Overview: The Sankofa Birthworker’s Collective of the Inland Empire, a nonprofit organization that supports Black doulas and birthworkers, is at risk due to the Trump administration’s push to demolish diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The organization’s reliance on local government partnerships and state contracts, such as California’s Black Infant Health Program, could be threatened under the administration’s definition of “discriminatory” programs. Despite this, local funders, like the Inland Empire Community Foundation, are reinforcing their support while working to create new resources to help small nonprofits weather these threats.
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In July of 2023, Mary Pearce was due to give birth to her third child, but was apprehensive about doing so.
Mary’s previous pregnancies came with different sets of complications: preeclampsia with her daughter and placenta abruption with her son. While pregnant with her son, Mary began hemorrhaging and had to undergo an emergency c-section, where she experienced complications in the operating room.
“That morning, my anesthesiologist came in and said, ‘I just wanted to come and see you and talk to you. We nearly lost you last night,’” Mary recalled. “So, when I got pregnant the third time, I was like, ‘Oh my god, do you risk not living and leave two children behind? Or, do you have faith and then have this third child?’ That’s where I think I really benefited from doula support.”
After attending a midwifery conference, Mary learned about the Sankofa Birthworker’s Collective of the Inland Empire, a nonprofit organization that directly supports doulas and birthworkers by providing training, educational workshops, support groups and offers a community doula program to families.
After applying to the doula program, Mary was partnered with Lee Walker, who she fondly calls “Momma Lee.” Walker spent time with Mary, explaining what her role is as a doula, expectations before, during and after birth, and discussing postpartum care.
Walker offered Mary reassurance, support and encouragement during her third pregnancy, something that Mary valued.
Mary and her children are one of the 230-plus families, across 32 hospitals, that Sankofa has supported since 2021, operating with a team of five staff members.
Walker is one of the 120 members of Sankofa, which includes midwives, lactation experts and breastfeeding peer counselors, who has benefitted from the organization’s training, support groups, peer-to-peer mentorship, business education, and community building.
“Because Sankofa has such a good name in the community, we get trainings like the spinning babies trainings, which would, on my own, cost me hundreds of dollars, but I’ve been able to take that training two times, and when I tell you, the information on just that alone is invaluable,” Walker shared.
Officially launched in 2018, Sankofa’s mission is to center connections, foster wellness and support Black birth workers throughout the Inland Empire. Though they operate with a small staff and an annual budget of less than $400,000, their impact is far-reaching. They train dozens of community doulas who support hundreds of families across the Inland Empire. Their goal is to achieve wellness for all Black birthing families through a community of Black birth workers who provide direct services, education and advocacy.
As a local nonprofit that focuses on maternal health by supporting local Black doulas and birthworkers, and building health equity, Sankofa’s mission faces renewed challenges. The Trump administration’s push to demolish diversity, equity, and inclusion programs puts local government partnerships and state contracts that sustain Sankofa’s work at risk, namely California’s Black Infant Health Program, an invaluable resource for families that could be targeted under the administration’s definition of “discriminatory” programs. However, local funders, like the Inland Empire Community Foundation, are reinforcing their support while working to create new resources to help small nonprofits weather these threats.
President Donald J. Trump targets diversity programs, impacting Sankofa’s mission
Sankofa’s mission appears in direct conflict with the Trump administration’s executive orders and other actions because they are a Black-led organization that primarily focuses on Black populations. In the wake of increasingly targeted hits to agencies, funding, institutions and programs focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), the Trump administration has doubled down on eliminating federal funding that supports such practices.
In a recent Justice Department memo, specific guidance toward discriminatory practices were addressed, listing actions deemed as “unlawful practices that could result in revocation of grant funding.” The Trump administration has determined DEIA as discriminatory and the punitive actions listed not only extend to direct federal funding recipients, but also to their contractors, grantees, and other third parties affiliated with their work.
According to the memo, an example of an unlawful proxy includes an organization that receives federal funding and implements strategies that target specific geographic regions or organizations chosen primarily because of racial or ethnic factors.
“Here’s the reality: no Black-led organization has only benefited Black people. Our work is like a rising tide,” explained Pastor Samuel Casey, co-founder of the Black Equity Initiative and executive director of the nonprofit Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE). “It lifts all ships. And so, although our name and our emphasis is on impacting and engaging Black spaces and places, the reality is, our work has a greater impact beyond our own communities.”
Though Sankofa isn’t heavily reliant on direct government funding, their reliance on local government partnerships could be at risk as the Trump administration calls for the elimination of “discriminatory” programs, which under this definition may include California’s Black Infant Health Program.
The Black Infant Health Program was implemented with the goal of improving the health among Black mothers and babies. The program focuses “exclusively on empowering Black/African American women” by connecting care resources and services to promote healthy practices during pregnancy and postpartum.
Sankofa was awarded a renewed contract for grant-funded work through Black Infant Health/ Perinatal Equity Initiative in Riverside County, extending the partnership until 2028. They are still waiting to hear from San Bernardino about whether their contract with the county will be renewed.
Riverside University Health System — Public Health’s Black Infant Health program is funded directly by the California Department of Public Health to provide supportive services to Black women and babies.
The Perinatal Equity Initiative, funded by California Department of Public Health, has allowed the Perinatal Equity Initiative in Riverside County to support Community Doula Services offered by Sankofa at $105,000 annually, according to the county.
Millions of dollars in state general funds per state fiscal year is allocated to support existing Black Infant Health program services under the state’s Perinatal Equity Initiative. Both programs are funded under Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, which is federally administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
According to a comment from the California Department of Public Health, the Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant provides approximately $40 million in federal funding each year to fund programming such as health care delivery and maternal and perinatal quality of care, among others. The federal grant requires the state to match the funds and to maintain the effort.
Black Infant Health operates several programs across 14 local health jurisdictions, including three in San Bernardino County and two in Riverside County. The program partners with local jurisdictions as well as community-based organizations like Sankofa who help support Black birthing families.
An emailed statement from Riverside County’s Department of Public Health noted, “Riverside University Health System — Public Health continues to monitor possible funding impacts to its programs and staff remain focused on their critical role in serving Riverside County residents for their best health and well-being.”
With Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant being a federally funded initiative that helps fund programs like Black Infant Health, the future of this program and its partnerships are at risk. This is because the Trump administration’s anti-DEIA restrictions would categorize the Black Infant Health program as “discriminatory” and in the process, make it ineligible for Title V funding.
In an emailed statement, the California Department of Public Health commented that they “cannot speculate about the likelihood or impact of possible future funding changes. Without federal funding, however, the outlook for programs funded by Title V is uncertain.”
Sankofa’s Doula program addresses racial disparities in birth outcome
Funding impacts to the Black Infant Health program is almost certain to have a trickle-down effect on Black-led community-based organizations like Sankofa.
Sankofa relies on funding from grants, community partnerships, and partnerships with state-funded programs like Black Infant Health, but the potential loss of county partnerships will no doubt have an impact on the organization itself, and the communities they serve.
Though working with a small staff, since 2021, Sankofa has served 70 Black Infant Health clients.
“Without our team of 5 staff and 20 doulas, many families would lack the emotional, physical, and informational support proven to improve birth outcomes and reduce racial disparities,” the organization said in an email.
Similar to Mary’s birthing complications, thousands of Black birthing individuals are more likely to experience life-threatening conditions like preeclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, and blood clots, according to studies.
“Every doula experience can be unique, but what [Walker] did offer me was guidance and education. She offered me faithfulness, and then she did things that were probably a little bit beyond,” Mary explained.
Mary didn’t have spousal support, but she had Walker, who met Mary for postpartum visits at the doctor’s office and who bottle-fed Mary’s son while Mary had an appointment for kidney stones.
Local initiatives like Sankofa’s doula program is an essential resource for birthing people who face higher risk of complications, those who are underserved and who need support, but without adequate funding and local health jurisdiction partnerships, these resources become scarce.
Many Sankofa members also provide doula services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are able to access affordable doula care through the state’s Medi-Cal Doula Benefit. With such severe cuts projected for Medi-Cal, nonprofit organizations on the ground like Sankofa will be forced to fill the gaps left behind. With smaller budgets and reduced capacity, they too brace themselves for the impacts of all the changes certain to trickle down.
In California, federal funds account for more than one-third of California’s state budget, according to an analysis by the California Budget & Policy Center. Two-thirds of all the federal funds allotted to California go to Medi-Cal.
“I think, by weakening the whole healthcare system, that’s where we’ll see most of the immediate negative impacts on the Black community,” said Fabiola De Liban, director of Sexual & Reproductive Health at the National Health Law Program.
Ninety-eight percent of Walker’s clients are Medi-Cal recipients. As of now, Walker has served 20 clients since the start of the year.
“To have someone that is in the room, that you have the continuity of care, is a major piece in having a baby and just not having a room full of just strangers,” Walker explained. “It is an invaluable piece to labor and our model of care that needs to be elevated, especially for Black women, and Sankofa is there for it all.”
According to a survey commissioned by the Black Equity Collective, a network of funders and nonprofit leaders, although Black-led nonprofit organizations lead the way in fostering community-driven solutions and delivering vital services, they are often underfunded and understaffed. The report set out to demonstrate the economic, social, and well-being contributions of California’s Black-led organizations.
The survey noted Black-led organizations that primarily serve the Inland Empire were more likely to have lower budgets and smaller asset sizes, with 78% of Inland Empire organizations having expense budgets less than $250,000, compared to 42% of their peers serving all other counties, and 84% had less than $500,000 in total net assets compared to 62% of their peers serving all other counties.
Inland Empire Community Foundation adapts to support nonprofits in changing landscape
Local and state-wide foundations like the Inland Empire Community Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation have made strides to financially support these organizations with grant awards aimed at helping nonprofit organizations with training, expanding partnerships and developing financial strategies.
In 2025, Sankofa was awarded a Learning Grant ($20,000) through the Inland Empire Community Foundation’s Black Equity Initiative. The grant is intended for organizations newer to learning how to systematically advance equity and who are looking to deepen relationships in the region.
“All of the support that they give us through the Black Equity Initiative has been extremely beneficial to us as we’re trying to really nurture and grow our nonprofit,” Sankofa co-founder Deidre Medley said. “Sankofa has been working to make themselves more visible to Black communities across the Inland Empire, to educate, provide resources and connect doulas with birthing people.”
The funding has allowed their organization breathing room, according to Medley, but recognized that much of this work is a labor of love and her team still has to maintain a way to financially support themselves.
“I think more funding will help us to not just breathe a little bit more easily, but have more funding so that we can actually bring more focus to the work,” Medley explained. “What we would do with more funding, is, again, put it back into our team to help us bring more awareness, education and really build our capacity.”
Local and state philanthropic foundations like the Inland Empire Community Foundation are working to fill in the gaps through annual grant awards, but it’s not enough.
The Inland Empire Community Foundation is taking strides to adapt alongside local nonprofits. They conducted focus groups with local nonprofits across the Inland Empire to learn about their fears.
“Others have experienced reduced funding from private foundations,” Inland Empire Community Foundation Chief Impact Officer Celia Cudiamat said. “Some fear that because they have specific DEI programs, they’re afraid that they’re going to be targets — which they are.”
After hearing their concerns, the Foundation is working to make adjustments to a competitive grant program that was previously utilized for DEI-related purposes, shared Cudiamat.
They are preparing to launch a new “Community Impact Fund,” which will focus on impacts of executive orders or the threats of the executive orders. It will be open to nonprofits in both San Bernardino and Riverside Counties with budgets of less than $500,000.
“Philanthropy, local governments, local [community-based organizations], they all clearly lack the resources to backfill the massive loss of federal funds that California is about to see,” explained Scott Graves, budget director at the California Budget & Policy Center.
Inland Empire foundation steps up to support nonprofits amid funding cuts
With the changing landscape in mind, Medley and her team are focusing on sustainability through different means such as expanding their funding base to individuals and organizations who are not directly related to the maternal health field, but who may have missions that align.
As of now, Medley explained that she is feeling encouraged by the funders who support Sankofa, especially after attending the Inland Empire Community Foundation Summit in early August. Hearing local funders and leaders “speaking so boldly” against current anti-DEIA restrictions renewed Medley’s faith.
“At the center of all of this is living equity; believing and understanding that equity is not a political statement. It is a starting point for fairness,” said Inland Empire Community Foundation President and CEO Michelle Decker during the Summit, which brought together dozens of local nonprofits to discuss the topic of finding common ground.
As local nonprofit leaders and stakeholders across the state brace themselves for the effects of federal restrictions, Graves recognized the power of philanthropy.
“Philanthropy can’t solve the entire problem on its own, but it can use its dollars in a way, strategically and innovatively to push for policy and system changes that are needed to get us to the place that we need to be, to work to mitigate the harm of these cuts and to reverse them in the future,” he said.
During these precarious times, Pastor Casey advised that local nonprofit organizations work together and be strategic in how they come together for a common goal. He emphasized the importance of building connections across other communities who may not resemble them, but are vital in building solidarity and empowering communities.
“One of the things my mentor, Reverend Eugene Williams III, said is that no one is coming to save us, but us,” Casey recited and continued. “If we’re looking for Pharaoh to unleash the change purses from the federal government or any governmental systems to help impact what needs to take place in our community, we’re sadly mistaken.”
This article, part of a series BlackLash 2025, was reported through a fellowship supported by the Lilly Endowment and administered by the Chronicle of Philanthropy to expand coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. Black Voice News is solely responsible for all content.