American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Background

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is a professional membership organization of obstetrician-gynecologists. It was established in 1951 and claims to have over 60,000 members as of 2025. ⁴ It provides clinical guidance, networking events and career support, and lobbies for left-of-center health-care-related polices on behalf of members. ^{2 5}

ACOG member benefits include access to clinical content, educational resources, networking with other members, career advancement support, and opportunities to get involved with ACOG advocacy. ⁶

Advocacy

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has previously lobbied for state and federal left-of-center health-care-related policies including expanded abortion access, which it described as “essential health care.” ⁷ It also advocates in favor of what it calls “gender-affirming” care as well as supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. ³ Its ACOG Action Center web page posts “calls to action” on its policy priorities at a state level, including supporting the passage of a law in Connecticut to allow minors to access reproductive health care without parental knowledge and opposing abortion-restriction bills in South Carolina. ^{8 9}

In January 2017 ACOG published a statement advocating that insurance plans cover transgender and gender-reassignment (so-called “gender-affirming”) care. In June 2023 ACOG co-signed a resolution passed by the American Medical Association it claimed would “protect access to evidence-based care for transgender and gender-diverse youth.” ¹⁰

ACOG is a member of the Group of Six, a group of medical organizations made from member physicians which include the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Osteopathic Association, and the American Psychiatric Association. The Group of Six advocates for left-of-center healthcare policies while releasing publications and written statements regarding its advocacy. In January 2025, the group released a statement condemning the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) at the direction of the second Trump administration. It has made several posts critical of Trump administration initiatives in 2025, including a February 2025 statement opposing potential cuts to Medicaid funding and another post on May 2025 advocating for allowing physicians to practice medicine without what the group considers improper political oversight. ¹¹

Related Organizations

Related organizations to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists include the ACOG Foundation and the American Congress of OB-Gyns PAC. ¹²

The ACOG Foundation is ACOG’s charitable arm. Its main source of contributions is ACOG members, but in 2023, it received almost $1.7 million from government grants, or roughly 38% of its total revenue. ¹³

ACOG contributed $535,546 to its ACOG Political Action Committee (PAC) in 2023. ¹⁴ The PAC is funded by member contributions and funds are allocated to candidates by the Ob-Gyn PAC Governing Committee. ¹⁵

Funding

In 2023, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reported $69,922,101 in total revenues. It received $10,269,220 in government grants, which is almost 15% of its total revenues and over 70% of its contributions and grants received for the year. Other revenue sources include dues and fees from its members, tuition and registration, public services, publications, and investment income. ¹⁶

ACOG’s largest expenses in 2023 were $4.4 million to officer and director compensation and $23 million for salaries and wages, employee benefits, and payroll taxes. It also spent $1.2 million on outside lobbying services. ¹⁷

Leadership

Sandra Brooks is the CEO of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Prior to becoming CEO in 2024, Brooks worked as the chief medical officer for several hospital systems. She previously earned a medical degree at Howard University, completed her residency at the University of Pennsylvania, and completed a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at Harvard Medical School. ^{18 19}

Stella M. Dantas is the 75^th board president of ACOG as of 2025. She is an obstetrician-gynecologist and medical director at Northwest Permanente. Dantas earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley; received a medical degree from Oregon Health and Science University, and completed her residency at the University of Hawaii. Before becoming president of ACOG she held several part-time positions within the organization. ^{20 21}