Each spring, abortion funds across the country participate in Fund-a-Thon, a grassroots celebration of our community power. For the past eleven years, NYAAF has participated in the national peer-to-peer friend-raiser that brings in the majority of our annual budget, all from people like you and me. NYAAF is asking you to support abortion access by signing up to fundraise for NYAAF. You can create a team or join one here!

Because of you and our community, the New York Abortion Access Fund can fund abortions for everyone who calls us seeking assistance.  

Every year, we rely on you to mobilize your  loved ones, have heart-to-heart  conversations about abortion, and invite others to build collective power and advance abortion access.

Participating in the virtual Fund-a-Thon is easy, fun, and grassroots-driven. When you sign up as a fundraiser, you reach out to friends and family and let them know why abortion funding is important to you, and ask them to join you in this work. We will provide sample emails and scripts  for you to use!

If you’d prefer, we invite you to make a one-time gift to support our Fund-a-Thon efforts. 

As NYAAF embarks on a transformation period to focus on our organizational wellness, we will  not host a formal event alongside the Fund-a-Thon season. While we continue with grassroots fundraising, we invite you to creatively bring your own community together to reach your fundraising goal. You could plan a toast to abortion funding or a host a virtual game night — over  Zoom or in the park! Auction off the products of your newly-acquired quarantine needlepoint or baking hobby! We’re excited to hear about your plans!

Fund-a-Thon will run until the end of May, and we need to raise $60,000 to continue  meeting the needs of our callers. We hope that you will join us!

With your continued participation in Fund-a-Thon, together we will show care for people who have abortions, now and for years to come.

The NYAAF Bowl-a-Thon is back, and this year it’s bigger and better than ever before. This year we’re offering two time slots in New York City and events in Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester, so we have even more opportunities for bowlers to raise funds to protect abortion access!

The Bowl-a-Thon allows NYAAF to continue our critical work. As our main annual fundraising event, the Bowl-a-Thon keeps NYAAF’s services available to those who need it most. This year, we’re aiming to raise a record-breaking $300,000, and we need your help!

Check out our event sites for New York City, Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester and sign up to show off your bowling skills! Or you can support a great cause by pledging toward an existing team or bowler!  

We’ve compiled this handy list of Frequently Asked Questions, but reach out to us anytime at  bowlathon@nyaaf.org if we can help in any way to get you and your teams set up to be the best and happiest NYAAF bowlers and fundraisers ever!

When and where are the Bowl-a-Thons?

New York City: Bowlmor Lanes on Sunday, April 22 from 11:00am – 4:00pm in Manhattan.
Albany: Del Lanes in Delmar on Saturday, April 29th at 2pm
Buffalo: Classic Lanes on Sunday, April 28th, from 2:00pm – 4:00pm.
Rochester: L&M Lanes on Thursday, April 26th from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM.

So… why exactly are we bowling for abortion access?

Every April, abortion funds across the country that are part of the National Network of Abortion Funds hold Bowl-a-Thons — this year marks NYAAF’s 8th Bowl-a-Thon! These events allow us to have fun connecting with our reproductive justice community while raising funds so we can continue to serve our clients in need. Now more than ever it is crucial that we come together, support each other, and fight to ensure that abortion access remains a reality for all individuals. Bowl; fund abortion; build power. It’s that simple.

I’m sold! How do I sign up?

We have individual event pages for each of our four locations. Please make sure you’re registering for the correct event!

Sign up here for New York City;
here for Albany;
here for Buffalo; and
here for Rochester .

Once you sign up, you can personalize your individual fundraising page — we encourage lots of GIFs! You can also start a team, or join one that your friends have already started!  

Is there a fee to sign up?

There is a registration fee ($20 in NYC; $15 in Buffalo and Rochester; $10 in Albany) that you can pay as a donation to your own fundraising page after signing up online. However, we encourage bowlers to donate more if they are able! As a volunteer-run grassroots organization, NYAAF ensures that donations are maximized to help cover the costs of abortion care for those who reach out to us for assistance. If you haven’t raised enough to cover the cost of your registration by the day of the event, we will ask you to pay the registration fee at event check-in.    

Is there a deadline for registration?

We ask that all teams and individuals register one week before the event, which means

by Sunday, April 15 for NYC;
Thursday, April 19 for Rochester;
Saturday, April 22 for Buffalo;
and Sunday, April 23 for Albany.

If you have extra folks you’d like to add the week before the event, please email bowlathon@nyaaf.org. We will do our best to make sure we accommodate everyone who wants to join us!

There are two time slots this year for the NYC event! When are they, and when will NYAAF let bowlers know their designated bowling time?

Teams bowling in NYC  assigned to the first time slot will be able to bowl between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM; those assigned to the second slot can bowl between 1:30 and 3:30 PM. We’ll let teams know by Tuesday, April 17 which time slot they can bowl. But you can also come and hang out during the entire event, even if it’s not your bowling time! If you or your team has a strong preference about your time slot, please let us know by emailing us at bowlathon@nyaaf.org with your team name and preference, and we will do our best to honor your request!

How do I update/personalize my page?

While logged into the fundraising site, select the “Manage” button on the top left of the screen on your individual fundraising page. Select the “Story” tab. You can edit the text, or add new text images in the page field. For more details, visit the Classy Help page on this topic.

How do I join a team or add people to my team?

On the team’s page, have the person who wants to join select the “Join” button underneath the team’s image on the left hand side. Or select “Become a Fundraiser” on the event home page, then “Join a Team” and search for the team name. The system will walk you through a step-by-step process to set up a new individual fundraising page as part of this team. Please note that even team captains must join their own team after creating the team page.

How do I thank my donors?

Select the “Manage” button on the top left of the screen on your page when you’re logged into the fundraising site. Select the “Donations” tab. You’ll see a list of all donations to your page, and a button that says “Thank” next to each. This allows you to write a comment in response to their donation that will be sent to them, and will show up on your page. All donors who choose to be non-anonymous also get an automated “Thank You” email when their donation is processed. However, we recommend you also thank people personally, via email, social media, letter, or with a big hug!

What happens if my friends on other teams bowling in NYC were assigned to the other time slot?

We’ve reserved the entire main area at our NYC venue, so registered non-bowlers and those arriving before/after their team’s designated bowling time can feel free to hang out and enjoy good times, snacks, and abortion funding community building throughout the event!

How many people can be on a bowling team?

In NYC, each bowling lane can accommodate 8 people, so we encourage teams to not have more than 8 people per lane who plan to bowl, if they want their score recorded. If you happen to have an extra large team (preferably closer to 12-16 people), we can assign your team two adjacent lanes so you can keep your team spirit extra strong and concentrated!

In Albany, Buffalo,and Rochester each bowling lane holds 4-6 people, but we’ll assign lanes in a way that keeps larger teams together!

What happens if I’m a bad bowler?

We embrace ALL our bowlers, regardless of bowling skill! Neither your fundraising nor your importance in building power through abortion funding is connected to your bowling score. Bring on all the gutter balls you’ve got — we’ll still be cheering you on!

I have someone who wants to donate to me but through cash or a check, instead of online. How do I add this to my fundraising totals?

Checks can be made out to “New York Abortion Access Fund” and sent to:

New York Abortion Access Fund
FDR Station, Box 7569
New York, NY 10150

*A FEW NOTES ON CHECKS: Please do not write checks to “NYAAF”. The bank will unfortunately not accept them. Please write in the memo line “BAT,” along with the name of the bowler to whom the gift should be attributed. When we receive checks from your supporters, we’ll add them to your online fundraising page so they contribute toward your goal.

If you have collected cash donations, please bring them with you to the event and we can collect it and add it to your totals onsite. You can also email Sara at sarall@nyaaf.org with questions about offline gifts, or to let us know that we should look for a check in the mail.

I can’t attend the Bowl-a-Thon event, but still want to fundraise for NYAAF! Can I still participate?

YES PLEASE! We’d love those who want to support NYAAF and its mission to create their own fundraising page, even if you can’t join us in person! Whether you live somewhere without a bowling event, or your dance card is full when your local event is taking place, we welcome people ANYWHERE to bowl with us virtually! Creating a fundraising page through our Bowl-a-Thon website will make it easy for you to ask for donations (think: example language and automated emails you can send to your networks), and for your supporters to donate securely online!

Does my fundraising money go to different places based on which New York Bowl-a-Thon event I attend?

Nope! All funds raised through these four NYAAF Bowl-a-Thon events come to the New York Abortion Access Fund and are used to help our clients throughout the state, as well as clients that NYAAF supports coming from or traveling to other states. After the event, a portion of what we collectively raise will also go to the National Network of Abortion Funds, which supports and develops abortion funds across the country.

Some of our registered team members can’t make it to the Bowl-a-Thon, or are coming but don’t plan to bowl. Should we let NYAAF know how many of our team members are actually attending and bowling?

YES PLEASE! Send us an email at bowlathon@nyaaf.org and let us know the names of team members who will not be bowling with you. This will help us better allocate our lanes and make the registration process faster for all our bowlers. We’ll also reach out to team captains to confirm this information closer to the event.

How will single bowlers be assigned to teams? What is the process for bowlers without a team to sign up?

All you have to do to start is register as an individual and we’ll match you up with other folks to bowl with at the event! We often have teams that notify us they have space for extra individuals, so feel free to email us at bowlathon@nyaaf.org if you’d like to get linked up with them in advance!

Will there be bathroom access for gender non-conforming and trans folks?

At the NYC event, there are two gender-neutral bathrooms available for use.

How is NYAAF addressing any potential threats to security on the Bowl-a-Thon fundraising site?  

The National Network of Abortion Funds, who hosts the Classy website we’re using for registration and fundraising, specifically chose this vendor with a mind to creating a supremely secure online fundraising process. All online registrations and transactions will continue to be monitored, even following the event.

Still, if you see or receive any strange or suspicious messages that seem to be related to the Bowl-a-Thon, please email us at bowlathon@nyaaf.org and we’ll look into it as soon as possible.

How is NYAAF addressing any potential threats to security at the event?  

We work with venue staff to ensure the safety of our supporters, and we have never had a security issue at a NYAAF event. We will have volunteers trained in safety and de-escalation at each of our Bowl-a-Thons.

Why does my receipt say National Network of Abortion Funds?

NYAAF is a member of the National Network of Abortion Funds, which hosts the Bowl-a-Thon website as a way to support fundraising infrastructure for all member abortion funds. They accept the donations on our behalf and then send us a check; a great benefit for an all-volunteer organization like NYAAF. If you make your donation through the Bowl-a-Thon website, this is why you may see their name and tax ID number.

Please share these FAQs with your teammates, friends, and anyone interested in the Bowl-a-Thon. And as always, reach out to us at bowlathon@nyaaf.org if you have any questions or suggestions for how to make this event an even bigger success!  

Look out for more helpful emails from us, and keep spreading the word about NYAAF and #bowl18!

NYAAF Bowl-a-Thon

Frequently Asked Questions

Hello beautiful bowlers and prospective bowlers! The NYAAF Bowl-a-Thon is back, and this year it’s bigger and better than ever before. This year we’re offering two time slots in New York City and our first-ever event in Buffalo, so we have even more opportunities for bowlers to raise funds to protect abortion access!

The Bowl-a-Thon allows NYAAF to continue our critical work. As our main annual fundraising event, the Bowl-a-Thon keeps NYAAF’s services available to those who need it most. This year, we’re aiming to raise a record-breaking $200,000, and we need your help!

Check out our event sites for New York City and Buffalo if you want to sign up and show off your own bowling skills, or if you’d like to support a great cause by pledging toward an existing team or bowler!  

We’ve compiled this handy list of Frequently Asked Questions, but reach out to us anytime at  bowlathon@nyaaf.org if we can help in any way to get you and your teams set up to be the best and happiest NYAAF bowlers and fundraisers ever!

When and where are the Bowl-a-Thons?
The New York City Bowl-a-Thon will take place on Sunday, April 23 from 11:00am – 4:00pm at Bowlmor Chelsea Piers.

The Buffalo Bowl-a-Thon will take place on Saturday, April 29th, from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. Once you register, we’ll send you location details.

So… why exactly are we bowling for abortion access?
Every April, abortion funds across the country that are part of the National Network of Abortion Funds hold Bowl-a-Thons — this year marks NYAAF’s 8th Bowl-a-Thon! These events allow us to have fun connecting with our reproductive justice community while raising funds so we can continue to serve our clients in need. Now more than ever it is crucial that we come together, support each other, and fight to ensure that abortion access remains a reality for all individuals. Bowl; fund abortion; build power. It’s that simple.

I’m sold! How do I sign up?
You can sign up for the NYC event at www.bowl.nnaf.org/nyaaf or the Buffalo event at www.bowl.nnaf.org/nyaafbuffalo. Once you sign up, you can personalize your individual fundraising page — we encourage lots of GIFs! You can also start a team, or join an existing one.

Is there a fee to sign up?
There is a registration fee ($20 in NYC; $15 in Buffalo) that you can pay as a donation to your own fundraising page after signing up online. However, we encourage bowlers to donate more if they are able! As a volunteer-run grassroots organization, NYAAF ensures that donations are maximized to help cover the costs of abortion care for those who reach out to us for assistance.    

Is there a deadline for registration?
We ask that all teams and individuals register by Sunday, April 16 for NYC and by Saturday, April 22 for Buffalo — one week before the event.

There are two time slots this year for the NYC event! When are they, and when will NYAAF let bowlers know their designated bowling time?
Teams bowling in NYC  assigned to the first time slot will be able to bowl between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM; those assigned to the second slot can bowl between 1:30 and 3:30 PM. When team captains first register their team, they can indicate which time slot they prefer, and we’ll do our best to accommodate that preference! We’ll let teams know by Monday, April 17 which time slot they can bowl. But you can also come and hang out during the entire event, even if it’s not your bowling time!

How do I update/personalize my page?
While logged into the fundraising site, select the “Manage” button on the top left of the screen on your individual fundraising page. Select the “Story” tab. You can edit the text, or add new text images in the page field. For more details, visit the Classy Help page on this topic.

How do I join a team or add people to my team?
On the team’s page, have the person who wants to join select the “Join” button underneath the team’s image on the left hand side. Or select “Become a Fundraiser” on the event home page, then “Join a Team” and search for the team name. The system will walk you through a step-by-step process to set up a new individual fundraising page as part of this team. Note that this year, unlike in the past, even team captains must join their own team after creating the team page.

How do I thank my donors?
Select the “Manage” button on the top left of the screen on your page when you’re logged into the fundraising site. Select the “Donations” tab. You’ll see a list of all donations to your page, and a button that says “Thank” next to each. This allows you to write a comment in response to their donation that will be sent to them, and will show up on your page. All donors who choose to be non-anonymous also get an automated “Thank You” email when their donation is processed. However, we recommend you also thank people personally, via email, social media, letter, or with a big hug!

What happens if my friends on other teams bowling in NYC were assigned to the other time slot?
We’ve reserved the entire main area at Bowlmor Chelsea Piers, so registered non-bowlers and those arriving before/after their team’s designated bowling time can feel free to hang out and enjoy good times and abortion funding community building throughout the event!

How many people can be on a bowling team?
In NYC, each bowling lane can accommodate 8 people, so we encourage teams to not have more than 8 people per lane who plan to bowl, if they want their score recorded. If you happen to have an extra large team (preferably closer to 12-16 people), we can assign your team two adjacent lanes so you can keep your team spirit extra strong and concentrated!

In Buffalo, each bowling lane holds 4 people, but we’ll assign lanes in a way that keeps larger teams together!

What happens if I’m a bad bowler?
We embrace ALL our bowlers, regardless of bowling skill! Neither your fundraising nor your importance in building power through abortion funding is connected to your bowling score. Bring on all the gutter balls you’ve got — we’ll still be cheering you on!

I have someone who wants to donate to me but through cash or a check, instead of online. How do I add this to my fundraising totals?
Checks can be made out to “New York Abortion Access Fund” and sent to:

New York Abortion Access Fund
FDR Station, Box 7569
New York, NY 10150

*Please do not write checks to “NYAAF”. The bank will not accept them.

Please write in the memo line “BAT,” along with the name of the bowler to whom the gift should be attributed. When we receive checks from your supporters, we’ll add them to your online fundraising page so they contribute toward your goal.

If you have cash, please bring it with you to the event and we can collect it and add it to your totals onsite. You can also email Sara at sarall@nyaaf.org with questions about offline gifts, or to let us know that we should look for a check in the mail.

I can’t attend the Bowl-a-Thon event, but still want to fundraise for NYAAF! Can I still participate?
YES PLEASE! We’d love those who want to support NYAAF and its mission to create their own fundraising page, even if you can’t join us in person! Whether you live somewhere without a bowling event, or your dance card is full on April 23rd, we welcome people ANYWHERE to bowl with us virtually! Creating a fundraising page through our Bowl-a-Thon website will make it easy for you to ask for donations (think: example language and automated emails you can send to your networks), and for your supporters to donate securely online!

Some of our registered team members can’t make it to the Bowl-a-Thon, or are coming but don’t plan to bowl. Should we let NYAAF know how many of our team members are actually attending and bowling?
YES PLEASE! Send us an email at bowlathon@nyaaf.org and let us know the names of team members who will not be bowling with you. This will help us better allocate our lanes and make the registration process faster for all our bowlers. We’ll also reach out to team captains to confirm this information closer to the event.

How will single bowlers be assigned to teams? What is the process for bowlers without a team to sign up?
All you have to do to start is register as an individual and we’ll match you up with other folks to bowl with at the event! We also have some teams that have notified us they have space for individuals, so feel free to email us if you’d like to get linked up with them in advance!

Will there be bathroom access for gender non-conforming and trans folks?
At the NYC event at Bowlmor Chelsea Piers, there are two gender-neutral bathrooms available for use.

Check back here soon for information on the Buffalo event.

How is NYAAF addressing any potential threats to security on the Bowl-a-Thon fundraising site?
The National Network of Abortion Funds, who hosts the Classy website we’re using for registration and fundraising, specifically chose this vendor with a mind to creating a supremely secure online fundraising process. All online registrations and transactions will continue to be monitored, even following the event.

Still, if you see or receive any strange or suspicious messages that seem to be related to the Bowl-a-Thon, please email us at bowlathon@nyaaf.org and we’ll look into it as soon as possible.

Please share these FAQs with your teammates, friends, and anyone interested in the Bowl-a-Thon. And as always, reach out to us at bowlathon@nyaaf.org if you have any questions or suggestions for how to make this event an even bigger success!  

Look out for more helpful emails from us, and keep spreading the word about NYAAF and #bowl17!

Hey hey, bowlers!! You might have noticed that we’re just $5,518 shy of our new fundraising goal of $130,000. We are floored at what you and your communities have been able to do to help NYAAF continue to serve those needing abortion services in New York. If each bowler raises just $20 more before tomorrow, we will reach our goal! Let’s do it, and then celebrate BIG on Sunday!

A few details for the event:

WHEN AND WHERE TO FIND US. As a reminder, the event is from 11 AM – 1:30 PM this SUNDAY, APRIL 10 at Bowlmor Chelsea Piers, at Pier 60/23rd & W.Side Hwy, New York, NY 10011. This PDF map can help orient you to parking/pickup/dropoff areas nearby. The venue opens right at 11 AM, and we’ll be ready to check you in as soon as you arrive!

CANCELLATIONS OR NON-BOWLERS ON YOUR TEAM? So we can optimize your team’s lane assignment, please email us *ASAP*at nyaafbowlathon@gmail.com if you know that you or one of your registered teammates will not be attending the bowl-a-thon, or will not actually be bowling.

OFFLINE DONATIONS? WE’LL TAKE ’EM! Please bring any cash and checks you’ve received as part of your fundraising and we’ll get them processed — we’ll happily accept credit card donations onsite as well!

BRING BOWLING-READY SHOES. Since we are close to hitting capacity at Bowlmor Chelsea Piers (way to go!), there’s a chance they may run a little short on bowling shoes. Just in case, we’d love it if you’re able to bring or wear shoes with light-colored rubber soles — especially if you know you’ll be arriving on the later side.

PRIZES PRIZES PRIZES!!! We’ve got lots of great raffle prizes waiting for you! You’ll get your raffle tickets when you check in, and you’ll then have until 12:30 PM to put your tickets in for drawing. The winner of each prize will be drawn separately, so you can allocate your tickets however you like for the items you really want. Be sure to check back at the raffle table after 1 PM to find out if you won!

NEED SOME MORE PRO-CHOICE SWAG IN YOUR LIFE? We’ll have some snazzy tees and tanks made especially for the 2016 Bowl-a-thon up for sale!

HASHTAG LIKE IT’S GOING OUT OF STYLE. Your amazing team names are serious indication that there’s going to be some incredible spirit coming at us on Sunday — we even have prizes for the team with the best costumes. We’ll be posting photos of all your awesome bowling flair, but we’d love to see your great shots, too! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and feel free to use that #NYAAFbowl16 hashtag liberally.

QUESTIONS? As ever, feel free to email us at nyaafbowlathon@gmail.com, and check our Facebook event page for any essential day-of updates. Can’t wait to see you Sunday!

Yours,

The NYAAF 2016 Bowl-a-thon Committee

It’s the day we’ve been waiting for!

It’s finally here!

The NYAAF Bowl-a-thon is today, and we can’t wait to welcome you to Chelsea Piers!

This has been an amazing year, and with your incredible fundraising efforts, NYAAF has broken the New York and National Abortion Fund records!We have now exceeded our goal by over $15,000! After all this hard work, we can’t wait to celebrate with you and strike down barriers to abortion access!

Don’t forget:

• Chelsea Piers, Pier 60 (near West 23rd Street and the West Side Highway)
• Doors open at 1:15pm, and bowling begins at 1:30pm!
• When you arrive, we’ll check you in, and give you a lane assignment and shoes. Be sure to know your team name in order to check in!
• If you have any offline donations (i.e cash or checks) turn them in at check-in. (Remember, all checks must be made out to the New York Abortion Access Fund, not NYAAF!)

Have any last-minute questions? Check out the Bowl-a-thon page to find out everything you need to know!

We want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for your efforts along the way. The Bowl-a-thon is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and the opportunity to make an incredible difference in the lives of people who, without this help, would not have access to critical medical services.

You’ve helped us make this year’s Bowl-a-thon the best one yet. We can’t wait to see you this afternoon!

Sincerely,

Heather and the Bowl-a-thon Team