About Us
What We Do
Avow is building a better Texas—one where every person is trusted, thriving, and free to pursue the life they want. We’re on the frontlines of the fight for abortion access, confronting systemic oppression and building pro-abortion agendas shaped by and for Texans.
At Avow, we believe securing and protecting abortion access is a vital act of resistance and care. In Texas—where abortion rights are under relentless attack—this work is about more than healthcare. It’s about confronting systems of white supremacy, patriarchy, and political control, and fighting for bodily autonomy, dignity, and justice for all Texans.
We are building pro-abortion agendas shaped by and for our communities. Our approach is unapologetically abortion-forward, rooted in the belief that reproductive justice is not just a human right, but a foundational part of just governance. By using abortion as a catalytic entry point, we connect issues across movements and illuminate the broader struggle for equity—locally and globally.
Avow’s strategic priorities reflect a bold commitment to linking grassroots resistance with institutional transformation. We’re cultivating assemblies of pro-abortion leaders and allies, bridging the gap between grassroots power and decision-making spaces, and working for cultural change that lasts beyond any single election or policy win.
Avow doesn’t just fight for abortion rights—we’re building long-term movement infrastructure grounded in community, interdependence, and liberation. We know Texas can lead the way in reimagining what’s possible.
Together, we are growing a statewide, community-led movement that defends abortion access and transforms systems—so every person can live a joyful, self-determined life.
Why We Do It
Securing and protecting abortion access for all Texans is a vital act of resistance and care in the broader constellation of reproductive justice. Abortion access is not just about the right to terminate a pregnancy; it is about ensuring autonomy, safeguarding dignity, and addressing the intersecting inequities that shape people’s lives.
Avow recognizes reproductive justice¹ as the demonstrated empowerment of individuals and communities to:
- access the resources needed to support their bodily autonomy,
- make decisions that foster joyful living with others and
- contribute to structures that protect and preserve everyone’s safety and dignity.
Reproductive justice is a fundamental tenet of governance. Avow Texas centers reproductive justice to advance strategies to win community-driven governing power.
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How We Do It
At the heart of Avow’s theory of change is a commitment to testing the belief that contending for reproductive justice-centered governing power is essential to setting and advancing pro-abortion agendas across communities. To operationalize this theory, we have established a set of strategic priorities that serve as long-term guideposts, ensuring continuity and focus as we build power through programming, relationship building, and political education. These priorities center the needs and voices of Texans, promote bold and winnable strategies, and lay the groundwork for a liberated future where abortion care is accessible, abortion rights are protected, and thriving in their community is possible for all.
- Leverage Abortion as the Hook: Avow will wed visionary-relational organizing and political campaigns that use abortion as the entry point, or “hook,” to broaden people’s perspectives. Avow will reveal the constellation of rights and freedoms essential to establishing thriving communities by highlighting interconnected issues and shifting the focus from personal views to collective governance.
- Link Local and Global Narratives: Avow will utilize a worldview lens centered on human rights to connect the Texas fight for abortion protections with the broader, global struggle for bodily autonomy. This approach will anchor Avow’s work in narratives that affirm belonging, interdependence, and the belief that every person deserves to have their needs met within and beyond existing cultural and structural norms.
- Cultivate Pro-Abortion Assemblies: Avow will collaboratively assemble relationships that further develop pro-abortion leaders, cross-movement and sector allies, and decision-makers. Avow seeks to build long-term alliances and shift cultures to align with reproductive justice governance by identifying solutions that create resonance across the intersections of wedged issues.
- Hone in on the Long Haul: Avow recognizes that policy and electoral victories are not endpoints but stepping stones. Avow’s work will activate everyday Texans to build and leverage collective power to confront decision-makers with the consequences of their actions and inactions. Avow aims to challenge the widening disconnect between decision-makers actions and the true needs of Texas communities by prioritizing scalable wins and identifying opportunities that can create cultural shifts.
- Forge Inextricable Bridges: Avow will act as an intermediary to bridge the gap between dominant institutions and grassroots innovations, building alignment between ground-level movements and systemic power structures. Avow’s work ensures pro-abortion leaders are central to contending for reproductive justice governing power by crafting credible messaging and developing sustainable infrastructures to scale community-led solutions.
Our Values
Contending for Reproductive Justice-Centered Governing Power: Power is both a relational and structural force. It manifests between people and their relationships while embedded within institutions that organize our communities. Avow believes that assessing how power is used to govern (governing power²) is essential to advancing the conditions necessary to achieve our mission. We commit to personal and collective transformations by assessing and strategizing to build power. In doing so, our work stewards a deeper understanding of how varying types of power cultivate or dismantle pro-abortion solidarity across Texas.
Power Building: Strengthening solidarity across relationships is Avow’s key strategy for power building. When building power intentionally, we invest resources in scalable networks that activate individuals and communities to realize social, political, and cultural change. It is a dynamic process in which people develop themselves and their communities and influence cultural and political systems to set and advance a justice-oriented agenda. Through organizing, leadership development, cultural storytelling, and digital mobilization, power building shapes public narratives and drives transformative wins. For Texans, this means forging connections across differences, amplifying unapologetically pro-abortion voices, and driving collaborative solutions that challenge oppressive tactics.
Relationship as Organizing Strategy: Deep Relational Organizing is a strategy used in social and political campaigns where people leverage their existing relationships to promote their movement and make change happen. Avow has been applying this method for years, utilizing our own networks to raise funds, launch policy campaigns, conduct coalition work, spread the word about resources, and more. Relational outreach is more efficient and effective than cold outreach, because the persuasion is based on established trust and mutual respect.
Boldness: It’s in our name. To avow means to declare openly, bluntly without shame. Avow’s advocacy is unapologetically confident, fearless, and unrelenting – especially in the face of opposition. We lead boldly, with an unapologetic, abortion-forward mindset. We are changing the reproductive rights culture in Texas from fear and stigma to freedom and compassion.
Communal Care: Caring for each other, our partners, and the communities we serve by thoughtfully considering their unique needs, desires, and beliefs, and providing individualized support.
² https://grassrootspowerproject.org/governing-power/defining-governing-power/
Avow’s entities
Avow is a c4 non-profit that works to secure unrestricted abortion access for every Texan. Avow Foundation for Abortion Access is a c3 non-profit that works to educate Texans on the importance of abortion access. Avow PAC is a political action committee that works to elect champions for abortion access.
