The New Morning Foundation is a South Carolina-based nonprofit that supports expanded access to birth control and detailed sex education. ¹ The organization asserts that women need artificial birth control to plan their lives, including education and employment. ² The organization frames its advocacy as being intended to avoid “unplanned” or “unwanted” births and pregnancies, and New Morning president Bonnie Kapp has argued that the organization’s activities have reduced abortions. ^{3 4}

The New Morning Foundation has received multi-million-dollar contributions from the Susan T. Buffett Foundation, ^{5 6 7} a philanthropic institution associated with investor Warren Buffett that extensively funds “reproductive health and family planning.” ⁸

Advocacy

In the early 2010s, the New Morning Foundation issued a report arguing that South Carolina’s sex education was insufficient. As the report was characterized by FITSNews, the group argued that “three out of four South Carolina school districts are failing to comply with a state law outlining how they should teach sex education” and that therefore “young  people [were] not getting the medically accurate information.” ⁹ The foundation argued for certified sex-education teachers in schools, as is the case with teachers of other subjects. ¹⁰

In January 2012, the New Morning Foundation issued a statement opposing a proposed law in South Carolina that would strengthen the rights of healthcare professionals to refuse involvement in services and procedures they found morally objectionable. Brandi Parrish Ellison, the foundation’s associate director at the time, criticized the bill for allegedly having the effect of limiting access to a number of reproductive and other health services, including “birth control, in vitro fertilization and emergency contraception” as well as “HIV medications and even cancer medication.” ¹¹

In April 2014, the New Morning Foundation issued a statement opposing a proposed law in South Carolina that would strengthen the rights of pregnant women to exercise self-defense in situations where their unborn children were threatened. A spokesperson for the foundation claimed that the bill “could outlaw contraception, any form of hormonal birth control, and emergency contraception.” ¹²

Choose Well

The New Morning Foundation oversees the Southeast’s first statewide birth-control program, known as “Choose Well,” which provides eight methods of birth control at low or no cost. ¹³

The foundation leads the program together with more than 60 partner organizations that have more than 160 clinics across South Carolina. ¹⁴ These partners include federally qualified health centers, state health clinics, hospitals, universities, and nursing programs. ¹⁵

Leadership

Bonnie Kapp is the president and CEO of the New Morning Foundation and earned a salary of $200,000 in the organization’s tax year ending June 2020. ¹⁶ Following the 2024 election, Kapp wrote an op-ed promoting continued access to contraception. ¹⁷

Tiffany Byrd is New Morning Foundation’s associate vice president for clinical programs. ¹⁸

Sarah Kelley is the chief operating officer of the New Morning Foundation. ¹⁸

Anthony J. Duesler is the chief financial officer of the New Morning Foundation. ¹⁸

Dasia M. Jenkins is the health systems manager at the New Morning Foundation. ¹⁸

Angie Olawsky, a registered nurse, is the associate vice president for sustainability for the New Morning Foundation. ¹⁸

Financials

In its 2020-2021 fiscal year, the New Morning Foundation received just over $10 million in contributions and grants and issued more than $5.1 million in grants of its own. That year, the foundation held net assets of more than $8.8 million. ¹⁹

New Morning Foundation has received substantial contributions from the Susan T. Buffett Foundation, ^{5 6 7} a philanthropic institution associated with investor Warren Buffett that extensively funds “reproductive health and family planning.” ⁸

1. “New Morning Foundation.” Cause IQ. Accessed July 7, 2022. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/new-morning-foundation,954894776/
2. New Morning Foundation Main Page. Accessed May 22, 2023.

   https://newmorning.org/

3. “Program.” New Morning Foundation. Accessed July 7, 2022. https://newmorning.org/program
4. Kapp, Bonnie. “Providing More Access to Birth Control will Reduce Abortions in South Carolina.” The State. October 3. 2020. Accessed November 18, 2022. https://newmorning.org/media
5. Susan T. Buffett Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2023, Part XV Line 3 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/476032365/202401369349103710/IRS990PF
6. Susan T. Buffett Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022, Part XV Line 3 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/476032365/202341329349101219/IRS990PF
7. Susan T. Buffett Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2021, Part XV Line 3 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/476032365/202211339349103906/IRS990PF
8.  Callahan, David. “Keeping Tabs on the Billions and Billions That Warren Buffett Is Giving Away.” Inside Philanthropy. August 18, 2017. Accessed December 22, 2017. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2017/7/13/keeping-tabs-on-the-billions-and-billions-that-warren-buffett-is-giving-away
9. Lazenby, Amy. “SC’s Sex Ed Problem.” FITS News. March 27, 2014. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://www.fitsnews.com/2014/03/27/lazenby-scs-sex-ed-problem/
10.  Turner, Dakarai. “Bill Aims to Change Some Sex Education Laws in SC.” News 19 CBS. April 2, 2014. Accessed November 19, 2022. https://www.wltx.com/article/news/bill-aims-to-change-some-sex-education-laws-in-sc/101-298809685
11. Renee Dudley. “Freedom of Conscience Act on table in S.C. Senate.” Independent Mail. January 18, 2012. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://archive.independentmail.com/news/freedom-of-conscience-act-on-table-in-sc-senate-ep-408689525-348669101.html/
12. Iulia Filip. “Fetuses May Get ‘Stand Your Ground’ Rights.” Courthouse News Service. April 25, 2014. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.courthousenews.com/fetuses-may-get-stand-your-ground-rights/
13. “New Morning Foundation.” LinkedIn. Access July 7, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-morningsc/
14. Arruda, Paola. “Statewide birth control access program looks for funds to keep it running.” Live 5 News. December 24, 2020. Accessed July 7, 2022. https://www.live5news.com/2020/12/24/statewide-birth-control-program-looks-funds-keep-it-running/
15. “History.” Choose Well. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://choosewellus.org/history
16. New Morning Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part VII Section A https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/954894776/download990pdf_04_2022_prefixes_95-99%2F954894776_202006_990_2022042719996163
17. Kapp, Bonnie. “My Turn, Kapp: Facing a New Women’s Health Care Uncertainty.” Statehouse Report, November 22, 2024. https://www.statehousereport.com/2024/11/22/my-turn-kapp-facing-a-new-womens-health-care-uncertainty/.
18. “Staff.” New Morning Foundation. Accessed January 2, 2025. https://newmorning.org/staff
19. New Morning 2020 Internal Revenue Service Form 990. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/954894776/202201159349300110/full