Community Impact News

Planned Parenthood of Montana Receives $6.5 Million Donation from MacKenzie Scott

March 23, 2022:

In conjunction with our national office and other affiliates around the country, Planned Parenthood of Montana (PPMT) has received an unprecedented $6.5 million donation from MacKenzie Scott. 

PPMT is honored to receive this transformational gift to increase access to reproductive health care and engage more deeply in our health equity work. We are grateful Ms. Scott recognized what we know to be true – our incredible staff provide patient-centered, high-quality reproductive health care, including abortion, day in and day out, no matter what. 

This generous gift comes at a time when access to sexual and reproductive health care is under attack like never before, especially access to abortion care. Last year was the worst year for abortion rights since Roe v. Wade, the case that protects the right to abortion, was decided in 1973; more than 100 abortion restrictions were enacted across the country and already in 2022, more than 300 anti-abortion bills have been introduced in 41 states.

Here in Montana, in the last legislative session alone, more than 20 anti-sexual and reproductive health care and education bills were filed, including bills that would ban abortion from the moment of conception. We are suing to prevent the most egregious of these bills from becoming law in state court. Although we are optimistic that our right to privacy, as named in the state constitution, will be protected, the US Supreme Court turned its back on our long-established constitutional right to abortion, allowing the Texas abortion ban to stand for more than 6 months, and is currently considering a Mississippi abortion ban that could overturn Roe by this summer. 

At such a critical time for reproductive health and rights, this investment and expression of confidence will help us to be as strong as we can be to meet the moment to ensure that PPMT continues to provide the equitable, expert, and compassionate health care that patients expect and deserve in our health centers. We have been working over the past year to incorporate these values and equitable practices into every aspect of our work and are grateful, in these ever-uncertain times for reproductive health care access, for the financial support to be able to care for our patients in even more impactful ways. 

Ms. Scott recognizes the impact of long-term social inequities on health outcomes, inequities that have been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. Ms. Scott also recognizes the value of investing in high-performing health care networks, bringing resources directly to communities. We are humbled by Ms. Scott’s support of Planned Parenthood’s work, our expertise, our deep and trusted connections with communities, and the important role we play in the public health and sexual and reproductive health care infrastructure.