Fund to cover your costs such as food and nonalcoholic beverages.
Assess the climate of your campus to identify what type of activism will be most successful. For
example, if you would identify your institution as hostile, hold events on general women’s health and
safety issues. Consider collaborating with other student groups on campus to host a joint event. Not
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only can you host events together, but you can also learn tricks on handling a hostile climate from one
another. Other event ideas, appropriate for differing school climates, include:

Activity Fairs: When recruiting new members, give MSFC Headquarters two weeks’ notice, and we
will supply tabling materials, such as MSFC and abortion fact sheets, MSFC program brochures,
stickers, pens, etc.

Film screenings: MSFC has a video library and knowledge of current films that you can use to
educate fellow students about pro-choice issues and facilitate meaningful discussions. Borrow a
video from MSFC Headquarters, free of charge - find the complete listing of available videos on our
website under Medical Students > Resources > Video Library.

Hands-On Workshops: MSFC Headquarters can lend you supplies for free to hold hands-on clinical
skills workshops including Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA, also commonly known as “the papaya
workshop”), Intrauterine Device (IUD) Insertion, and No Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV).

Lectures: Even an informal lecture over lunchtime helps engage students in MSFC while filling
some gaps in your curriculum. MSFC Headquarters has several PowerPoint presentations on a
range of topics you may download from our website.

Speakers: Invite a provider or past Reproductive Health Externship participant to discuss his/her
experiences in the field of abortion care. MSFC staff maintains a Speaker Directory to provide
Student Leaders with suggestions for potential speakers available by area.

Collaborative Events: Plan events with local organizations, such as Planned Parenthood and ACLU
affiliates. Strengthening ties with other pro-choice organizations in your community will benefit your
chapter in the future, especially when it comes to fundraising or training opportunities.
During the academic year, MSFC staff delivers Success Stories as part of the Student Leader Weekly
Emails. These emails recount a recent event hosted by one of our chapters along with details on what
factors helped make that event a success. To submit a recent event led by your chapter, email your
story to students@msfc.org.
Borrowing materials, including hands-on clinical skills workshop kits and DVDs, is offered to all
chapters free of charge. To ensure that all chapters can hold events, you are responsible for the timely
return of all materials to MSFC HQ. Supplies that are damaged, unclean, or not returned may result in a
deduction of funds from your chapter’s Trust Account or ineligibility for financial assistance for MSFC
programming.
Event Organizing Topics
Remember, you have $150.00 USD per semester to spend on events related to abortion and family
planning.
Medical/Clinical
Abortion 101
Pregnancy Options Counseling
How to Take a Sexual History
Contraception Update
Clinical Realities of Abortion
Medical Abortion
Emergency Contraception/Plan B
Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) Papaya Workshop
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No Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) Workshop
Intrauterine Device or System (IUD/S) Workshop
Legal
Constitutional Basis for the Right to Choose
Current State of Reproductive Rights
Laws and Politics of Choice
Healthcare Reform and Abortion Coverage
Access Issues/Barriers to Abortion Care
Global and Immigrant Population Issues
Global Reproductive Issues
Health Care Disparities
Undocumented Immigrant Access to Reproductive Rights
Global Gag Rule
Personal Accounts of Abortion
Pre-Roe Abortion Activist Panel (U.S. chapters)
Externship Experience Panel/Shadowing Experience Panel
Provider Perspective Panels
Being a Pro-Choice Resident and Activist
Evaluating your Personal Beliefs Workshop
Faith and Choice
Words of Choice
Men and Choice Panel
Managing Your Chapter’s Finances
MSFC Headquarters provides funding to students in a number of ways:

The Student Activism Fund provides $150 USD per semester for each chapter to use on abortion
and family planning campus events.

In the case of a special event, MSFC may authorize additional funding to increase the number of
events on campus, to facilitate a regional event, or to support a new chapter.

Funding for MSFC’s Specialty Institutes is awarded to individual applicants on a competitive basis.

Limited travel assistance for the Conference on Family Planning, International Conferences, and
other MSFC opportunities may be awarded to new, newly revived, or struggling chapters.

MSFC subsidizes the Conference on Family Planning for every medical student to keep the
registration fee low.

Funding for abortion training is available to accepted Reproductive Health Externship participants
and to some participants in the Clinical Abortion Observation program.

Travel Funding is available for the Board of Directors to travel to meetings.
MSFC staff also administers Student Trust Accounts for those chapters that raise additional funds.
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MSFC Chapter Finances
Name
Source
Amount
Purpose
Restrictions*
MSFC funds
cannot be used to
purchase alcohol,
to fund events that
are not related to
abortion or family
planning, or to pay
for tips or banking
fees.
The restrictions
listed in the
Student Activism
Fund and
Conference
Funding sections
apply here to
ensure that Trust
Account money is
used for the
purposes its donors
intend.
Student
Activism
Fund
MSFC HQ
$150 USD per
semester; does
not carry over
from one
semester to the
next
To support
abortion and family
planning education
on campus; to
recruit members to
the chapter or to a
campus event
Student
Trust
Accounts
Chapter
Fundraising;
Direct
donation to
a chapter
Unlimited;
accumulates
from one
semester to the
next as long as
the chapter is
active; may be
redistributed after
a chapter is
inactive for 5
years
Conference
Travel
Assistance
and
Specialty
Institute
Funding
MSFC HQ
Amount
determined by
application or
award from
MSFC HQ
To support the
mission of the
organization at the
chapter level
through buying
fundraising and
recruitment
supplies, hosting
additional abortion
and family
planning
educational
events, and
sending medical
students to MSFC
conferences and
events
To bring medical
students to
MSFC’s
educational events
by paying for a
portion or the
whole of longdistance travel and
lodging expenses
These funds may
not be used for
taxis, rental cars,
single rather than
shared hotel
rooms, meals
outside of the
conference, alcohol
or snacks, tips, or
banking fees.
* If
you have a question about how you can use your finances or if you have a reason to
request an exception to one of the restrictions listed above, please contact
students@msfc.org. MSFC is happy to work with each chapter’s individual requests
because we know that a blanket summary cannot anticipate each chapter’s needs.
Student Activism Fund
The Student Activism Fund is available to support abortion and family planning-related campus
activism through educational events and curriculum reform efforts. Every MSFC chapter is entitled
to up to $150 USD per semester. These funds do not roll over from one semester to the next.
Additional Student Activism Funding may be available to meet special needs. Contact the Student
Organizing staff by phone or email to discuss additional funding needs.
Access to the Student Activism Fund is through reimbursement only. That means you must spend
your own money first and then submit an itemized receipt for the expense with a reimbursement form
to receive payment from MSFC. This serves to protect against fraud and enables the HQ to comply
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with the IRS requirement to document that funds are used to advance the organization’s stated
mission. Reimbursement requests should be directed to students@msfc.org.
*Important note: Funds requested from the Student Activism Fund and/or the Student Trust
Accounts may not be used to purchase alcohol.
Student Trust Accounts
Funds in a Student Trust Account come from either fundraising efforts on the part of the chapter or
from a special award. There are several key advantages to the Student Trust Account.

Contributions made to a chapter and deposited to a Student Trust account are tax-deductible for
donors who pay taxes in the US. MSFC Headquarters sends donors the acknowledgement they
need in order to claim a tax deduction. MSFC staff will update student leaders on Trust Account
balances periodically. You may also ask for an update if you’re planning to draw on funds and are
unsure of your balance.
 A Trust Account ensures that the money you raise is preserved for the future.
 Anyone may deposit funds into a Trust Account, but only a Student Leader may authorize
payments or reimbursements.
 Deposits to the Trust Account must be sent MSFC HQ by check with the medical school name in
the memo line.
The reimbursement procedure for Student Trust Accounts is detailed on page 13.
*Important note: If a student group is inactive for five years or more, MSFC Headquarters, at its
discretion and in keeping with donors’ intentions, may redistribute unused funds.
Conference Travel Assistance
Each year, MSFC Headquarters awards travel assistance to chapters to partially cover the travel and
lodging expenses incurred in connection with attending the Conference on Family Planning. This
assistance are limited and usually awarded to new chapters or chapters in traditionally hostile areas.
All additional funding sources, including available support from your university, or funds in a private
chapter account, must be disclosed on the application.
Assistance is accessed through reimbursement after the conference has taken place. Reimbursement
requests should be directed to students@msfc.org. Please see below for the reimbursement
procedure.
Guidelines for Independent Bank Accounts
1) Chapters may not open independent bank accounts using MSFC’s Federal Tax ID number. This
would force MSFC Headquarters to take on a significant level of liability without a commensurate level
of control. MSFC would be responsible for the use of those funds and have to include them in financial
reports as they would be considered MSFC funds.
Chapters may not issue a donation confirmation or tax receipt. MSFC staff will issue all tax documents
to donors. This means that donations to a chapter account that is not held through MSFC are not taxdeductible.
2) Independent Student Group bank accounts may not be opened using only the name Medical
Students for Choice or the abbreviations MSFC or MS4C.
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3) Chapters may not deposit into their own bank accounts checks made payable solely to Medical
Students for Choice, even if the donor’s intention was to make a donation to the student group. These
donations should be sent to MSFC Headquarters to be deposited into the chapter’s Trust Account.
4) If chapters wish to deposit donations into accounts maintained through their medical schools, MSFC
asks that they obtain a letter from the medical school guaranteeing that unused funds will not be
redistributed or absorbed at the end of the semester or year.
4) Chapters are strongly encouraged to formally adopt the following policies for any bank account
the chapter holds:
a) Checks may not be written payable to cash.
b) Should the chapter dissolve, all remaining funds will be sent to MSFC Headquarters to be held
in trust until a new chapter starts up on that campus or to be redistributed after five years if no
new chapter is formed.
c) Copies of the bank statements will be sent to the MSFC Headquarters on a quarterly basis.
d) All bank statements, cancelled checks, and voided checks will be kept for at least 10 years. If
the chapter dissolves, these will be sent to MSFC Headquarters for safekeeping.
The Reimbursement Procedure
The reimbursement process is the same for all of the types of the funding listed previously.
Requests for reimbursement from the Student Activism Fund or from a Student Trust Account must
be authorized by a current Student Leader.
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All MSFC payments must be paid in US dollars. Reimbursements will be awarded based on the
published exchange rate the day the request is processed.
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All reimbursement requests should include a completed Reimbursement Request Form and all
relevant receipts. Requests should be for expenditures greater than $25.00.
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Reimbursement requests must be submitted within 30 days of the date of purchase on
submitted receipts.
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Credit card statements and bank statements are not permissible proofs of purchase.
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Mileage is reimbursed using the US IRS reimbursement guidelines. Gas is not reimbursed.
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Reimbursements will be paid through a PayPal account or personal check. It is the individual’s
responsibility to verify that you will be able to receive mail at the address you provide if you
choose to receive a check.
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MSFC is responsible for banking fees charged to MSFC’s accounts, but does not pay banking
fees incurred by individuals.
Chapters outside of the US have found that international banks vary widely in the fees they
charge to deposit checks in US currencies. Some MSFC members outside the US have
found that PayPal’s fees are more reasonable than their bank’s fees. Please check with your
bank before requesting a check in US currency for deposit in a bank account outside the US.
An electronic Reimbursement Request Form is available on our website. There is also a copy of
the form enclosed with this handbook.
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If there are no questions about your request for reimbursement, MSFC will usually issue you a
check or PayPal payment in about a week. It occasionally takes a little bit longer, but if you have not
received your payment within 30 days, it’s a good idea to check on it.*
*Important Note: If you ask for your reimbursement to be paid by check and your reimbursement
check is lost in the mail or stolen, MSFC will stop payment on it and reissue your check. If you lose
the check or provide an incorrect or outdated address to which it is sent, MSFC will stop payment
and reissue your check for the amount of the reimbursement less the stop payment fee that MSFC
incurs. Reimbursement checks are valid for six (6) months from the date of issue. If you do not cash
this check within six months you forego your right to reimbursement.
In order to have a reimbursement directed to your school account, you must submit your
institution’s policy stating that school group funds are not zeroed out or reabsorbed by the university
at the end of the year.
Fundraising
Your medical school may have student organization funds that can be used to cover basic expenses
(i.e. copying flyers, etc.) and some may even fund student travel to conferences like MSFC’s
Conference on Family Planning. Consider asking your school administration for help with things like
copying materials, covering food for meetings, and travel expenses to MSFC conferences.
As the goals of your chapter become more ambitious, you may find it necessary to raise money from
outside sources. Several MSFC school chapters have been enormously successful in appealing to
pro-choice providers, organizations and individuals in their community to fund larger scale endeavors.
Start by making a plan for the events you’d like to hold and estimate a budget. No fundraising activity
should be without a purpose and that purpose should be one that your chapter members support.
Sending members to the Conference on Family Planning is one of the best returns on fundraising
efforts available at MSFC.
There are three basic ways to raise money for your chapter:
- Individual Solicitations
- In-Kind Donations
- Fundraising Events
Contact MSFC staff and we can put together a fundraising strategy that will work for you.
1) Individual Solicitations
How do you decide to who to solicit? The Board of Directors recently came up with a list of networks to
consider for solicitation. Use this as your starting point and feel free to add groups to the list:
Friends
Family
Professors
Church members
Co-workers
College friends
Friends of your parents
People you volunteer with
Board members from other boards
MSFC Alumni
Local Ob/Gyns
Local health clinics
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There are two ways to attain individual solicitations: a letter writing campaign and face-to-face
solicitations.
Donors may mail their charitable donations to MSFC Headquarters with a memo or note indicating your
chapter as the intended beneficiary. HQ will process the gifts and apply them to your chapter’s Student
Trust Account. We will issue tax receipts in the form of a thank you letter. We highly recommend that
your chapter personally thank your donors as well.
While MSFC is able to accept online gifts for your chapter, no online processing tool is free. MSFC
works with Network for Good, which assesses a fee for its services. If donors contribute to your
chapter’s Trust Account through MSFC’s online donation tool, your Trust Account will match the
amount MSFC receives after the online transaction fee is paid. Online donations may be made at
https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/MSFC. (Tax deduction letters for online donations are issued
based on the amount of the gift before any fee is assessed.)
Letter solicitation campaign. After you create your list of prospects, compile their mailing addresses.
You will also need the following:
 MSFC letterhead, envelopes, and remittance envelopes
 Postage for the mailing
 A good solicitation letter
Contact HQ for letterhead and envelopes. You may write your own solicitation letter or use the letter
provided at the end of this handbook for inspiration. You must have your letter approved by MSFC
staff before you go to print.
Face-to-face solicitation. Face-to-face solicitations are the best approach when asking for larger
gifts. Be prepared – if you’re going to ask for a sizeable gift ($100+) from an organization or individual,
research if they have given charitable gifts in the past or currently donate to MSFC. Knowing MSFC’s
mission and programs is very important in this process. If you need help crafting your message for your
audience, please contact MSFC Headquarters.
Most importantly, know why you’re asking for money and be specific. Maybe you’re fundraising
specifically to send activists in your MSFC chapter to the Conference on Family Planning or maybe
you’re trying to raise funds to host a lecture on campus. Know the cost and be clear with donors about
how their gift will support your chapter.
When you successfully make a solicitation for a charitable gift, be sure to mail the check along with the
donor’s contact information to the MSFC Headquarters. We will process the check and send the donor
the appropriate tax receipt/thank you letter.
2) In-Kind Donations
An in-kind donation is the gift of services or products. It is a non-cash gift that has a cash value. An inkind donation can be food, meeting space, materials for creating posters, advertising, items for a silent
auction, or a presentation (speech/lecture).
The most common in-kind donation given to MSFC chapters is food and beverages for meetings.
Simply ask to speak to the manager or owner of a local business, tell him or her that your group is
holding a meeting and you expect X number of people to attend, and that you’re looking for someone to
donate catering for the meeting.
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Many local businesses are happy to help because they believe in the cause and they want to support
the community, but it’s also a good policy to offer them free advertising at your event. A small sign that
says “Food for this event donated by Bob’s Deli” on the food table is a great selling point.
In-kind donations can be requested face-to-face or by letter. A sample in-kind donation request letter is
provided on page 64. MSFC Headquarters can issue a tax receipt for the cash value of the donated
items. Request a receipt for the cost of the donated items and send it, along with the contact
information for the donor, to MSFC Headquarters.
3) Fundraising Events
Over the years, MSFC student chapters have had some great ideas for fun events that have gotten
their entire school involved.
Here is a list of events that may work for you:
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Sell MSFC t-shirts (contact MSFC Headquarters for more information on how to design and order tshirts. All t-shirt ideas must be approved before printing).
Sell candy and condom-grams for Valentine’s Day/National Condom Day.
Sell coffee before 1st and 2nd year morning lectures (get coffee donated from a local café).
Hold a bake sale (many bakeries will donate “day old” goodies).
Host a party and make a fundraising pitch (check out the MSFC website for more information on
Partying for a Purpose).
Hold a happy hour at a local bar—you collect admission the bar collects drink money.
Sell exam stress kits (bottled water, popcorn, chocolate, energy drinks, condoms etc.).
Organize a scrub sale.
Run an event to inform pre-med students on getting into medical school, being a pro-choice medical
student, etc.
Co-host a fundraising event with other student groups or local pro-choice organizations.
Sell pro-choice buttons or lapel pins.
Sell tickets to a Quizzo/Trivia Night with questions about reproductive topics and give away
inexpensive gag gifts or donated prizes.
Organize a silent auction or raffle. Ask local businesses, artists, restaurants, etc. to donate goods
or services and sell raffle tickets to win a prize or hold a silent auction. This goes well with a wine
and cheese party!
*Important Note: MSFC cannot reimburse for any alcohol expenses. However, many groups receive
alcohol as an in-kind donation by asking their local wine shop or grocery store. Please see the sample
in-kind solicitation letter in the appendix to this handbook for an example and contact MSFC staff if you
would like help.
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Curriculum Reform
MSFC believes that abortion and family planning training should be a standard part of all medical
school curricula. Formally improving your school’s reproductive health curriculum to include these
components may be the most important work that your MSFC chapter does, because it benefits future
medical students. To aid you in developing and improving your school’s curriculum MSFC has
developed the following baseline curriculum:
Topics to include in curriculum
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Pregnancy options counseling
Contraception counseling
Pharmacology of contraception/EC
Pharmacology of medication abortion
Basic statistics of abortion
Epidemiology of unintended pregnancy
Spontaneous abortion diagnosis and management
Surgical abortion techniques
Sexual health/dysfunction (male and female)
Ethics of abortion and physician responsibility
Learning objectives
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Ability to provide supportive and non-judgmental pregnancy options counseling to patients from a
diverse range of perspectives
Ability to provide contraception options counseling to patients in a variety of circumstances,
including post-partum
Knowledge of the pharmacology of contraception, emergency contraception, and medication
abortion
Knowledge of the epidemiology of unintended pregnancy and abortion
Knowledge of the diagnosis and management of spontaneous abortion
Knowledge of the etiologies and management of male and female sexual dysfunction
Understanding of the ethical and legal issues surrounding abortion and physician responsibility
In addition, every medical school should provide students the opportunity to observe abortion
procedures, including pre- and post-abortion counseling. If your school does not currently provide this
exposure, please refer to the Reproductive Health Externship section of this handbook for information
on how to set up an individual training experience with a participating clinic.
A medical school with a comprehensive reproductive health education curriculum should thoroughly
cover all of these topics. MSFC members actively monitor the curricula at their medical schools to offer
ongoing medical student support for the maintenance of positive reproductive health educational
standards that have already been established and to advocate for improvements when needed. We
have compiled the following suggestions for building a strong foundation for your curriculum reform
efforts. Please note that curriculum reform is not a one-size-fits-all process, and that what works at one
school may not work at another. The following guidelines should be developed and adapted into the
model that will work best for your medical school.
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Things to Know Before You Begin:
 Making changes to a curriculum is often a multi-year process. Be patient, and don’t let minor
setbacks discourage you.
 Stay in touch with MSFC staff. The Director of Membership Support and Evaluations can provide
individualized assistance and support for you.
 Ensure that there is someone familiar with the process to carry on the work after you are gone.
 Document the history of your efforts and share this information with MSFC HQ, other students,
and the MSFC network as a whole.
1) Evaluate your Curriculum
 Identify the gaps in your curriculum.
 Work with students in different years to get a better picture of what is and isn’t offered on your
campus.
 MSFC maintains records of past curriculum change efforts, curriculum resources, and articles to
support your efforts.
2) Choose a Plan
Your initial goal can be revisited and edited as the process unfolds, but will provide you with a solid idea
to which to refer when talking to others about your efforts.
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Which reproductive health topic would you like to add or improve in your current curriculum?
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Where will your topic fit in the current format of your curriculum?
- At what point in the curriculum?
- In which course?
 A new elective
 A lecture to an existing course
 A workshop
 A case study
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Identify allies.
- Supportive faculty and staff, administration, medical students, and professional students
who may also populate the course or class.
- Local clinics and providers, and other reproductive health organizations
- The curriculum reform committee at your school
3) Invite others to share in your request for change
Having others involved in the process means that the request comes from a group, which may help to
diffuse any potential antagonism if you meet resistance. It also makes the project more sustainable.
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Ways to get others involved and invested in the change:
- Discuss your ideas at an MSFC meeting- be prepared with relevant information (statistics,
MSFC brochure, etc.).
- Send an email over your school or class listserv.
- Distribute flyers.
- Set up a meeting or brainstorming session to talk informally with faculty and staff.
Attend meetings of other organizations on your campus such as American Medical Student’s
Association (AMSA), American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), American Medical
Association (AMA), Student National Medical Association (SNMA), American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and share your ideas.
- While AMSA and AMWA are pro-choice at the organizational level, campus chapters may
not be. Check in with your school’s group before assuming they are pro-choice.
Divide tasks and research among supporters to keep them engaged with the process.
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4) Research
Once you have a goal and the support of others, begin building your case. A case with solid and
substantial evidence behind it will be more difficult for decision-makers to ignore.
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Analyze strategies that were effective in the past.
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Talk with students, faculty and administration who have worked on curriculum change in the
past – both at your school and at other medical schools.
Contact MSFC staff for examples of curriculum reform processes that were successful at
other schools.
Show that the proposed change has support.
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Conduct an interview or survey of students.
Review evaluations of clinical rotations.
Distribute a petition.
Compile and summarize all results into an informal report.
Ensure that any additions to the curriculum will be offered at a time when students are
available and that there are students willing to participate if the addition is an elective.
MSFC Headquarters has a number of sample survey instruments.
- Sample Tracking Form (to document your meetings with faculty and administrators)
- Sample Questions for Surveys, Interviews, and Focus Groups
- Preclinical Curriculum Survey (with instructions)
5) Distribute
Spread your findings to people in a position to make change.
 Compile your case into a report and share your report and proposal with key faculty and
administrators, the curriculum committee, and other student groups.
 Create a fact-sheet of your findings to give to other medical students.
 Meet with course directors and decision-makers to discuss your findings.
 Maintain communication with MSFC staff; the Director of Membership Support and Evaluations
will provide individualized support.
 Maintain relationships with allied student leaders, faculty and administrators.
 Determine and work with the students who will take the lead on this project next year.
Additional Resources
Join the Curriculum Working Group to take part in conference calls with MSFC staff, Experienced
Student Leaders, and curriculum representatives. These conference calls are an opportunity to learn
how other medical students are handling curriculum reform at their medical schools, to learn how to put
MSFC’s resources to work for you, and to develop your reform plan with input from others.
Visit the Curriculum Resources Library on MSFC’s website to find presentation, fact sheets, and
infographics that you can use to help develop new materials on reproductive health topics.
http://www.msfc.org/medical-students/curriculum-reform/resources/
MSFC staff can provide resource materials developed by other MSFC chapters who have successfully
added reproductive health topics to their curricula. They can also supply you with resources developed
by other organizations.
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Transitioning Leadership
The success of MSFC’s grassroots activism depends on healthy transitions in leadership. Your
involvement in identifying and fostering new leadership will ensure your chapter’s future growth and its
relationship with MSFC.
Develop New Leadership
 Give new people opportunities that will help build their confidence. Encourage them to take on
leadership roles as soon as they feel ready.
 Never ask someone to do something that you would not do yourself. Make sure new people are
shown how to perform tasks clearly and tactfully.
 Identify two or three people who have been involved with the group that you think would be good
Student Leaders for next year.
 Talk to each of these people personally. Tell them why you think they would be a great Student
Leader. Give them details about the position – what you do, the time commitment, the support
network, etc. – and explain that you want to show them the ropes throughout the year.
 Get them involved in planning spring events and have them organize their own event.
 Try to designate successors a semester in advance so that you can have them attend key
meetings with you.
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Hand over the reins before the beginning of summer.
*Important Note: Inform MSFC staff of changes in leadership as soon as possible by emailing
students@msfc.org.
Conduct an Evaluation Meeting with incoming Student Leaders
 What went well this year? What would you do differently next time?
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How can your chapter apply this year’s experiences to grow stronger next year?
Security Protocol
Medical Students for Choice is committed to the safety of our members. On occasion, an MSFC
member or chapter may experience threats or harassment due to the controversial nature of our work.
These guidelines are designed to give you steps you may follow to better ensure your safety and the
safety of your chapter members.
Threats
Threats can come in physical, verbal, or written form. Any communication is deemed a “threat” if a
reasonable person would interpret the communication as an intention to create the fear of bodily harm.
Threats are a rare experience for MSFC chapters but should be taken seriously if they occur. The
guidelines below will give you step-by-step instructions for responding to a threat.
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Harassment
Harassment by mail, email, or in person is the most common type of potential safety issue faced by our
chapter leaders. Harassment can include threats, but are most often communications or actions that
hinder your efforts by forcing you to turn your energies elsewhere. Examples of harassment include:
 Tearing down or defacing flyers posted to inform your fellow students of an MSFC-sponsored event
or meeting.
 Nasty emails on your chapter’s listserv or personally to chapter members.
 Verbal argumentative behavior at an MSFC event (heckling).
Guidelines for Responding to Threats or Harassment
**If you or any member of your chapter is threatened, you should notify your campus security office
immediately.**
Document the incident
It is important that you keep a careful record of any incident involving threats or harassment to establish
a pattern for future consideration by your school’s administration or security office.
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If the incident occurs at a meeting or event, have those MSFC members who witnessed the
incident write up a description of the event and save the reports for campus security. Include the
name of the person causing the problem, the general content of the threat or harassing
comment, and any other elements of the incident (such as the number of persons involved) that
may bear on an assessment of the seriousness of the incident.
If the incident is by voicemail or email, save the harassing or threatening message and show to
campus security.
Alert Campus Authorities to the Problem
Once you have documented the incident, you should ensure that others, including those in positions of
authority on your campus, know about the incident. There are two reasons for this: a) it ensures that
there is a record of the incident if additional incidents occur and an official response is appropriate, and
b) it provides a context for law enforcement if an incident of harassment escalates to a threatening
situation.
Alert your Chapter Members to the Incident
Because any of your chapter members may be exposed to threats or harassment from the same group
or individual, officially informing chapter members of the incident is important.
Notify MSFC Headquarters – We maintain a record of campus incidents and, if the situation is more
serious, we can arrange for private security consulting for any members of your chapter that may feel
threatened.
Special Note on Picketing: Picketing is a legally protected activity in most countries where MSFC is
active and is not considered to be either a threat or harassment. There are legal parameters around
picketing activity in some cities, however, so it would be useful for you to be aware of any “bubble zone”
legislation in your town or city that requires picketers to maintain a certain distance. Picketers must
generally stay on public property, so they may not be permitted to picket on your campus.
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Directories – MSFC Headquarters Staff Roster
Samantha Apgar—Training and Research Manager
samantha@msfc.org
Lois Backus—Executive Director
Lois@msfc.org
Bridget Bohannon—Director of Training Programs and Research
Bridget@msfc.org
Katie H. Grosh—Director of Membership Engagement
Katie@msfc.org
Dawn Law—Executive and Meeting Support Manager
Dawn@msfc.org
Lee McClenon—Development and Communications Manager
Lee@msfc.org
Erica Seaborne—Senior Director of Development and Financial Accountability
Erica@msfc.org
Lee Steube- Manager of Student Organizing
LSteube@msfc.org
Tiffany Stout—Finance and Administration Manager
Tiffany@msfc.org
Becky Wallis—Manager of Curriculum Reform
Becky@msfc.org
Katelyn Weeks—Director of Conferences and Events
Katelyn@msfc.org
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Directories – Ally Organizations
INTERNATIONAL
Advocates for Youth
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 419-3420
Website: www.advocatesforyouth.org
Advocates for Youth is dedicated to creating programs and advocating for policies that help young people
make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. AFY is moving toward this
goal by providing information, training, and strategic assistance to youth-serving organizations, policy makers,
youth activists, and the media in the U.S. and developing world.
Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health
San Francisco, CA
Phone: (415) 502-4086
Website: http://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/
The Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health conducts academic research on global reproductive health
topics. Their mission is to advance women's health worldwide through research, training, policy analysis and
services.
Catholics for Choice
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 986-6093
Website: www.catholicsforchoice.org
Catholics for Choice (CFC) was founded in 1973 to serve as a voice for Catholics who believe that the Catholic
tradition supports a woman’s moral and legal right to follow her conscience in matters of sexuality and
reproductive health.
Center for Reproductive Rights
New York, NY
Phone: (917) 637-3600
Website: www.reproductiverights.org
The Center for Reproductive Rights is a nonprofit legal and policy advocacy organization dedicated to
promoting women's reproductive rights. Its US domestic and international programs involve litigation, policy
analysis, legal research, and public education, and seek to achieve women’s equality in society by ensuring that
all women have access to appropriate and freely chosen reproductive health services.
Centre for Development and Population Based Activities
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 617-2300
Website: www.cedpa.org/
The Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) is an internationally recognized non-profit
organization that improves the lives of women and girls in developing countries. Their approach is to work handin-hand with women leaders, local partners, and national and international organizations to give women the tools
they need to improve their lives, families and communities.
Family Care International (FCI)
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 941-5300
Website: www.familycareintl.org
FCI is dedicated to improving women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in developing countries, with
a special emphasis on making pregnancy and childbirth safer. FCI addresses a range of urgent health issues,
including maternal health, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, family planning, unsafe abortion, and
violence against women.
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Global Doctors for Choice
Website: www.globaldoctorsforchoice.org
Global Doctors for Choice (GDC) is committed to promoting exchange, support, and collaboration among
physicians around the world so that they can actively work toward ensuring that all people have the information,
access to high quality services, and freedom of choice to make their own reproductive health decisions. Global
Doctors for Choice believes that physicians’ commitment to the scientific process and to the best interests of their
patients compels them to advocate on behalf of universal access to comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive
health care.
Global Health Council
Alexandria, VA
Phone: (703) 717-5200
Website: www.globalhealth.org/
The Global Health Council works to ensure that all who strive for improvement and equity in global health have
the information and resources they need to succeed. To achieve this goal, the Council serves as the voice for
action on global health issues and the voice for progress in the global health field.
Guttmacher Institute
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 248-1111 or Toll free: (800) 355-0244
Website: www.guttmacher.org
Guttmacher focuses on sexual and reproductive health research, policy analysis, and public education.
Guttmacher publishes a number of reports and fact sheets on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Its
mission is to protect the reproductive choices of all women and men everywhere and to support their ability to
access the information and services needed to achieve their full human rights.
HealthRight International
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 226-9890
Website: www.healthright.org/
HealthRight International is committed to lowering maternal and infant mortality rates, expanding access to
health care for women, providing education and services addressing reproductive health, and empowering
women to advocate for appropriate health services for themselves and their communities.
Ibis Reproductive Health
Cambridge, MA
Phone: (617) 349-0040
Website: www.ibisreproductivehealth.org/
Ibis’ projects focus on improving access to abortion, expanding contraceptive choices, advancing prevention
strategies for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and linking reproductive health and HIV
prevention, care, and treatment. Ibis also trains the next generation of abortion and reproductive health
researchers through the Charlotte Ellertson Social Science Postdoctoral Fellowship in Abortion and Reproductive
Health.
The International Consortium on Medical Abortion (ICMA)
Phone: +373 22 54-56-09
Website: www.medicalabortionconsortium.org/
The ICMA works to: establish an international network of organizations and individuals interested in medical
abortion, including for those working to make medical abortion available in safe conditions for women; support the
initiation of regional networks; develop the ICMA website to share information and resources on medical abortion
and provide links to information and materials produced by others in the field.
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International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC)
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 979-8500
Website: www.iwhc.org
The IWHC promotes projects and aids agencies that strive to improve the quality of women’s reproductive
health worldwide. It cooperates with other groups who distribute information on women’s reproductive health and
complete health services for women. It supports, through grants and technical assistance, innovative
reproductive health programs and services in developing countries.
International Planned Parenthood Federation
London, England
Phone: +44 (0)20 7939 8200
Website: www.ippf.org
IPPF is a global service provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for
all. IPPF is a network of local national organizations working with and for communities and individuals for the
advancement of reproductive health.
Ipas
Chapel Hill, NC
Phone: (919) 967-7052 or Toll free: (800) 334 -8446
Website: www.ipas.org
Ipas is a global nongovernmental organization dedicated to ending preventable deaths and disabilities from
unsafe abortion. Through local, national and global partnerships, Ipas works to ensure that women can obtain
safe, respectful and comprehensive abortion care, including counseling and contraception to prevent future
unintended pregnancies.
Jhpiego
Baltimore, MD
Phone: (410) 537-1800
Website: www.jhpiego.org
Jhpiego’s dedicated teams of technical experts—in the areas of global learning; family planning/reproductive
health; cervical cancer; maternal, newborn and child health; monitoring, evaluation and research; health systems
strengthening; HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases; publications; and knowledge management—are renewing their
efforts to pursue and disseminate practical, low-cost innovations that can make significant contributions to the
health of women and their families.
Latin American and Caribbean Women’s Health Network (LACWHN)
Santiago, Chile
Phone: (56-2) 223 7077
Website: www.reddesalud.org
LACWHN links organizations and individuals involved in the women’s health movement and other social
movements to promote and defend the right to universal access to comprehensive health care, the full exercise of
human rights – especially sexual and reproductive rights – and women’s citizenship from a feminist and
intercultural perspective.
Marie Stopes International
Phone: + 44 (0) 845 300 8090 or +44 (0)20 7636 6200
International Website: www.mariestopes.org
UK Website: www.mariestopes.org.uk
Marie Stopes International is one of the largest international family planning organizations in the world. In 2008
alone, the organization provided over six million people in 42 countries with high quality health services, including
family planning; safe abortion & post-abortion care; maternal & child health care including safe delivery and
obstetrics; diagnosis & treatment of sexually transmitted infections; and HIV/AIDS prevention.
28
Population Action International
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 557-3400
Website: www.pai.org
Population Action International is dedicated to advancing policies and programs that slow population growth to
enhance the quality of life for all people. It advocates for voluntary family planning and reproductive health
services and reaches out to government leaders and opinion makers through the dissemination of strategic,
action-oriented publications, broader efforts to inform public opinion, and coalitions with other development,
reproductive health and environmental organizations.
Population Council
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 339-0500 or (887) 339-0500
Website: www.popcouncil.org
The Population Council is concerned with international population growth and resources, and improving the
reproductive well-being and health of current and future generations. It analyzes population issues and trends,
conducts research, develops contraceptives, and helps governments design and implement effective population
policies.
Venture Strategies for Health and Development
Berkeley, CA
Phone: (510) 665-1880
Website: www.venturestrategies.org
Venture Strategies is a nonprofit organization working to improve the health and well-being of people in low
resource countries, by reducing barriers that inhibit women from having access to options about their
childbearing; supporting the availability of promising health technologies that have potential for large scale impact
around the world; and increasing understanding of the feasibility of slowing population growth within a voluntary,
human rights framework.
Women on Waves
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Website: www.womenonwaves.org
Women on Waves is a Dutch non-profit organization concerned with women's human rights. Its mission is to
prevent unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortions throughout the world.
World Health Organization (WHO) Sexual and Reproductive Health Department
Website: www.who.int/reproductivehealth/en/
WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible
for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and
standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and
assessing health
29
BULGARIA
Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association
Phone: +359 2 943 30 52
Website: www.safesex.bg
The Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association (BFPA) focuses on advocacy, and on
information and education activities for the general public, with a focus on young people in particular. The BFPA
works with the Ministry of Education to bring youth volunteers into schools to teach comprehensive sex
education. BFPA also runs 6 sexual health clinics throughout Bulgaria.
Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation
Website: http://www.escr-net.org/index.php
BGRF is an independent non-governmental organization that promotes social equality and women’s human
rights in Bulgaria through research, education and advocacy programs. Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation
was founded in June 1998 in Sofia by women committed to work in the field of women’s rights and all of them
with previous experience in advocacy, education, monitoring violations of human rights, lobbying for legislative
changes, preparing publications, networking. The group consists of lawyers, academics and women’s rights
activists. The group was formed because all the founders strongly felt that there was a need for specific
research, education and advocacy in the area of women’s rights.
CANADA
Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC-CDAC)
Vancouver, BC
Website: www.arcc-cdac.ca
The ARCC is a broad-based national organization consisting of groups and individuals who support the
ARCC's work to undertake political and educational work on reproductive rights and health.
Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
Ottawa, ON
Phone: 613-241-4474
Website: http://www.sexualhealthandrights.ca
Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights is a progressive, pro-choice charitable organization committed to
advancing and upholding sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada and globally.
National Abortion Federation Canada (NAF)
Victoria, BC
Phone: 250-598-1858
Website: www.nafcanada.org
The National Abortion Federation is a professional association of abortion providers in the U.S. and Canada
whose mission is to preserve and enhance the quality and accessibility of abortion services. NAF produces
informational and educational materials, advocates against burdensome anti-abortion restrictions at the state
and federal level, and brings the providers’ perspective into the abortion debate by working with the media.
30
IRELAND
Doctors for Choice
Website: www.doctorsforchoiceireland.com
Doctors for Choice is an alliance of independent medical professionals and students advocating
for comprehensive reproductive health services in Ireland, including the provision of safe and legal abortion for
women who choose it.
Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA)
Phone: 01 607 4456
Website: www.ifpa.ie
The IFPA delivers family planning courses to doctors and nurses and also provides education and training
on reproductive health issues to a variety of groups including service providers, young people, parents and
community groups. With our track record in providing high-quality medical services, crisis pregnancy counseling
and education, IFPA is a respected authority on sexuality and health and is regularly called upon to give expert
opinions and advice. The IFPA works with partner organizations and civil society to raise awareness of the
importance of sexual and reproductive health at home and all over the world. The IFPA’s mission is to enable
people to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health and to understand their rights.
ISRAEL
La-Briut: Israel Association for the Advancement of Women’s Health
Website: www.la-briut.org.il
This volunteer organization aims to address women’s health needs in Israel. La-Briut is dedicated to
improving the quality of life for all women: Israeli Jewish, Muslim and Christian women, new and veteran
immigrants, religious and secular, urban and rural and women of all socioeconomic classes, ages, and sexual
identities.
Women and Their Bodies
Website: www.wtb.org.il/english/
Founded in 2005, Women and Their Bodies is a unique women's NGO working to promote comprehensive
social change in the health attitudes of Israeli women, Jewish and Arab. WTB is a member of the “Our Bodies
Ourselves” (OBOS) international network of women's health organizations, focusing on all aspects of women’s
health, with particular focus on sexual and reproductive health rights.
UKRAINE
Salus Charitable Foundation
Website: www.salus.org.ua
UNITED KINGDOM
Abortion Rights: The National Pro-Choice Campaign
Phone: 020 7923 9792
Website: www.abortionrights.org.uk
Abortion Rights is a British grass roots membership-based democratic campaign working to defend and
extend women's rights to abortion.
31
bpas
Phone: 08457 30 40 30
Website: www.bpas.org
bpas is Britain's largest single abortion provider caring for over 55,000 women each year. It also provides
pregnancy testing, counselling, STI screening, contraception, vasectomy and vasectomy reversal through our 36
consultation centres and 19 clinics located throughout the UK.
Family Planning Association
England
Northern Ireland
Phone: 0845 122 8690
Phone: 0845 122 8687
Website: www.fpa.org.uk/
FPA’s mission is to help establish a society in which everyone has positive, informed and non-judgmental
attitudes to sex and relationships; where everyone can make informed choices about sex, relationships and
reproduction so that they can enjoy sexual health free from prejudice or harm. This pro-choice organization
works to educate the community and policy makers about sexual and reproductive health.
Pro-Choice Forum (PCF)
Website: www.prochoiceforum.org.uk/
The Pro-Choice Forum is a website designed for those who have an interest in social, legal and ethical
aspects of abortion and related issues. The site includes a special section, 'Psychological Issues', where you will
find research papers and comment articles about the relationship of abortion to women's mental health, and also
practice issues in abortion care.
UNITED STATES
Access Women’s Health Justice
Oakland, CA
Phone: (510) 923-0739
Website: www.accesswhj.org
This organization provides information and a referral program serving Northern and Central California.
Callers receive information and practical assistance in overcoming obstacles to health care.
Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH)
Oakland, CA
Phone: (510) 986-8990
Website: www.ansirh.org
ANSIRH works to ensure that reproductive health care and policy are grounded in evidence. ANSIRH’s
multi-disciplinary team includes clinicians, researchers and scholars in the fields of sociology, demography,
anthropology, medicine, nursing, public health, and law. ANSIRH is a program of the Bixby Center for Global
Reproductive Health.
American Civil Liberties Union Reproductive Freedom Project (ACLU)
New York, NY
Website: www.aclu.org
The ACLU works in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect and defend the individual rights and
liberties guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. In particular, the Reproductive Freedom Project works to ensure
that every person can make informed decisions about reproduction without interference from the government.
The Project aims to protect access to sex education, abortion counseling, family planning services, prenatal
care, and childbearing assistance.
32
Black Women’s Health Imperative
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 548-4000
Website: www.bwhi.org
The Black Women’s Health Imperative is a membership organization focused on empowerment and health
advocacy for women and girls of color. It develops and administers programs to increase the public’s resolve in
health prevention strategies and research that contribute to women of color leading healthier and more informed
lives.
Center for Women Policy Studies
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 872-1770
Website: www.centerwomenpolicy.org
The Center is a multiethnic and multicultural feminist policy research and advocacy institution that seeks to
incorporate the perspectives of women, in all their diversity, into public policies that ensure their just and
equitable treatment.
Civil Liberties and Public Policy (CLPP)
Amherst, MA
Phone: (413) 559-5416
Website: http://clpp.hampshire.edu
CLPP is a national reproductive rights and justice organization dedicated to educating, mentoring, and
inspiring new generations of advocates, leaders, and supporters. Combining activism, organizing, leadership
training, and reproductive rights movement building, CLPP promotes an inclusive agenda that advances
reproductive rights and health, and social and economic justice.
Family Planning Advocates of New York State
Albany, NY
Phone: (518) 436-8408
Website: www.fpaofnys.org/
Family Planning Advocates of New York State is a non-profit statewide membership organization dedicated
to protecting and expanding access to a full range of reproductive health services. FPA represents and is
primarily funded by New York's Planned Parenthood affiliates, with additional support from member family
planning clinics and dozens of sister organizations, as well as thousands of individual members across the state.
Feminist Majority Foundation
Arlington, VA
Beverly Hills, CA
Phone: (703) 522-2214
Phone: (310) 556-2500
Website: www.feminist.org
The FMF is dedicated to women’s equality, reproductive health, and non-violence. This organization utilizes
research and action to empower women economically, socially, and politically. Its website is a source for
information on reproductive health issues and services, feminist job openings, and links to relevant sites.
Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR)
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 785-5100
Website: www.iwpr.org
IWPR is a public policy research organization dedicated to informing and stimulating the debate on public
policy issues of critical importance to women and their families. IWPR focuses on issues of poverty and welfare,
employment and earnings, work and family issues, health and safety, and women’s civic and political
participation.
Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies (IWES)
New Orleans, LA
Phone: (504) 599-7712
Website: http://iwesnola.org/
33
IWES works to improve the physical, mental, and spiritual health and quality of life for women of color and
their families. IWES creates social change to improve the lives of women of color and their families through
sexual health education, training, and advocacy.
Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)
Menlo Park, CA
Phone: (650) 854-9400
Website: www.kff.org
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is an independent foundation that focuses on the major health care
issues facing the nation. The Foundation is an independent voice and source of facts and analysis for policy
makers, the media, the health care community, and the general public.
Law Students for Reproductive Justice (LSRJ)
Oakland, CA
Phone: (510) 622-8134
Website: www.lsrj.org
Law Students for Reproductive Justice trains and mobilizes law students and new lawyers across the
country to foster legal expertise and support for the realization of reproductive justice.
League of Women Voters
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 429-1965
Website: www.lwv.org
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan political organization that encourages informed and active
citizen participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences
policy with education and advocacy.
Midwest Access Project (MAP)
Chicago, IL
Website: www.midwestaccessproject.org
MAP helps medical students, residents and health care providers identify training goals and connect
interested individuals with trainers in the region with the goal to increase the number of abortion providers in the
Midwest.
National Abortion Federation (NAF)
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 667-5881
Website: www.prochoice.org
The National Abortion Federation is a professional association of abortion providers in the U.S. and Canada
whose mission is to preserve and enhance the quality and accessibility of abortion services. NAF produces
informational and educational materials, advocates against burdensome anti-abortion restrictions at the state
and federal level, and brings the providers’ perspective into the abortion debate by working with the media.
National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW)
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 255-9252
Website: www.advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/
NAPW works to secure the human and civil rights, health and welfare of all women, focusing particularly on
pregnant and parenting women, and those who are most vulnerable - low income women, women of color, and
drug-using women.
National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League Pro-Choice America (NARAL)
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 973-3000
Website: www.prochoiceamerica.org
34
NARAL supports in-depth research and legal work, publishes substantive policy reports, mounts public
education campaigns and other communications projects, and provides leadership training for grassroots
activists across the nation. NARAL works to promote effective pregnancy prevention programs and expanded
access to reproductive health care, family planning services, contraception and age-appropriate sexuality
education.
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA)
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 293-3114
Website: www.nfprha.org
The NFPRHA is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to assuring access to voluntary,
comprehensive family planning and reproductive health services worldwide.
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH)
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 422-2553
Website: www.latinainstitute.org
NLIRH works to ensure the fundamental human right to reproductive health care for Latinas, their families
and communities through education, advocacy, and coalition building. Through leadership development and
community organizing training, NLIRH seeks to expand the cadre of Latina leaders and activists capable of
guiding advocacy campaigns and effecting public policy change at the grassroots, regional, and national levels.
National Organization for Women (NOW)
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 628-8669
Website: www.now.org
NOW is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States and fights for full reproductive rights
for all women, including poor women and young women. NOW works to eliminate discrimination and
harassment in the workplace, schools, the justice system, and all other sectors of society; secure abortion, birth
control and reproductive rights for all women; end all forms of violence against women; eradicate racism, sexism
and homophobia; and promote equality and justice in our society.
National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF)
Boston, MA
Website: www.fundabortionnow.org
NNAF is an affiliation of community-based abortion funds throughout the United States. This organization
facilitates networking and provides mutual support for existing funds; provides support for the creation of new
abortion funds in underserved areas; explores new ways to meet the immediate funding needs of women; and
advocates on the national level on issues of access to abortion, reproductive freedom and health care, with a
special emphasis on funding.
National Partnership for Women and Families
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 986-2600
Website: www.nationalpartnership.org
The National Partnership for Women and Families is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that uses public
education and advocacy to promote fairness in the workplace, quality health care, and policies that help women
and men meet the dual demands of work and family.
National Women’s Health Network
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 682-2640
Website: www.nwhn.org
The National Women's Health Network improves the health of all women by developing and promoting a
critical analysis of health issues in order to affect policy and support consumer decision-making. The Network
aspires to a health care system that is guided by social justice and reflects the needs of diverse women.
35
National Women’s Law Center (NWLC)
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 588-5180
Website: www.nwlc.org
NWLC litigates and advocates for women's legal rights. The Center uses the law in all its forms: getting new
laws on the books and enforced; litigating groundbreaking cases in state and federal courts all the way to the
Supreme Court; and educating the public about ways to make the law and public policies work for women and
their families. Programs include: employment, child and adult dependent care, reproductive rights, child support
enforcement, educational opportunity and social security.
The Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center (NAWHERC)
Lake Andes, SD
Phone: (605) 487-7072
Website: www.nativeshop.org
NAWHERC addresses pertinent issues of health, education, land and water rights, and economic
development of Native American people. It has expanded to include many programs to benefit people locally,
nationally, and internationally.
New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU)
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 344-3005
Website: www.nyclu.org
The NYCLU is a statewide organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of New Yorkers’ civil
liberties as enumerated in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution and the Constitution of the State of New
York, including freedom of speech and religion, and the right to privacy, equality and due process of law.
People For the American Way (PFAW)
Washington, D.C.
Phone: (202) 467-4999
Website: www.pfaw.org
People For the American Way is committed to defending democracy and bringing the ideals of community,
opportunity, diversity, equality and fairness together to form a strong, united voice. To achieve this, PFAW
conducts research, legal and education work, as well as monitors and researches the Religious Right movement
and its political allies.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Website: www.plannedparenthood.org
New York
San Francisco
Phone: (212) 541-7800
Phone: (415) 956-8856
Chicago
Washington, DC
Phone: (630) 627-9270
Phone: (202) 785-3351
Nurse Practitioner Program
Phone: (215) 985-2628
Planned Parenthood believes in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his
or her fertility, regardless of the individual's income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age,
national origin, or residence. Planned Parenthood provides access to information and services related to
sexuality, reproduction, methods of contraception, fertility control, and parenthood.
Pro-Choice Public Education Project (PEP)
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 977-4266
Website: www.protectchoice.org
PEP is a collaborative project of the country's leading national pro-choice organizations dedicated to
empowering a new generation of pro-choice activists and supporters. With the input of young pro-choice leaders,
PEP puts choice on the radar screens of today's young women, educates them about threats to reproductive
rights, and provides them with tools for action.
36
Pro-Choice Resources
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612) 825-2000
Website: www.prochoiceresources.org
This statewide non-profit organization’s mission is to safeguard reproductive options for all women, including
the right to choose and to obtain legal abortions. Some of its educational programs include a speakers’ bureau, a
resource library, research and outreach programs, a Choice Lobby Team, and a financial assistance fund to help
low-income women get abortions.
Provide
Cambridge, MA
Phone: (617) 661-1161
Website: www.provideaccess.org
Provide is committed to access to safe abortion for all women in the U.S. They believe that by being clearly
focused on abortion within the context of our broader values they will make a significant contribution to women’s
health and autonomy.
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC)
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 628-7700
Website: www.rcrc.org
RCRC is a coalition of religious communities whose purpose is to ensure reproductive choice through
education and advocacy. The Coalition seeks to give clear voice to the reproductive issues of people of color,
those living in poverty, and other underserved populations. Comprised of national Christian, Jewish and other
religious organizations, the Coalition works to educate and mobilize the religious community to create a public
opinion climate that is conducive to pro-choice policymaking, and that affirms women as moral decision-makers.
Reproductive Health Access Project (RHAP)
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 206-5247
Website: www.reproductiveaccess.org
The Reproductive Health Access Project seeks to ensure that women and teens at every socioeconomic
level can readily obtain birth control and abortion from their own primary care clinician. Through training,
advocacy and mentoring programs, RHAP helps family physicians and other clinicians make birth control and
abortion a part of routine medical care.
Reproductive Health Technologies Project (RHTP)
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 530-4401
Website: www.rhtp.org
RHTP brings together leaders from a wide range of constituencies and disciplines for the purpose of
dialogue and consensus building on issues of reproductive health. The Project’s mission is to advance the right
of every woman to achieve full reproductive freedom through increased information and access to a wide range of
safe and effective means for controlling fertility and protecting her health.
RH Reality Check
Silver Spring, MD
Website: www.rhrealitycheck.org/
RH Reality Check is an online community and publication serving individuals and organizations committed to
advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights. RH Reality Check is guided by the issues and
recommendations identified in the Program of Action agreed on at the International Conference on Population and
Development at Cairo in 1994. RH Reality Check exists as a resource for evidence-based information,
provocative commentary, and interactive dialogue.
37
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SEICUS)
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 819-9770
Website: www.siecus.org/
SEICUS helps schools and communities develop comprehensive sexuality education curricula, trains
teachers to provide high quality sexuality education in the classroom, and help parents talk to their kids about sex.
SEICUS educates policymakers and their staff about issues related to sexuality and train advocates on the local,
state, and national levels to build support for comprehensive sexuality education and access to reproductive
health information and services. SEICUS develops tons of fantastic resources on sexuality education for broad
audiences.
Sierra Club Global Population & the Environment Program
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 547-1141
Website: www.sierraclub.org/population/
The Global Population and Environment Program's mission is to protect the global environment and
preserve natural resources for future generations by advancing global reproductive health and sustainable
development initiatives. Working with domestic and international coalition partners, the Sierra Club seeks to
increase universal access to voluntary family planning services and comprehensive sex education; advance
women's and girls' basic rights, including access to health care, education and economic opportunity; promote
youth leadership; and raise public awareness of wasteful resource consumption in the context of social and
economic equity.
SisterSong
Atlanta, GA
Phone: (404) 756-2680
Website: www.sistersong.net
The mission of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective is to amplify and strengthen
the collective voices of Indigenous women and women of color to ensure reproductive justice through securing
human rights.
Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity (URGE)
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 965-7700 or (888) 784-4494
Website: www.urge.org
URGE envisions a world where all people have agency over their own bodies and relationships, and the
power, knowledge, and tools to exercise that agency. URGE builds this vision by engaging young people in
creating and leading the way to sexual and reproductive justice for all by providing training, field mobilization, and
national leadership for a youth-driven agenda..
Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project
Los Angeles, CA
Website: www.wrrap.org
WRRAP raises money for low income women of all ages, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds who are
unable to pay for either emergency contraception or a safe and legal abortion
38
Directories – US Professional Associations; Physician, Resident,
and Medical Student Organizations; Accreditation Councils
American Association of Colleges of
Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)
Phone: (301) 968-4100
Website: www.aacom.org
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
Phone: (913) 906-6000 or (800) 274-2237
Website: www.aafp.org
Association of American Medical Colleges
(AAMC)
Phone: (202) 828-0400
Website: www.aamc.org
Association of Professors of Gynecology and
Obstetrics (APGO)
Phone: (410) 451-9560
Website: www.apgo.org
American Public Health Association (APHA)
Phone: (202) 777-2742
Website: www.apha.org
Association of Reproductive Health
Professionals (ARHP)
Phone: (202) 466-3825
Website: www.arhp.org
American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
(ABOG)
Phone: (214) 871-1619
Website: www.abog.org
Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and
Gynecology (CREOG)
Website: www.acog.org/creog
Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical
Education (ACGME)
Phone: (312) 755-5000
Website: www.acgme.org
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in
Women’s Health (NPWH)
Phone: (202) 543-9693
Website: www.npwh.org
American Congress of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists (ACOG)
Phone: (800) 673-8444 or (202) 638-5577
Website: www.acog.org
Nursing Students for Choice
Phone: (651) 602-7658
Website: www.nursingstudentsforchoice.org
American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians
and Gynecologists (ACOOG)
Phone: (817) 377-0421
Website: www.acoog.com
American Medical Association (AMA)
Website: www.ama-assn.org
American Medical Students Association (AMSA)
Phone: (703) 620-6600
Website: www.amsa.org
American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)
Phone: (703) 234-4069
Website: www.amwa-doc.org
American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
Phone: (800) 621-1773 or (312) 202-8000
Website: www.osteopathic.org
Physicians for Human Rights
Phone: (617) 301-4200
Website: www.physiciansforhumanrights.org
Physicians for Reproductive Health
Phone: (646) 366-1890
Website: www.prh.org
Society of Family Planning
Phone: (866) 584-6758
Website: www.societyfp.org
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
Phone: (800) 274-7928 or (913) 906-6000
Website: www.stfm.org
Student National Medical Association (SNMA)
Phone: (202) 882-2881
Website: www.snma.org
39
You’re invited to the premier conference for medical students interested in
reproductive health and family planning!
Learn from our expert faculty about a wide range of
reproductive health topics often excluded from standard
medical school curricula. Lectures and interactive workshops
include:




abortion and family planning
hands-on training in reproductive health skills
international family planning
advocacy and activism
Please join us on October 17-18, 2015 in Philadelphia, PA to
enhance your medical education and develop connections to the
reproductive health care community.
For more information, visit www.msfc.org
40
M e d i c a l
S t u d e n t s
f o r
C h o i c e ®
Reproductive Health Externship
Funding Program
The Reproductive Health Externship Funding Program (RHE) is an opportunity for medical students to receive
clinical exposure to abortion care. MSFC provides financial support to medical students seeking this training.
How it works
Step 1: Find a Host Facility
MSFC maintains a directory of
clinics we’ve partnered with in the
past. Check out the map in the
abortion training section of
www.msfc.org (tip: click on a
location to populate a list of
clinics).
Externships can be done at any
clinic, so if you have one in mind
but it isn’t on the list, feel free to
reach out to them!
Step 2: Submit an Application
All application materials can be
found in the abortion training
section of the www.msfc.org
website. Please submit completed
applications at least 1 month prior
to the start of your externship.
Externships happen year round
so applications are accepted all
year and awards are given on a
rolling basis.
Step 3: Experience the RHE
Since externships are arranged on
an individual basis, you’re
experience will be unique! You’ll
see at least 50 abortion procedures
and much more. You’ll have
exposure to a wide range of
reproductive healthcare services
such as: pregnancy options
counseling, IUD placements,
contraception counseling, and
pelvic exams.
Requirements
Who?
All current medical
students in good
standing are welcome to
apply!
When and for how long?
Externships can occur at any
time during the year and at any
point during your medical school
career.
Externships should be at least
2 weeks in length. For shorter
training opportunities, contact
MSFC HQ.
Where?
Any clinic that can guarantee
you exposure to 50 abortion
procedures can serve as the
host facility for your externship.
Some externs choose to do
their externship at more than 1
facility to ensure they see
enough procedures.
Questions?
Please visit the “Abortion Training” portion of our website for more information. Still have questions?
MSFC HQ is here to help! Please feel free to contact Bridget, Director of Training Programs, with any
questions or if you need assistance with any part of the application process.
www.msfc.org  bridget@msfc.org 818-370-5413
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Resources – Sample Constitution
Title 1
The name of this organization shall be Medical Students for Choice –[insert your school name here].
Title II
Section A: Purpose and Objective
The purpose of this organization is to increase education, awareness, and open discussion regarding
issues of reproductive health and to support those within the medical community who are working to
ensure the availability of all reproductive health care services.
Section B: Eligibility
This group shall be open to all interested members of the [insert your school name here] community,
including students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The number of members shall not be limited.
Title III
Section A: Designation of Officers
The officers of Medical Students for Choice will include, but will not limited to: President, Vice
President, Secretary and Treasurer, who will collectively be known as the Executive Board. Other
offices will be created if deemed necessary by the Executive Board.
Section B: Duties of all executive Board Members
All members of the Executive Board are responsible for attending Executive Board meetings. They are
also expected to make every effort to attend general meetings.
Section C: Duties of the President
Duties of the president will include, but will not be limited to the following:
-Action as a school leader and correspondent with MSFC Headquarters.
-Organizing public relations (both within and outside the school community).
Section D: Duties of the Vice-President
The duties of the vice-president will include, but will not be limited to the following:
-Maintaining up-to-date information regarding legal and political issues of reproductive justice and
acting accordingly on that information.
Section E: Duties of the Secretary
The duties of the Secretary will include, but will not be limited to the following:
-Keeping a record of meeting proceedings.
-Maintaining a current membership roster.
Section F: Duties of the Treasurer
The duties of the Treasurer will include, but will not be limited to the following:
-Fundraising and accounting of funds.
-Serving as a correspondent between MSFC-[insert school name] Executive Board and the budget
committee of the Student Council.
Title IV
Section A: Appointment of the Executive Board
The Executive Board members for the upcoming year shall be elected by a general member vote held
by the outgoing Executive Board.
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Section B: Voting
Voting is open to all officers and members of Medical Students for Choice. The current President will
abstain from voting and will break any tie that occurs.
Title V
Section A: Meetings
Medical Students for Choice shall meet at times and locations as determined at the discretion of the
members and officers. Meetings will be to plan, organize or implement activities that are within the
purpose and objectives of Medical Students for Choice.
Title VI
Section A: Membership
There shall be no membership fee for MSFC. The membership roster of Medical Students for Choice
will be kept in confidence and only accessible to the Executive Board and the MSFC Headquarters
staff. Individual members will have access for specific purposes and only at the discretion of the
Executive Board.
Section B: Determination of Budget
The annual budget shall be determined by the Executive Board.
Section C: Funds
Medical Students for Choice will be supported by fundraising events, individual sponsors, member
contributions, MSFC Headquarters and the Student Council of [insert school name]. Fundraising
activities will be determined by the Executive Board and will be under direct supervision of the
Treasurer.
Title VII
Section A: Constitutional Changes
Changes to the constitution can be made at the discretion of the Executive Board. Disagreements shall
be presented to the membership for voting.
Note: The beliefs expressed by Medical Students for Choice –[insert school name] do not necessarily
represent the school as a whole or any individual of this institution.
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Resources – Event Planning Checklist
1. Leadership and Support
□ If there is more than one Student Leader at your school, communicate with everyone to ensure
that everyone is on the same page and willing to help out with the different aspects of organizing.
□ Who are your allies? Think about those medical school groups that may share MSFC’s interests
(AMWA, OB/GYN Interest Groups, etc.) and meet with the leaders of these groups to be sure that
your events are not overlapping. Perhaps they’ll even want to co-sponsor the event with you.
2. Managing the Money
□ How are you going to fund this event? Have you used your $150 USD in Student Activism
Funding from MSFC yet this semester? Does your MSFC chapter have money in your MSFC
Trust account? Email the MSFC HQ to check your balance. Does your school allot money to
student groups?
□ Is this event one that could also raise money for the chapters future activities?
3.
Picking a Topic
□ There are many topics related to abortion and family planning that MSFC members are
interested in. Some questions to ask yourself when picking a topic are: What are you interested in
learning about? Is there a gap in your curriculum you could help fill with an event? Are there
specific areas that your school could easily focus on? Which topics were popular in previous
years?
4.
Check Your School Calendar
□ If your medical school has a student group activities calendar, be sure to check this so that you
do not plan an event on the same day as previously scheduled events. Also, check the test
schedule. It’s best to pick a date at least a month in advance so people can plan to attend and so
that you can reserve a room.
5.
Contact the Speaker
□ Ask supportive people like Planned Parenthood, undergrad resources, NARAL, NAF, Physicians
for Reproductive Health, etc. for suggestions. MSFC Headquarters maintains a database of
speakers with their current research and lecture topics. Email students@msfc.org for
contacts when you know your topic and an approximate date.
□ Call or email your speaker to set up a date for your event. In your conversation with your
speaker, be sure to cover the following topics:
o Will your speaker need any supplies or equipment?
o What would you like them to cover in their talk?
o Will your speaker have handouts? Will s/he provide their own copies or will you need to
make them?
o Can you advertise their name? Do they require any extra security?
o Directions to your event. Even if the speaker is familiar with your area, s/he may not be
familiar with your medical school campus.
o Parking! Know your school’s parking policy so you can best advise your speaker. If a
parking permit is needed, arrange to mail it to the speaker before the event, or meet the
speaker in the parking facility to avoid any mishaps.
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6.
Reserve a Room/AV Equipment
□ You will need to find out how this works at your individual school. Reserve the room in advance
and familiarize yourself with any AV equipment in the room. If the speaker requires additional
technology, reserve the AV equipment in advance to assure you get what is needed.
7.
Advertising
□ Decide who to invite. Is this event only for MSFC members? All medical students? Faculty?
Community members?
□ Advertise accordingly. Announce the event in class or at ally group events. Post flyers. Send out
emails. Post on your school calendar. Use Facebook to create an event invitation. Post an
advertisement in your school newspaper or on the school radio.
8.
Food!
□ If you are having an event, offer food to entice medical students to attend (and pay attention
during) your event. Call in advance to see how much your food will cost, what payment forms are
acceptable, and if they deliver or require pickup. Ask if they have any school or non-profit
discounts! You can use your student activism fund to be reimbursed for your food purchases.
9.
Follow up with the Speaker
□ You should contact the speaker about a week ahead of the event to confirm your plans.
10. The Day of the Event!
□ Have people ready to help: someone to meet the speaker; someone to set up the room;
someone to pick up and set up food.
□ Have someone assigned to introduce the speaker to the group.
□ Bring a sign-up sheet so interested students can sign up to be notified of more MSFC events and
to become more involved.
11. After the Event!
□ Write a thank you note to the speaker.
□ Submit any receipts and a reimbursement form to MSFC Headquarters for reimbursement.
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MANUAL VACUUM ASPIRATION - “PAPAYA WORKSHOP”
EVENT PLANNING GUIDE
Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) is a safe and easy method of providing early surgical abortion. It is also used for
miscarriage management, treatment of failed medical abortion, or endometrial biopsy. MVA provides a low-tech
alternative to electric vacuum aspiration that is gentler, quieter and used throughout the world in low-resource
settings. MVA has a higher success rate than medication abortion, and can be completed in a quick and
predictable fashion. In this clinical skills training workshop, a papaya is used as the model and students use the
MVA procedure to remove papaya seeds which simulate fetal matter from the papaya which simulates the uterus.
Materials MSFC will send you:
 MVAs
 Cannula
 Dilators
 Tenacula
 DVD
 PowerPoint
Materials you should acquire:
 Papayas (for substitutes, see “Hints and Tips”)
 Plastic tablecloth to cover the table
 Knives to create a fake cervical os
 Sponges and paper towels to clean up
 Bowls to put the aspirate into
 Specula (if unable to borrow from your school, please let us know)
One month prior to the event…

Choose a date that works with your school schedule and with the schedule of a faculty member,
practitioner, resident or experienced medical student who can lead the event.

Email students@msfc.org to reserve MVA equipment from MSFC Headquarters.

Reserve a room.

Advertise!

2-3 days prior to the event, buy papayas. Get smaller (i.e. Hawaiian), riper papayas. If papayas are not
available, large tomatoes can also be used.
The day of the event…

Start with a quick overview of abortion care and MVA technique.

Have the participants pair off and practice the procedure. Videos of the workshop can be seen at
www.papayaworkshop.com. An example role play is available at
www.reproductiveaccess.org/training/papayas.html.

Get a list of the participants to add to your mailing list.
After the event…

Clean and dry the equipment before sending it back to MSFC.

Pack the supplies securely in the original box and use the included pre-paid shipping label.

Follow up with MSFC by sending us photos, a testimonial, or a short write-up to students@msfc.org!
Hints and Tips:
 The MVA will aspirate most effectively if participants don’t over-dilate before inserting the catheter.
 If the papayas aren’t ripe, you can soften them by putting them in the oven at 200 for 20-60 minutes
before the event.
 Speak to the manager of the produce department at your local grocery store ahead of time to ensure they
have enough papayas for you the day of your workshop! (You’re looking for small papayas, not the larger
variety.)
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 If small, ripe papayas are unavailable you can also use large tomatoes or small cantaloupes. People have
also used individual gelatin cups in lieu of fruit.
INTRAUTERINE DEVICE (IUD) INSERTION WORKSHOP
EVENT PLANNING GUIDE
MSFC Headquarters can lend you supplies to hold an Intrauterine Device (IUD) insertion workshop
that enables students to learn and practice insertion and removal techniques. Each kit contains
Mirena. Paragard, and/or Skyla IUDs, insertion tools, uterine models, and instructional DVDs.
Materials MSFC will send you:
 IUDs with insertion tools (Mirena, Paragard, and/or Skyla IUDs)
 Uterine models
 Instructional DVDs
 PowerPoint Presentation
Optional preparation:
 Invite a faculty member, resident, or reproductive health expert from the community to
present a brief lecture and lead the workshop. (Let us know if you need help finding a
facilitator.)
A month prior to the event…

Choose a date that works with your school schedule and with the schedule of a faculty
member, practitioner, resident or experienced medical student who can lead the event.

Email students@msfc.org to reserve IUD equipment from MSFC Headquarters.

Reserve a room.

Advertise!
The day of the event…

Start with a quick overview of long-active, reversible contraception and IUD technique.

Have the participants pair off and practice the procedure.

Get a list of the participants to add to your mailing list.
After the event…

Clean up the equipment before sending it back to MSFC.

Pack the supplies securely in the original box and use the included pre-paid shipping label.

Follow up with MSFC by sending us photos, a testimonial, or a short write-up to
students@msfc.org!
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No Scalpel Vasectomy Workshop
EVENT PLANNING GUIDE
No Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) is a common and safe form of permanent family planning in which
there is a surgical interruption of sperm outflow by removal of vas deferens sections.
MSFC Headquarters can lend you supplies to hold an NSV workshop that enables students to
learn and practice techniques.
Materials MSFC will send you :
 NSV scrotal models
 Pink plastic trays
 2 butterfly clips per tray
 Red cases, each including
 Vasectomy Clamps
 Dissecting Forceps
 Instructional PowerPoint Presentation (contact students@msfc.org)
 NSV Curriculum Participant Handbook and Illustrated Handbook
Materials you should acquire:
 Suture kits
 Many chapters find it useful to invite a local physician or faculty member to share his/her
expertise with both technical skills and NSV-related patient counseling. MSFC staff can help you
identify doctors in your area who may be available to lead your workshop.
One month prior to the event…

Choose a date that works with your school schedule and with the schedule of a faculty member,
practitioner, resident or experienced medical student who can lead the event.

Email students@msfc.org to reserve NSV equipment from MSFC Headquarters.

Reserve a room.

Advertise!

Ask your medical school to borrow suture kits.
The day of the event…

Start with a quick overview of NSV information and technique.

Have the participants pair off and practice the procedure. A video of the procedure is available
at http://www.ameditech.com/vasectomy/noneedle_hdvideo.php.

Get a list of the participants to add to your mailing list.
After the event…

Clean up the equipment before sending it back to MSFC.

Pack the supplies securely in the original box and use the included pre-paid shipping label.

Follow up with MSFC by sending us photos, a testimonial, or a short write-up to
students@msfc.org!
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Resources – Sample Solicitation Letter
The Anatomy of a Solicitation Letter
Use proper letter
Date
format – it
Name
Address
City, State zip
always helps to
look
professional!
Be sure to use a proper salutation. Doctors
should be listed as such, always defer to Ms.
rather than Mrs. if you do not know if a
woman is married, etc.
Dear <NAME>,
Abortion is one of the most common medical procedures performed today, yet the majority of medical students
and residents never learn this safe, simple procedure. Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) is an international
organization of pro-choice medical students, residents and physicians who recognize that one of the greatest
obstacles to safe and legal abortion is the absence of trained providers. Each year MSFC brings educational
opportunities in reproductive health topics to over thousands medical students and residents, and encourages
students like us to get the kind of education that will greatly benefit our future patients. Many medical students
do not get basic education around contraception and family planning techniques, let alone abortion procedures
and pregnancy options counseling. It comes as no surprise then that 87% of counties in the U.S. are
without an abortion provider and that women often have to travel 100 miles or more to find the kind of
Give a brief
medical care they need. The Roe v. Wade decision was critical to guaranteeing women the right to
history of
choose, but without abortion providers there is no choice.
MSFC and
our goals. It
will help give
your ask
context.
Our <YOUR SCHOOL NAME> MSFC chapter has X members and already this fall/spring/last semester
we hosted X well attended (15+ students) events: a “papaya” workshop demonstrating manual
vacuum aspiration and IUD insertion, a screening of 12th and Delaware, and an evening talk
entitled “Things You Won’t Learn about Abortion and Contraception in Medical School.” Every
year, the MSFC Headquarters invites its members to attend the Conference on Family Planning.
They offer lecture sessions on the latest contraception and cutting edge techniques, hands-on
sessions on surgical procedures, and information about legal issues that will impact our future
practices. Our goal for this year is to send X students to the
Conference on Family Planning, but we need your help to ensure
Write a few sentences about your
this will be possible.
MSFC chapter (history, membership,
etc.) Include information that will help
a potential donor get to know what is
important on your campus and, most
importantly, include a GOAL for the
year.
The current cost of attending the meeting is approximately
$450 ($99 in registration fees, ~$300 plane ticket, $50 for
2 nights of lodging). We are asking each student who
wants to attend to contribute what they can toward their own
cost of attendance, and we as a chapter are working hard to cover the remaining costs so that these
students will be able to attend, to learn, and to bring their enthusiasm, passion and new knowledge
back to <YOUR SCHOOL NAME>.
We would greatly appreciate your gift by check or credit card, returned in the mail with the envelope
provided. Please make it out to Medical Students for Choice, with our <YOUR SCHOOL NAME> in
the Memo line.
We hope you will support MSFC today with a gift, and join us as proud advocates of real change.
Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
It is always best to hand-sign
all of your letters. Any
personal touches stand out in
mass mailings!
MSFC Headquarters needs this
information to properly credit gifts to
your chapter. You can also make your
donors aware of our online giving option!
Include a
cost
breakdown.
No matter
whether
your asking
for funding
to attend a
meeting or
for funds to
help
undertake a
greater
fundraising
project,
donors are
more likely
to give
when they
know were
their
dollars are
going.
49
Resources – Sample In-kind Solicitation Letter
Dear ____,
My name is ______ and I’m writing to request an in-kind donation of <ITEM REQUESTED> to support
the success of <NAME OF EVENT> on <DATE>. Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) works to
improve access to quality reproductive health care for all women by improving medical education.
The <YOUR SCHOOL NAME> chapter of MSFC works in our community to spread awareness for
reproductive choice and justice issues, and advocates within our school to improve curriculum. We
also actively work to provide education on campus that is not available to us in the curriculum. Your tax
deductible in-kind gift to support <NAME OF EVENT> will help us continue our work.
We are able to offer <NAME OF BUSINESS> visibility at our event. During the event, we can either
display a sign thanking you for your generous donation or an announcement will be made to let
everyone attending the event know that <NAME OF BUSINESS> provided the <ITEM REQUESTED>.
As a member of the business community in <NAME OF TOWN>, you have a stake in the health of our
community. Medical Students for Choice is dedicated to ensuring that women receive the full range of
reproductive health-care choices, both here and throughout North America. I hope we can count on
your support.
I will be in touch in the next week to follow up on my request.
Best wishes,
YOUR NAME
CONTACT INFORMATION
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