Empowering Birth Workers, Supporting Families
We are Community Doula Alliance
Discover how our innovative training programs are transforming the lives of doulas and the families they serve in Portland.
Our Mission and Vision
At Community Doula Alliance, our mission is to increase awareness and advocate for racially, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse doulas. Our focus is to train the next generation of exceptional professional doulas while improving maternal and infant health outcomes and reclaiming cultural practices in their respective communities. As a Black, women-led non-profit organization, our programs are designed within a racial equity framework to address the growing need to support community-based doulas in the Portland, Oregon area, ensuring that families receive the highest quality of culturally-specific care. By fostering a community of exceptionally trained doulas, we aim to enhance maternal and infant health outcomes and create a thriving environment for all.
Join us in our mission to change the face of birth work while making a positive impact on the lives of families and birth workers alike.
Why Choose Culturally-Specific Care
Our programs are designed to equip birth workers with a reproductive & economic justice lens focused within a racial equity framework to advance the skills they need to excel in their roles, providing comprehensive support to families in their respective communities.
Comprehensively Trained + Lived Experience
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Services for You
Our Portland Doula Training Program offers comprehensive equity-based education and hands-on experience to prepare aspiring doulas for their vital role in supporting families.
Family Support Services
We provide personalized prenatal, birth, and postpartum support to ensure families feel confident and cared for throughout their journey.
Community Workshops
Engage with our community through workshops that cover continuing education, wellness, & fostering connection.
Advocacy and Outreach
Our advocacy efforts aim to enhance maternal health policies and expand doula services access for underserved communities.
Get excited!
We’re excited to announce that Community Doula Alliance is participating in Williamette Weekly’s Give!Guide 2024 campaign! There are 251 Portland non-profits participating in this annual effort to not only raise funds but bring awareness to the diverse power in the PDX community. We value this collaborative opportunity to partner with each local group through the Nov 1st – Dec 31st campaign and beyond.
Our Impact in Numbers
Our main programs, the Portland Doula Training & Diverse Doula Program, have significantly improved maternal and infant health outcomes in the Portland area, fostering a supportive community for all.
Over 500 Families Supported since 2021
84% Vaginal Birth Rate with a CDA Doula
40+ Trained Doulas Added to the Healthcare Workforce
Dedicated 1,000+ hours to prenatal, postpartum, and continuous birth support
Why Are These Programs Needed?
More than 20 women in the United States will die of pregnancy-related causes this week alone, more than any other country in the developed world. The funerals for these mothers are nearly 5 times more likely to take place in Black and Indigenous communities.This is a public health crisis that is finally gaining national attention, but not enough action. There are many complex solutions to improving maternal mortality rates for women of color and it may take decades to decolonize the health care system, but birth and postpartum doulas are an ancient, low cost way to provide families with immediate support that will improve maternal-infant health outcomes.
Doulas are trained professionals who provide consistent physical, emotional, informational, and advocacy support to families throughout their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences. Doulas are not medical staff, their role is to support pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people by ensuring clients have the knowledge, respect, agency, and connection needed to successfully navigate healthcare systems, make informed decisions, and have more positive perinatal experiences and outcomes. Studies show that women with doula support experience shorter labors with fewer interventions and newborns are healthier and more likely to breastfeed. The benefits of doula care are even greater when there is a cultural match between the client and doula in which the doula looks like the client and understands her culture, language, and community.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Community Doula Alliance is led by Kimberly Porter. She is a fearless, trailblazing change agent, whose mission is to create a society where all children are born with equal opportunities for a healthy start by creating a racially diverse doula workforce to provide culturally-specific maternal care for Black, Indigenous, Latino/a/x, Asian and other racially and linguistically diverse, underrepresented families. She is a Community-Based Mental Health Therapist, Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant, Infant/Toddler Parent & Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapist, PSU Adjunct Professor, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Board Chair of the Oregon Infant Mental Health Association, founder of The Sacred Roots Doula Program at The Black Parent Initiative, Vice President of the Portland Doula Association, and current standing Diverse Communities Board Chair of the Oregon Doula Association. She lives in Beaverton with her adult son and teenage daughter and enjoys cooking diverse dishes, traveling abroad, and reading and engaging in thought provoking discussions with friends over dinner.
Chief Finance & Operations Officer
Marnellie Bishop is a seasoned doula and childbirth educator, bringing over seven years of experience supporting over 200 families through birth and postpartum journeys. Her dedication extends beyond individual care, as she serves as the Chief Finance & Operations Officer at Community Doula Alliance, where she spearheads initiatives to train/mentor doulas, empower families and bridge gaps in healthcare. With certifications in birth and postpartum support, childbirth education, and leadership roles within CDA, Marnellie is deeply committed to person-centered care and advocacy, particularly for Oregon Health Plan members. Her background in Business Administration and her passion for supporting the professional development of doulas and the families they support enrich her ability to provide compassionate and effective support with in the organization and community.
Want To Help?
If you want to help us create meaningful change in the Portland Birth Community, here are some ways to help:
Donate! We have received a generous grant from a local foundation for 100K, and our current goal is to raise additional funding of 150K for organizational, doula training, and program costs. If you or someone you know would like to make a financial contribution to our fundraising efforts we are gratefully accepting donations.
Consider Being A Board Member! We are looking for committed, skilled and resourced people who believe in our mission and vision to join the board.
Volunteer Your Services! If you have a skill set you’d like to donate that can help advance our efforts we’d love to hear from you.
Social Networking! Help spread the word about what we’re doing on your social media platform or by connecting us with journalism opportunities.
Build Bridges! If you know a person or organization that might be interested in what we’re doing please reach out to them and see if you can help build a bridge of connection on our behalf.
If you have a resource to donate, please contact Kimberly Porter at [email protected]
