"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive."
-His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Since 2009, CAN has provided:
- More than $250,000 in grants to local nonprofits
- Fiscal sponsorship & incubation for six new nonprofit startups
- Hundreds of hours of consulting services to local nonprofits
- Support for community events such as book readings & workshops
- Sponsorships for large events such as An Evening with Malala at the University of Washington last July
- A launch pad for Compassionate Cities, Compassion Games International, Charter for Compassion International, and other initiatives
We also provide the following services directly to you:
- A curated database of local compassion-focused services and resources
- Training & coaching opportunities led by CAN board members (and other experts)
- Community events such as film screenings & lectures
- A visionary roadmap of a "Compassion Operating System" for organizations
Contact us to learn more.
Our story
In April 2008, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and other influential thinkers came together for an unprecedented five-day gathering in Seattle to engage the community in an in-depth conversation on compassion. 150,000 attended the event, and 44 million interacted with the Seeds of Compassion online broadcast.
Compassion-based projects soon began appearing in local classrooms, businesses, and communities, and Seeds organizers recognized that support was needed for these “Sprouts” to succeed. In 2009, organizers joined with like-minded leaders, forming the Compassionate Action Network 501(c)(3) to incubate the most promising projects. CAN Sprouts are a thriving example of the positive impact compassion can have in our communities.