Death with Dignity National Center (DDNC) is a 501(c)3, non-partisan, non-profit organization that has led the legal defense and education of the Oregon Death with Dignity Law for more than 10 years. DDNC's Oregon Death with Dignity Political Action Fund is a distinct and separate 501(c)4 entity responsible for the political defense of the Oregon law and the promotion of death with dignity initiatives in other states. DDNC board of directors is comprised of some of the death with dignity movement's most esteemed medical, legal and scholarly experts.

DDNC Defends Dignity
We achieve this through our extensive and costly legal defense of the Oregon law, as well as political lobbying and coalition building. Our non-profit and political-action arms provide the flexibility to rapidly respond to both legal and political challenges.

DDNC Mobilizes Dignity
We achieve this through various education and outreach programs. The Next Generation program is building a national network of physicians and medical students in order to close the end-of-life education gap through education forums, research and a quarterly e-newsletter. The  Oregon+One program identifies and supports states actively seeking to pass death with dignity laws similar to Oregon's. DDNC's Web site is a trusted resource for legal, medical and scholarly research and receives more than 5,000 visits each day. Our Dignity Report donor newsletter provides more than 10,000 quarterly readers with substantive articles, updates and interviews.

DDNC Preserves Dignity
We achieve this by developing and nurturing diverse financial resources with one goal in mind: ensure DDNC's financial vitality and its position as the leader of the death with dignity movement. During the 2004-2005 fiscal year, more than 71% of donor contributions were invested in DDNC programs [audited figures provided by McDonald Jacobs, PC].

The mission of Death with Dignity National Center is to provide information, education, research and support for the preservation and implementation of the Oregon Death with Dignity law as a stimulus to improved end-of-life care and a final option for dying individuals. This includes the efforts to inform and educate the general public and elected government officials about the Oregon Death with Dignity law; to counteract any attempts by opponents to repeal or limit the law; to advocate for improved care and treatment options for the terminally ill; and to promote the Oregon law as a model for other states.

Click here to review our most current IRS 501(c)3 Tax Form 990.
Click here to review our most current IRS 501(c)4 Tax Form 990.
Click here to view our 2007 Annual Report

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