The Cobalt Abortion Fund in Colorado reported a remarkable increase in spending for 2025, reaching nearly $2.5 million to facilitate access to abortion procedures across the United States. This marks an 84% increase from the previous year, with over $1.7 million directly allocated to support patients in covering the costs of their procedures. This surge reflects ongoing challenges posed by restrictive abortion laws in various states, particularly impacting individuals seeking care.
Melisa Hidalgo-Cuellar, the director of the Cobalt Abortion Fund, highlighted the implications of these financial trends during a press call. “This number really reflects that abortion bans are keeping people from accessing the essential health care that they need in their own state,” she stated. “They’re being forced to travel, and as they’re forced to travel, their care is delayed and becomes more expensive over time.”
Funding Breakdown and Client Demographics
The Cobalt Abortion Fund assisted nearly 4,000 clients in 2025, with close to 48% of those clients hailing from Colorado and approximately 40% from Texas. In addition to direct funding for procedures, the organization allocated more than $665,000 towards practical support. This funding covered essential expenses such as travel, lodging, meals, and childcare for over 1,000 clients. Although this practical support funding decreased from $1 million in 2024, Hidalgo-Cuellar anticipates that this number will rise again in 2026.
The demand for practical support is particularly pronounced in states with stringent abortion laws. In 2025, around 86% of Cobalt’s clients requiring this support were Texas residents, while only about 6% were from Colorado. Hidalgo-Cuellar noted that the decrease in funding for practical support was due to increased collaboration with other abortion funds, especially those assisting Texas residents in New Mexico.
Continued Demand Post-Dobbs Decision
The landscape of abortion funding has shifted significantly since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson case in 2022, which overturned the constitutional right to abortion. Hidalgo-Cuellar indicated that many anticipated a plateau in demand for abortion fund support following the initial surge. However, Cobalt’s total spending has continued to rise annually since the decision. In 2021, the fund’s expenditures were just over $200,000, which rose to about $740,000 in 2022. Since then, spending has exceeded $1 million each year, with $1.2 million in 2023 and over $1.9 million in 2024.
Cobalt’s efforts are supported by a diverse group of donors, including individual contributors and family foundations. Karen Middleton, president and CEO of Cobalt, emphasized the organization’s ongoing fundraising initiatives to address the steadily increasing demand for abortion funding.
In 2024, Colorado voters demonstrated strong support for reproductive rights by approving Amendment 79, which enshrined abortion access as a constitutional right in the state. This amendment also ensures that Medicaid and public insurance can cover abortion care. The Colorado Legislature has since passed several protective measures for providers and patients, especially those traveling from states with more restrictive laws. Currently, all neighboring states, except New Mexico, have implemented some form of abortion restrictions, further intensifying the challenges faced by individuals seeking care.
