Outlet profile

Compassion & Choices

U.S. progressive

Owned byIndependent 501(c)(3) nonprofit; no parent company or corporate owner. Led by President and CEO Kim Callinan.

FundingDonor contributions and philanthropic grants; reported roughly $22–23 million in annual revenue in recent fiscal years. No government funding or advertising revenue.

On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

The organization traces its roots to the Hemlock Society, founded in 1980 by activist Derek Humphry to advocate for the right to die. After a series of mergers and name changes—including Compassion in Dying Federation and End-of-Life Choices—the current organization was formally established under the name Compassion & Choices in 2005, with a subsequent merger in 2007 cementing its structure. It played a role in landmark legal cases, including Vacco v. Quill (1997), which challenged New York's assisted-suicide ban before the Supreme Court. Over the decades it expanded from legal and courtroom work into broad state and federal legislative advocacy, with active campaigns in all 50 states. It has supported state laws legalizing medical aid in dying, winning major legislative victories in states including Oregon, California, Colorado, and Washington, D.C. The organization has framed its mission as bipartisan and centered on patient autonomy, though its policy positions align closely with progressive healthcare priorities. Beginning in 2025, it publicly identified Project 2025 and the Trump administration's federal health policies as direct threats to end-of-life freedoms, and has since focused significant advocacy resources on countering those policies in Congress, state legislatures, and the courts.

Sources

Profile compiled 2026-08-05; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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