The Colorado-based Cobalt Abortion Fund reported an impressive increase in spending, reaching nearly $2.5 million in 2025 to assist individuals across the country in accessing abortion services. This figure marks an 84% increase from the previous year, according to Melisa Hidalgo-Cuellar, the fund’s director, who addressed the media during a press call on Wednesday.
Of the total expenditure, over $1.7 million was allocated directly to help patients cover the costs of procedures. The fund supported approximately 4,000 clients in their efforts to secure abortion care throughout the year. Hidalgo-Cuellar emphasized the impact of state-level abortion bans, stating, “This number here really reflects that abortion bans are keeping people from accessing the essential health care that they need in their own state.”
Fund’s Practical Support and Regional Trends
The Cobalt Abortion Fund, an initiative of the nonprofit organization Cobalt, is recognized as the largest independent abortion fund in Colorado. Among those who received financial assistance for abortion procedures, nearly 48% were residents of Colorado, while about 40% came from Texas. In addition to direct procedure funding, Cobalt allocated more than $665,000 for practical support, which includes financial aid for travel, lodging, meals, and childcare, benefiting just over 1,000 clients in 2025. This represents a decline from the $1 million spent on practical support in 2024.
Hidalgo-Cuellar noted that the decrease in practical support funding was likely due to enhanced collaboration with other abortion funds, particularly those assisting Texas residents seeking care in New Mexico. “The need for funding to support travel and other practical expenses is much higher in states with abortion bans,” she explained. Notably, about 86% of Cobalt’s clients requiring practical support funding in 2025 were based in Texas, whereas only about 6% were from Colorado.
Long-Term Funding Trends and Legislative Support
The demand for funding has continued to rise since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion in the Dobbs v. Jackson case in 2022. Hidalgo-Cuellar indicated that many had expected a temporary spike in demand, but Cobalt’s spending has consistently increased each year since the ruling. In 2021, prior to the decision, the fund’s expenditure was just over $200,000. This amount escalated to approximately $740,000 in 2022, and it has surpassed $1 million annually since 2023, with expenditures of over $1.2 million in that year and more than $1.9 million in 2024.
Cobalt’s funding comes from a diverse range of sources, including individual donors and family and institutional foundations, as Karen Middleton, president and CEO of Cobalt, explained. The organization continues fundraising efforts throughout Colorado to address the growing demand for abortion services.
In 2024, 62% of Colorado voters supported Amendment 79, which enshrined abortion access as a constitutional right in the state and allowed Medicaid and public insurance to cover abortion care. Following this amendment, the Colorado Legislature enacted measures to implement the changes and passed shield laws to protect both providers and out-of-state patients from legal repercussions.
As the landscape surrounding reproductive rights evolves, the Cobalt Abortion Fund remains committed to providing essential support to those in need, particularly as neighboring states, excluding New Mexico, continue to impose restrictions on abortion access.
