Molly Clayton Joins Arnold Ventures as Vice President of Contraceptive Access

HOUSTON, TX (Jan. 8, 2024)– Veteran policy strategist Molly Clayton has joined Arnold Ventures as its vice president of contraceptive choice and access, effective immediately. Clayton’s hiring – and the creation of this new position– underscores Arnold Ventures’ ongoing commitment to ensuring that all Americans can access, afford, and have the freedom to choose the birth control method best for them. 

Clayton brings 15 years of professional experience in improving education and health outcomes for young people in America. In this role, she will focus on strategic, bipartisan initiatives such as expanding support for state family planning programs, and identifying ways to expand distribution and delivery channels.

“There is strong bipartisan consensus on the need for broad contraceptive access,” said Kirby Smith, executive vice president of Programs at Arnold Ventures.​“In fact, 9 in 10 adults believe that everyone deserves access to all birth control methods. Molly’s leadership will both help us identify those key areas where agreement exists, and drive the conversation forward from healthy debate to data-driven solutions.” 

Arnold Ventures has been a consistent voice in working across the political spectrum to expand access to various contraceptive methods. That effort has included supporting research, advocating for state-level family planning policies, and expanding people’s access to telemedicine alternatives. Important progress has been made, but the work is far from complete.

“There are 19 million women in our country who do not currently have access to all birth control methods,” said Clayton.​“Contraceptive deserts are far too common, particularly in rural America and in underserved communities. Broad access to birth control methods must be viewed for what it is: a vital tool for health, economic opportunity, and freedom.”

Prior to joining the team at Arnold Ventures, Clayton served as special advisor to the CEO and chief strategy officer at Healthy Futures of Texas, where she worked to improve the well-being of young Texans through equitable access to education, contraception, and other resources. Before that, she was executive director at the Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. She previously worked at the Texas Partnership for Out of School Time and United Ways of Texas. 

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Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change, AV is working to improve the lives of American families, strengthen their communities, and promote their economic opportunity. Since Laura and John Arnold launched their foundation in 2008, the philanthropy has expanded, and Arnold Ventures’ focus areas include education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance, advocating for bipartisan policy reforms that will lead to lasting, scalable change. As signatories of the Giving Pledge, the Arnolds have committed to giving away most of their wealth during their lives.

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