We are advancing maternal health equity through collective care.
The Community Care Fund at Bentonville Birth Services is a community-powered mutual aid program created to make doula care more accessible to everyone. For each full-price contract with Bentonville Birth Services, a portion is intentionally set aside to support this fund. These shared contributions are used to subsidize doula services for community members who would otherwise face financial barriers to care.
Our fund prioritizes support for those who experience the greatest disparities in maternity care, specifically Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). As funding allows, disbursements may also be made to members of other identified communities, including teen parents, refugees, single parents, and individuals or families facing significant financial hardship. (see image below)
By participating in the Community Care Fund—whether as a client, donor, or recipient—you are part of a collective commitment to equity, dignity, and compassionate care during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. This fund allows our community to care for one another directly, ensuring that continuous doula support is not a privilege for the few, but a resource available to those who need it most.
“This fund reflects our belief that doula support is essential, and that caring for one another strengthens the health and well-being of our entire community.”
Submit an Application
If you would benefit from the gift of subsidized care, please fill out our short application form. Responses are confidential and used by our team to determine appropriate disbursements from The Community Care Fund.
Completion of this application does not guarantee funding. Awards are made based on available funds and community need.
Spread the Word
Tell your friends and family about Bentonville Birth Services’ commitment to equity and reproductive justice! This fund is not possible without the support of community members like YOU who choose to invest in care that gives back.
What do we mean by Financial hardship?
Please use the image below as a tool to honestly assess your financial situation. The Green Bottle Method for assessing sliding scale was developed by Alexis J. Cunningfolk and offers a framework for community members to understand who is best suited to receive assistance from Bentonville Birth Services’ Community Care Fund.
We define financial hardship as the circumstances described in the bottle on the right. Please visit Alexis’ link above for an excellent discussion about sacrifice (when paying for a service would be difficult, but not detrimental) versus hardship (when paying for the service would lead to a harmful impact on your life, such as not being able to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for transportation to get to work)
At times we can make small awards to community members in the middle bottle to facilitate their access to doula support — but our fund will always prioritize those populations most at risk for poor maternal/infant outcomes (BIPOC, teen parents, refugees, etc) and those facing the greatest financial barriers to care.
