New Executive Director Announcement

ACN is a network of independent abortion providers and allies that provides connection and support to the abortion care community, challenges stigma, and informs the dialogue around abortion through the provider experience.

For more than a decade, Nikki has worked as an ally to abortion care providers and pregnant people by ensuring healthcare access and working to end abortion stigma. She brings a deep understanding of non-profit management, program development and a background in academic research. She has successfully mobilized resources to realize organizational goals.

As Associate Director of Pro-Choice Resources in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Nikki oversaw the largest abortion assistance fund in the upper Midwest. She also developed three one-of-a-kind programs that filled a void in the movement. Recognizing the need for stigma reduction and after-abortion support, she created Emerge, the first successful after-abortion support group in the nation. She also developed a new approach for working with educators to provide high-quality sexual education to young people and she developed a program to allow women who qualify for Medicaid to access abortion care immediately, without bureaucratic delays.

Prior to PCR, Nikki was the program coordinator for the Abortion Provider Expansion Project. In this position she worked directly with abortion providers and medical students to understand and address the abortion provider shortage in the Midwest. She also brings with her extensive knowledge about adoption from her tenure at the University of Minnesota's Institute of Child Development and her experience providing all-options counseling at PCR. 

Nikki's non-profit management and development accomplishments are equally as impressive. Her leadership was key to moving PCR from a reproductive health framework to a reproductive justice framework. She has also secured grants from some of the largest reproductive justice funders in the nation and has been instrumental in substantially increasing both individual donor and event revenue. 

We believe Nikki's strong non-profit management experience, innovative approach to programming and strong commitment to abortion care will make ACN effective at meeting the needs of our members and taking on the challenges that face our community. Additionally, her thoughtful approach to what it means to be an ally for reproductive justice will help forge new relationships within and across movements.

At our most recent conference, we celebrated the leadership of Charlotte Taft. During her tenure the Abortion Care Network has grown into a powerful network where independent abortion providers come together with allies to share expertise, strategize, and give mutual support. She has brought ACN to a place of strength and possibility, so that the organization can be handed off to the next generation of leadership.

To honor Charlotte's love and commitment to our work and to celebrate Nikki, our in-coming Director...please make a donation to ACN today!

A Note From Charlotte

It is wonderful to welcome Nikki Madsen as ACN's new Director. Shelley and I have had the chance to spend time with Nikki sharing information about ACN's day-to-day workings as well as its history, challenges, and unique potential. We are happy to tell those of you who don't already know Nikki that she is smart, delightful, grounded, passionate, strong, and that she has skills that will allow ACN to write its own next chapter in our movement's history. We expect a very smooth transition, and we know that all of you will make it easy for Nikki to become part of our community.

Thanks so much to all of you who have written notes of appreciation to me and to Shelley. It means so much to know that I have touched you as you have touched me. As Gloria Steinem said, I'm not passing the torch, because I still need my torch! But I am passing the baton to Nikki with a deep sense of confidence.

When we remember that history is what we create, not what happens to us, and when we bring our hearts and passion to our work, we do turn the tide. I look forward to being part of this extraordinary community as it continues to bring the transformative voice of excellent independent abortion providers into the national conversation.

All my best always,

To learn more about Abortion Care Network's work to ensure abortion care across the nation please visit www.abortioncarenetwork.org.