What is California Families for Health Rights?

California Families for Health Rights is a large network of political donors in direct support of state lawmakers and candidates who legislate in the interest of California families’ rights to informed choice, bodily autonomy, equal healthcare access for all and removal of medical treatment mandates for government assistance or education.
We are not a 501(c)3, 501(c)4, a Political Action Committee or any other type of formal organization.  We are a group of diverse individuals who want those campaigning for the CA state legislature to know what our donations stand for.

How do I participate in California Families for Health Rights?

If you agree with California Families for Health Rights’ mission and you want to support candidates running in California state elections who support this mission, we ask you to donate to their campaigns directly, with a note saying “Donated in the interest of California Families for Health Rights”. This will amplify your individual donation, as it groups all donations made to a candidate under one umbrella statement, making them realize that the mission is an important one in getting them elected.  We also encourage you to also directly support these campaigns, such as by phone-banking, door-to-door leafletting, volunteering at events and/or helping with voter registration. 

What is the limit for campaign donations in California?

The limit for individual campaign donations for CA Senators or Assembly Members is $4,900 per candidate, per year. You can give to as many candidates as you would like.

Why donate directly to the candidate rather than contribute to a PAC?

The advantage of giving directly to a candidate is that the candidate can spend the money to best impact their campaign.  In addition, political candidates are entitled by law to buy advertising time at the lowest available rate, so your donation could have more buying power if it’s in your candidate’s own hands.  The advantage of giving directly to the candidate in the interest of California Families for Health Rights allows the candidate to know the individuals who are supporting their campaign and what is important to them.  A Political Action Committee (PAC) is an organization that raises money privately to influence elections or legislation. The advantage of a PAC is that they can raise and spend unlimited funds, with which they independently create advertising and campaign materials for the candidates they support. The disadvantage is that they cannot coordinate with the candidate, and therefore do not have a good understanding of where the candidate needs help with their campaign at any given time.   If you wish to donate to a PAC, we work closely with Concerned Parents of California (CPOC) PAC (www.cpocpac.org) and recommend their PAC as it aligns closely with California Families for Health Rights.

What is the difference between the candidates California Families for Health Rights supports and those listed in the Voter Guide? 

California Families for Health Rights analyzes all 100 California Assembly and Senate district races that are up for election every two years, to determine which candidates support our mission, and which do not.  These are listed in the Voter Guide.  We then determine which races we have the greatest chance of impacting with our donations.  These are the ones we support financially and/or with time.

How does California Families for Health Rights decide which candidates to support?

California Families for Health Rights identifies candidates in districts that had close races in the last election or have a legislator who is terming out, and therefore have a good chance of having the candidate we support win.  We only focus on a handful of races where we feel donations supporting our mission can make a difference.  These may be for candidates who have not previously been elected, or candidates who are in the legislature, but need support to stay in office because their opposition is a threat.

What if my district does not have a candidate California Families for Health Rights is supporting?

This means that your district is not a priority for making a difference for California Families for Health Rights, either because the races cannot easily be impacted, or because the candidate likely to win is one who already supports us.  Anyone can donate and support a candidate in any district, even if it is not where you live.  Therefore, we recommend you donate to one of our recommended campaigns, to make an impact in that district and change the momentum in the legislature.

What else can I do to support candidates other than donating money?

While financial donations are impactful, to win candidates need lots of support other than just financial donations.  If you are interested in donating your time, contact the local campaign office and let them know you want to volunteer.  Volunteer projects may include distributing yard signs, updating campaign data, canvassing or block walking, phone banking, driving people to the polls on voting day or collecting ballots and taking them to the polls.

Which candidates are California Families for Health Rights supporting in the 2020 CA state elections?

Click here to see which candidates CA Familes for Health Rights is supporting: http://cafamiliesforhealthrights.org/candidates 
The goal is to get up to $20,000 in donations for each of the candidates

Why does California Families for Health Rights support both Democrats and Republicans?

California Families for Health Rights is bipartisan.  We support candidates who support our mission, regardless of what political party they are affiliated with.

How do I support California Families for Health Rights mission?

When you make a financial donation to a CA State Assembly or Senate campaign, put a note with your donation saying “Donated in the interest of California Families for Health Rights”.  Similarly, when you volunteer your time, mention that you support the California Families for Health Rights mission.
Please also complete the donation form (www.cafamiliesforhealthrights.org/candidates) on this website, so we can track how much has been donated supporting California Families for Health Rights.
This will allow us to show future candidates how much of an impact we have on elections.