NAF established the Christopher Quinn Clinic Defense Grants to help U.S. abortion providers strengthen their security posture through new equipment, improvements, or short-term security services. Named in honor of NAF’s first Security Director, who passed away in 2023, these grants enable members to purchase security equipment or services or implement other security measures that they could not afford on their own.

Christopher Quinn first helped secure NAF meetings in the mid-90s and joined NAF in 1998 as our first Security Director. In that role, he helped establish our flagship Security program and provided emergency support at a time when our community was experiencing major acts of violence. During his 14 years as our Security Director, Chris was on call 24/7 and was the first person many of our members contacted when they experienced an act of violence—or even when they just had a question or concern. He had a way of making people feel safe, protected, and prioritized no matter what they were facing.

Chris worked on-site with members who survived arsons, attempted bombings, large-scale anti-abortion events, and even helped protect clinic staff and comfort our community following the murders of two providers. He approached his work with professionalism, warmth, and genuine love for our members. Despite the difficulty of his work, he found a way to bring humor and comfort in a way that our members particularly appreciated. Although he was often working behind the scenes, his deep security expertise, problem-solving skills, and devotion to our members touched so many people. Chris cared deeply about our mission and he continued to follow and support our members and our work after he left our organization. Outside of NAF, Chris was a devoted father of three and an animal lover.

During his time leading our Security program, Chris conducted numerous clinic security assessments and often made recommendations to our members about equipment they should purchase or enhancements they should make to improve their security. However, we know that some members lack the resources to implement these recommendations. The Christopher Quinn Clinic Defense Grants help our members make the kind of necessary upgrades and improvements that Chris often recommended they make. Your support will go directly to helping clinics improve their security.