Shared Offering

April 2026 Shared Offering

Our Shared Offering recipient for the month of April is the CU Birth Fund

The United States is experiencing a very real but too often invisible maternal mortality crisis. We have the highest rate of maternal mortality among all high-income countries: In 2022, there were 32.6 pregnancy-related deaths for every 100,000 live births in the U.S. compared to just 8.4 deaths per 100,000 in Canada. Illinois and Champaign County are no exception. Black women in Illinois are almost three times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than their white counterparts. Black women also have the highest severe maternal morbidity
rates (134.4 per 100,000 in 2022), including sepsis, surgical complications, hemorrhaging, and hypertension. 

While many factors contribute to these high rates of morbidity and mortality, systemic racism and discrimination throughout the health care structure play significant roles. Black women’s symptoms and pain are not taken seriously, and gaps in cultural and linguistic understanding create increased barriers to care. Poverty also plays a role. Counties with higher poverty rates experience higher rates of pregnancy-related mortality. Research into the causes of these negative outcomes shows that 90% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.

We must advocate for systemic policy changes at the state and federal level. But increasing access to community-based birth resources - doulas and midwifery care– can make an immediate and significant difference. People who receive midwifery and doula care have fewer preterm births, lower odds of intervention including cesarean delivery, and reduced perinatal and newborn morbidity and mortality. One transnational study estimates that 82% of maternal deaths could be prevented with universal scaling up of midwifery care. This is how the CU Birth Fund will make a difference right here in East Central Illinois.

The CU Birth Fund imagines a future where pregnancy-related deaths in our community are eliminated and morbidities are reduced. We
also want to restore the joy of birthing by supporting families who are at greater risk of medical mistreatment and trauma during the birthing process. The Fund helps make this happen by providing grants to pregnant people of color in East Central Illinois to secure midwifery and/or doula care. These grants help ensure that all families have access to affordable, culturally sensitive, and supportive care.

Since it was launched in late 2025, the CUB Fund has provided grants to two families who welcomed babies in December 2025 and February 2026. Two more expectant families have been offered grants, including a family who will be welcoming twins in June! “I can honestly say this is the most support I’ve ever had postpartum and I am extremely grateful,” writes one recipient. “This grant is life
changing for mamas who need extra support during pregnancy or postpartum.” Every dollar donated to the CU Birth Fund directly funds grants that will make a difference in the lives of our newest community members and their families. Together we can save lives and bring joy.

To find out more and to donate, check out the website.