Americans United for Life (AUL)
Contents
AUL was founded in 1971 and claims to be the first national pro-life advocacy organization. 1
Activities
Founded in 1971 as the first national pro-life organization, Americans United for Life continues to advocate for policies that support the human right to life. 1 In addition to supporting the reversal of Roe v. Wade, AUF advocates for an Abortion Drug “Right to Know” Law that would give consumers information on the risks and side effects of unrestricted and potentially dangerous mail-order abortion drugs. 3
Americans United for Life advocates for freedom of conscience, as it is embodied in the First Amendment. To this end, AUF supports protecting healthcare providers’ conscience rights to refuse to participate in abortions. AUF claims that providers, including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, should not be forced by law to perform abortions or fill abortion-inducing prescriptions. 4
Americans United for Life opposes legalizing assisted suicide, pointing out that suicide is not only a crime, but that the traditional Hippocratic Oath insists that doctors and other medical providers “do no harm.” AUL claims that allowing or compelling doctors to end patients’ lives drastically alters the doctor-patient relationship and that legalizing assisted suicide may also lead to the acceptance of euthanasia, leading to an increase in doctors unwillingly ending the lives of patients. 4
Each year, Americans United for Life publishes its model legislation, Defending Life, to be used as a guide by lawmakers and policy advocates to further protect the human right to life. AUL gives each state a report card, ranks them on its “Life List,” and includes state policy recommendations for supporting AUL’s Infants’ Protection Project, Women’s Protection Project, and Patients’ Protection Project. Americans United for Life also gives policy recommendations for state-specific policies regarding abortion, bioethics, and end-of-life issues. 5
Funding and Associations
Americans United for Life is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While AUL does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation ($1 million in 2013), 6 Donors Capital Fund ($500,000 in 2008), 7 and the National Christian Charitable Foundation ($108,100 in 2019). 8
Americans United for Life is a former affiliate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. 9
Senior Staff
Catherine Glen Foster is the president and CEO of Americans United for Life. Foster formerly worked as litigation counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom and as the executive director of Euthanasia Prevention Coalition USA. Foster sits on the boards of And Then There Were None; the Washington, D.C. chapter of Christian Legal Society; Rockville Women’s Center; and the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity. Foster is a senior fellow in legal policy at the Charlotte Lozier Institute and a fellow at the James Wilson Institute on Natural Rights and the American Founding. 10
Katie Glenn works as government affairs counsel at AUL and formerly worked as director of external relations at the 1st Amendment Partnership. 11
Peter Hinman is the director of donor relations at AUL. Hinman formerly worked as the manager of the President’s Club at the Heritage Foundation and a development assistant at the Bill of Rights Institute. 12
Tom Shakely is the chief engagement officer at AUL and a research fellow at Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism. Shakely formerly sat on the board of the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia and is a former fellow at the National Review Institute and the Leonine Forum. 13
Board of Directors
Alfonso Aquilar is the secretary of the board of AUL and the president of both the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles and the International Human Rights Group. Aguilar sits on the advisory board of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and on the International Advisory Task Force of Alliance Defending Freedom. 14
Teri Goudie is a former journalist for ABC News. 15
Mark Miller works as general counsel and interim chief of staff for Governor Kristi Noem (R-SD) and is the Unborn Child Advocate for the Governor’s Office. 16
Other members of the board include Jay Cunningham, chair; Patrick Hofer, vice-chair; Kenneth Hansen, treasurer; and Nathan Hancock. 2
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
| Year | Total Assets | Total Revenue | Total Expenses | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,257,033 | $3,219,370 | $3,496,361 | View |
| 2024 | $1,675,991 | $3,054,421 | $3,176,700 | View |
| 2023 | $2,020,180 | $2,916,594 | $3,171,605 | View |
| 2022 | $1,988,506 | $3,132,353 | $2,852,291 | View |
| 2021 | $1,705,761 | $2,348,272 | $2,621,504 | View |
Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
Revenue Detail
Expenses Detail
Employee Compensation
- Number of Employees: 21
Highest Earning Employees
| Employee | Title | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Steven Aden | CLO & General Counsel | $198,929 |
| John Mize | Chief Executive Officer | $197,084 |
| Kevin Tordoff | Chief Marketing Officer & Chief Impact Officer | $187,134 |
| Clarke Forsythe | Senior Counsel | $182,708 |
| Evangeline Bartz | Exec. Advisor to the CEO & Sr. Policy Counsel | $115,762 |
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $20,291,711
- Number of Grants: 539
- Number of Funders: 120
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:
All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $8,000
- Number of Grants: 1
- Number of Recipients: 1
Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:
| Amount | Year | Funder | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| $8,000 | 2025 | Center for Client Safety, Inc. | General Support |