Compassion and Choices Action Network is a lobbying organization that advocates for legalizing physician-assisted suicide. Its primary work involves funding litigation for defendants prosecuted in cases related to assisted suicide and funding ballot initiative campaigns to legalize assisted suicide at the state level. Compassion and Choices Action Network is affiliated with the nonprofit advocacy group Compassion and Choices. ¹

Operations

Compassion and Choices Action Network helps fund litigation for physician-assisted suicide. Since November 2013, it started facilitating this process through the Compassion and Choices Action Network Legal Defense Fund. ² In 2013, they assisted in the legal defense of Barbara Mancini, who was charged with assisting the suicide of her father. Mancini was eventually acquitted, and Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane (D) declined an appeal on the ruling. ³ Mancini was the first to benefit from the services of the Compassion and Choices Action Network Legal Defense Fund. ⁴

Legal Defense and Advocacy

Colorado End of Life Options Act

On May 9, 2016, Compassion and Choices Action Network announced support for “The Colorado End of Life Options Act” to authorize physician-assisted suicide in Colorado. ⁵ After that measure failed, the group donated $4.5 million in support of Proposition 106, a ballot initiative to authorize physician-assisted suicide in Colorado. The ballot initiative passed in November 2016 after two failed attempts to pass bills through the Colorado legislature, and was slightly more restrictive than the previous bills proposed. ^{6 7 8}

Massachusetts

The “Death with Dignity” campaign in Massachusetts received over $500,000 from Compassion and Choices Action Network to push for allowing doctors to prescribe medication to engage in physician-assisted suicide. ^{9 10}

California End of Life Option Act

Compassion & Choices Action Network led the campaign to pass the End of Life Option Act in California. The law was suspended in May 2018 and was quickly appealed by the state attorney general with support from Compassion and Choices on June 1, 2018. An appeals court vacated the ruling in November 2018, and the California Supreme Court declined to review, allowing the law to take effect. ¹¹

Leadership

Kim Callinan is the President and CEO of Compassion and Choices as well as Compassion and Choices Action Network. She previously served as the Chief program officer for the organization. ¹²

Financials

According to its 2021 990 form, the organization reported $2,030,368 in revenue, $1,195,401 in expenses, and $14,650,551 in total assets. ¹³

1. “What We Do.” Compassion and Choices Action Network, Accessed February 26, 2024. https://candcactionnetwork.org/what-we-do
2. “Compassion & Choices Action Network Legal Defense Fund.” Internet Archive. November 21, 2103. Accessed October 16, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20151225183406/https://www.compassionandchoices.org/2013/11/21/compassion-choices-action-network-legal-defense-fund/
3. “Year of Legal Torment Ends: Charges Dismissed for Assisting Dad’s “Suicide”.” Compassion & Choices Magazine. Spring, 2014. Accessed October 16, 2019. http://pub159.hotpepper.com/userfiles/Spring-Mag-2014-web.pdf
4. “Barbara Mancini to Be First Beneficiary of Compassion & Choices’ Legal Defense Fund.” PR Newswire. Compassion & Choices, December 5, 2013. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/barbara-mancini-to-be-first-beneficiary-of-compassion–choices-legal-defense-fund-234618771.html
5. “Compassion & Choices Action Network Endorses Colorado Aid-in-Dying Measure.” Compassion & Choices. May 9, 2016. Accessed October 16, 2019. https://compassionandchoices.org/news/compassion-choices-action-network-endorses-colorado-aid-dying-measure/
6. “Colorado.” Compassion & Choices. 2019. Accessed October 16, 2019. https://www.compassionandchoices.org/in-your-state/colorado/
7. Brown, Jennifer. “Colorado passes medical aid in dying, joining five other states.” The Denver Post. November 8, 2016. Accessed October 16, 2019. https://www.denverpost.com/2016/11/08/colorado-aid-in-dying-proposition-106-election-results/
8. “Colorado Proposition 106, Physician-Assisted Death Initiative (2016).” Ballotpedia. 2019. Accessed October 16, 2019. https://ballotpedia.org/Colorado_Proposition_106,_Physician-Assisted_Death_Initiative_(2016)
9. Span, Paula. “How the ‘Death With Dignity’ Initiative Failed in Massachusetts.” The New York Times. December 6, 2012. Accessed October 16, 2019. https://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/how-the-death-with-dignity-law-died-in-massachusetts/
10. “Ballot Question Reports.” Internet Archive. January 10, 2015. Accessed October 16, 2019.  https://web.archive.org/web/20150110121607/https://www.efs.cpf.state.ma.us/BallotQuestionReports.aspx
11. Bermudez, Esmerelda. “California appeals court reinstates law allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives.” Los Angeles Times. June 15, 2018. Accessed October 16, 2019. https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-suicide-law-20180615-story.html
12. Who We Are.” Compassion and Choices Action Network, Accessed February 26, 2024. https://candcactionnetwork.org/about-us
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Compassion and Choices Action Network. 2021. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/841328830/202300269349300130/full