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There are several organizations devoted to end-of-life issues. Some groups, like DDNC, are donor-based and national in scope, provide public education and work to establish and defend death with dignity laws in various states. Other groups are member-based with area chapters that provide local resources and referral information. Below is a brief description of the national organizations.
Death with Dignity National Center was formed in 1994 in connection with the development and passage of death with dignity laws, as well as their defense and promotion nationwide. In 2004, DDNC merged with Oregon Death with Dignity, which successfully wrote and passed the landmark Oregon Death with Dignity Act.
Today, DDNC serves as the leader of the national death with dignity movement, with primary activities that include the legal and political defense of the Oregon law — including our recent victory in the U.S. Supreme Court — the law's replication in other states, and national public education programs.
In 1997, a group called the Death with Dignity Alliance was formed to foster collaboration among three national end-of-life groups: DDNC, Compassion in Dying and Oregon Death with Dignity. The collaboration was so successful that the three groups jointly decided to merge into two -- DDNC and Compassion & Choices -- and the Death with Dignity Alliance was deactivated.
In addition, the Hemlock Society, which had changed its name to End of Life Choices, merged with Compassion & Choices in 2005.
Today, Death with Dignity National Center and Compassion & Choices are the two primary, distinct and national organizations focused on end-of-life care issues.
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For more than 14 years, the Death with Dignity National Center (DDNC), a 501(c)(3), non-partisan, non-profit organization, has been the leading advocate in the death with dignity movement. Leaders in our organization originally wrote and have continued advocating for the Oregon Death with Dignity Law. DDNC has met these challenges through extensive legal defense of the Oregon law, education and outreach programs, and by developing and nurturing diverse financial resources with one goal in mind: to ensure DDNC's financial vitality and its position as a leader in the death with dignity movement.
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Political Action Fund
The Death with Dignity National Center partners with the Oregon Death with Dignity Political Action Fund (the Fund) to conduct lobbying and political activities in order to achieve the enactment of Death with Dignity laws in other states. The partnership resulted in tremendous success with the resounding win in the 2008 Washington Death with Dignity campaign.
Learn more about the Fund's efforts to bring dignity to people around the nation.
About Death with Dignity
The greatest human freedom is to live, and die, according to one's own desires and beliefs. The most common desire among those with a terminal illness is to die with some measure of dignity. From advance directives to physician-assisted dying, death with dignity is a movement to provide options for the dying to control their own end-of-life care.
Death with Dignity National Center (DDNC) is the leader in this movement, successfully establishing, advancing and defending the landmark Oregon Death with Dignity Act -- a national catalyst for openly discussing and actively reforming end-of-life care for those who are terminally ill.
Learn more about the National Center and our family of organizations.
Patients & Families
The Death with Dignity National Center was formed out of a profound commitment to the idea that personal end-of-life decisions should be made solely between a patient and a physician. Based on this commitment, we are pleased to provide you with support and information as you face the difficult challenges ahead.
Research Center
We have compiled a comprehensive collection of legal briefs, journal articles, and newspaper clippings. We invite you to explore the wide array of information we have collected throughout our history.
In our Research Center you will find frequently asked questions, the history of the death with dignity movement, state monitoring statistics, and a copy of this groundbreaking statute.
