The Audre Lorde Memorial Fund for Bioethics Research

History and Mandate

The Audre Lorde Memorial Fund for Bioethics Research was established in 1993 with a generous anonymous donation to FAB. The FAB officers decided to establish a special account to fund administrative expenses and scholarships/travel grants for qualified FAB members who were presenting papers at our biennial conferences. We filed the necessary forms under US tax provisions for nonprofit organizations, established a bank account and were off and running. Our administrative expenses have been minimal (thanks to FAB officers who seldom submit bills for their out-of-pocket costs), so the bulk of our contributions have been designated to support the participation of members, primarily from developing countries.

Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde died in the year FAB was founded (1992) after a fourteen year struggle with breast cancer. An African American poet, essayist, and autobiographer, she was much admired for her passionate writings on lesbian feminist experiences and her courageous autobiographical narrative (The Cancer Journals 1980) which challenged Western notions of illness. Her widely quoted dictum: “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house” undergirds FAB’s mission: to create new bioethical models and strategies responsive to the disparate conditions of women and other disenfranchised groups.

Donations to the Fund

Donations to the Fund are tax-deductible in the USA, and wherever else law allows. If you can, please consider donating regularly, and suggesting donations to the Fund in memory of someone special to you. Donations can be made in two ways: 1) by including your contribution in your dues payment to Indiana University Press or 2) by sending your check made out to the Audre Lorde Memorial Fund for Bioethics Research directly to the FAB Treasurer. (Note: Current FAB Treasurer is Anne Donchin, 5 Riverpointe Road Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706 USA. Her e-mail address is: or ).

A Special Plea for Donations

The establishment of our journal and the related increase in membership fees puts our scholarship/travel grants program at risk. In order to continue collaboration with FAB members across geographical and economic barriers at our conferences, we must count on the future generosity of those members who can continue to donate to the Audre Lorde Fund.