Reducing Maternal Health Inequities in Brooklyn,NY
Support our mission to provide free childbirth & postpartum classes to improve health outcomes for Brooklyn’s most vulnerable families.

Project Description

Our Mission:
Colibri Health Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Brooklyn, NY, whose mission is to provide free preventive health education to individuals and families. “Colibri” is the word for hummingbird in Spanish, French, and several other languages. This small but mighty creature reminds us that simple but powerful health knowledge leads to resilience, vitality, and improved quality of life. Our all-female, minority-led Board of Directors includes two Family Nurse Practitioners, an Adult-Gerontology NP, a Certified Nurse Midwife, and a Public Health expert, drawn together by a passion for improving health. Each of us brings over a decade of experience in clinical, community, public health, DEI, education, and advocacy fields.
The Problem:
At the forefront of our work is a deep commitment to combating the stark inequities in sexual and reproductive health access, quality, and outcomes that harm marginalized communities. Brooklyn in particular faces significant maternal health disparities. Black birthers in the borough are 8 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts. Nearly 20% of Brooklyn residents live below the poverty line, and 5% lack access to health insurance. Medicaid-accepting providers are concentrated in wealthier areas, and hospitals in majority-Black neighborhoods have the lowest quality ratings in the city. Compounding these barriers are implicit bias and racism in healthcare settings, and fragmented systems that prioritize treatment over prevention.

Our Work:
To directly address the maternal mortality crisis, we created a comprehensive hospital birth guide that details what is normal and expected during childbirth and postpartum, how to recognize signs and symptoms that could indicate a problem, and how to effectively communicate with the care team. We are now seeking funding to do the following:
- Professionally translate our guide into Spanish and other languages for further reach.
- Adapt our hospital birth guide into a series of free in-person childbirth and postpartum education classes for low-income Black communities in Brooklyn.
Project Details:
Our interactive classes will be co-taught by a local Certified Nurse Midwife and Nurse Practitioner, with guest speakers such as a local childbirth doula and postpartum mental health specialist to enhance topics such as labor support and recognizing postpartum depression. Participants will be invited to bring a trusted support person they plan to include in their birthing experience. Through our classes, they will gain a supportive community, build health literacy and advocacy skills, and be empowered to navigate birth and postpartum with confidence. Each participant who completes the course will receive a postpartum “goody bag” containing supplies for baby care (diapers, wipes); peri-care (witch hazel pads, stretchy mesh underwear, Sitz bath); breastfeeding (nipple cream, nipple pads, handheld manual breast pump); and self-care (lip balm, sleep mask, herbal tea, reusable water bottle, affirmation cards).

Your Support:
Thank you SO MUCH for supporting our mission and directly improving the health outcomes of Brooklyn’s most vulnerable communities. Your generous gift will help launch a brand new preventive care model that creatively bridges gaps and leads to positive systemic change. Cheers to a healthier future for ALL!
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How can I learn more about Colibri Health Institute? Visit our website at www.colibrihealth.org, or follow us on Instagram (@colibrihealth), TikTok (@colibrihealth), Facebook (www.facebook.com/colibrihealth.org), and LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/companies/colibrihealth).
- How can I get in contact with Colibri Health Institute? Email us at [email protected], or use the Contacts page on our website.
- What is preventive health? Preventive health focuses on changes we can make to our body, mind, environment, and lifestyle to stop preventable diseases BEFORE they occur.
- How will I receive my hospital birth guide? We will be sending out PDF copies to people who donate $20 or more via email in early February.

To help kick off our very first fundraising season, donations of $20 or more* will come with a PDF copy of our founder’s comprehensive hospital birth guide:
*Donations of more than $20 help cover access to the guide for community members in need.
Labor & Delivery ABC’s: A Nurse Insider’s Tips and Tricks for Navigating Your Hospital Birth
“As a former Labor & Delivery Registered Nurse, I was struck by how many of my patients who arrived at the hospital to give birth expressed fear about having no idea what to expect, despite the education they had supposedly received at their prenatal visits. I created this comprehensive guide to help birthing people and families achieve an empowered, fear-free birth in the hospital setting."
Donations to Colibri Health Institute Inc. are tax deductible.
Rewards

To help kick off our very first fundraising season, donations of $20 or more* will come with a PDF copy of our founder’s comprehensive hospital birth guide:
*Donations of more than $20 help cover access to the guide for community members in need.
Labor & Delivery ABC’s: A Nurse Insider’s Tips and Tricks for Navigating Your Hospital Birth
“As a former Labor & Delivery Registered Nurse, I was struck by how many of my patients who arrived at the hospital to give birth expressed fear about having no idea what to expect, despite the education they had supposedly received at their prenatal visits. I created this comprehensive guide to help birthing people and families achieve an empowered, fear-free birth in the hospital setting."
Donations to Colibri Health Institute Inc. are tax deductible.