THE ONGOING FIGHT
The instability of our political landscape has far-reaching effects on our lives. While political polarization jeopardizes our communities and our institutions, we at Death with Dignity remain focused on what is certain. Every day, people die. Some experience their humanity being stripped away as terminal illness overtakes them, and some face the inequities of our current healthcare landscape. This harsh reality is undeniable, and it’s unacceptable.
Our organization’s ability to adapt to challenges has never been more critical. As ideological extremists continue to challenge established laws, and partisan media distorts the truth about end-of-life care, we remain steadfastly committed to our mission. We are boldly calling out our opponents’ lies, defending the principles of Death with Dignity, and standing firm in patient autonomy and freedom.
WE WILL NOT ALLOW OUR TELL THEIR VERSION OF MOVEMENT'S STORY.
Dr. Peg Sandeen Chief Executive Officer
OUR OPPONENTS TO OF THE
This year marks a significant milestone as we celebrate 30 successful years of Death with Dignity. Our impact is reflected in states like Virginia, Nevada, and New Hampshire as they make unprecedented strides in legislative progress. In Colorado, a pivotal amendment passed, reducing barriers and increasing accessibility in their Death with Dignity law. Passing Death with Dignity legislation is crucial for ensuring terminally ill individuals have a choice when their treatment options have disappeared, and it remains our mission-driven priority.
Over the last several years, we’ve invested in our infrastructure and expanded our advocacy work beyond statewide campaigns. Last summer, because of these strategic changes, we succeeded in challenging a federal rule that threatened access to care for terminally ill patients.
Thanks to generous supporters like you, our movement is poised for a powerful future. No matter what happens, Death with Dignity is dedicated to defending our laws and ensuring terminally ill patients have control of their end-of-life care.
Everyone deserves the dignity of choosing how they live and how they die. Death with Dignity will always defend the right of every individual to control their own life’s journey, including its end.
HISTORICALLY, PROGRESS IN OUR MOVEMENT DURING A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR HAS BEEN CHALLENGING. BUT THIS YEAR, WE ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT VICTORIES.
In the last year, Death with Dignity legislation was introduced in 23 states – a direct reflection of the increasing demand for compassionate end-of-life options nationwide. Three states with existing Death with Dignity laws proposed amendments to make them more accessible to all qualified patients.
Colorado made history by passing SB068, the first amendment to the state’s Death with Dignity law since it was passed in 2016. Additionally, Death with Dignity bills advanced further than ever in Delaware, Virginia, and New Hampshire. These legislative victories are not just wins on paper; they represent a growing recognition of the importance of end-of-life autonomy and a shift in public consciousness.
Introduced legislation
Introduced amendments
Passed a legislative chamber for the first time
Building on last year's efforts, we connected with a new group of New York legislators supporting the Medical Aid in Dying Act (A995/S2445) to explore what inspired their commitment. These conversations led to a series of compelling videos that resonated statewide, garnering 150,692 views and 377 shares, further amplifying our message and broadening support for the bill.
In January, in partnership with the Completed Life Initiative, we released the first poll showing that 72% of New Yorkers support medical aid in dying
The Medical Aid in Dying Act received a series of key endorsements from The New York State Bar Association, the New York State Council of Churches, and State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.
NEW YORK DELAWARE HIGHLIGHTS
In a historic moment for Delaware, the state legislature successfully passed their bill through both the House and Senate. The Ron Silverio/Heather Block Delaware End of Life Options Law (HB 140) won a 21-4 bipartisan vote in the House.
The bill was initially defeated in the Senate with a 9-9 vote, but a successful motion to reconsider led to an 11-10 approval in the Senate. Governor John Carney ultimately vetoed HB 140, blatantly undermining the voices of terminally ill Delawareans and the advocates who spent a decade fighting for the right to a compassionate end-of-life option.
NATIONAL NONS EN SE
Last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proposed a rule requiring an in-person evaluation before prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine, even for terminally ill patients. Thanks to our rapidresponse campaign, which generated nearly 10,000 public comments, we celebrated a major victory in October when the DEA extended telemedicine flexibilities through December 2024.
We faced continued opposition in Congress, where members of the House Appropriations Committee attempted to repeal Washington D.C.'s Death with Dignity law through a rider in the appropriations bill. In response, we generated 2,636 grassroots letters of opposition to the Senate, urging them to reject any proposal that undermined D.C.’s law. Finally, President Biden issued a veto threat for any appropriations bill that included partisan policy riders.
A contingent of House Republicans has attempted to overturn D.C.’s Death with Dignity Act nearly every year since its passage in 2016. Each attempt is a reminder that we must stay ready to protect Death with Dignity laws from partisan politicking.
IT’S NOTABLE THAT THE CARDINAL BUILT THE CORE OF HIS ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION IN MASSACHUSETTS ON DATA FROM CANADA AND THE NETHERLANDS— WHICH HAVE LITTLE IN COMMON WITH THE EXPERIENCE IN THE U.S. IT’S LIKE COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES, AND THIRTY YEARS
FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION 285K+
Educating the public about end-of-life issues is a cornerstone of our mission. When people pause to consider the complexity of end-of-life care, and how Death with Dignity laws give power back to people who need it, they are more likely to get engaged and take action. A well-informed public is our strongest asset and our opponents' greatest challenge.
This year, over 285,000 people relied on our resources to understand Death with Dignity laws, including recent changes in residency requirements in Oregon and Vermont.
Our social work team referred over 1,400 patients facing end-of-life decisions to clinicians and direct service organizations. And we helped 3,100 individuals document their end-of-life wishes with The Life File, our free, step-by-step, end-of-life planning resource.
Expanding our activities has helped us rapidly scale our base of support. We added 25,000 new supporters to our email list and empowered 54,000 activists to write letters and take action to support Death with Dignity.
285K+
People who relied on Death with Dignity resources to understand the issues
WE HAVE SPONSORED
14 OF THE 18 STATEWIDE
END-OF-LIFE ORGANIZATIONS
Death with Dignity plays a pivotal role in our movement as the hub for partnerships among organizations who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to collaborate. We are a catalyst for connection, building relationships that strengthen our collective impact and bring new voices into our movement every year.
NEW YORKERS WHO SUPPORT MEDICAL AID IN DYING 72%
This year, we brought the Completed Life Initiative (CLI), American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying (ACAMAID), and Compassion and Choices into our advocacy mission. In response to a misleading and inaccurate poll on medical aid in dying in New York, we mobilized quickly and partnered with CLI to set the record straight. We launched a poll with YouGov at the outset of the legislative session that revealed 72% of New Yorkers support medical aid in dying.
In partnership with ACAMAID and their swift, decisive clinical team, we successfully confronted and overcame the DEA's attempt to block terminally ill patients from accessing controlled substances. These examples of our commitment to building strength-on-strength collaborations demonstrate the power of organizations working together to counter our opponents and win.
THIS YEAR, WE WERE FEATURED AS THE LEADING VOICE OF THE MOVEMENT APPEARING IN NEWS
ARTICLES , RADIO , PODCASTS , DIGITAL SERIES , NEWSLETTERS , AND MORE.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT BODILY AUTONOMY AT THE END OF SOMEONE’S LIFE.
IT’S NOT A QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY’RE GOING TO DIE. THE QUESTION IS HOW THEY WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
2024 FINANCIALS
SUMMARY
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CAREFUL, LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PRIORITY FOR DEATH WITH DIGNITY, and as a 30-year old organization we have experienced the ups and downs of the U.S. economy and shifts in the political realm.
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This year, U.S. families have struggled with inflationary fears and increased costs for goods and services. THESE ECONOMIC FACTORS HAVE TRICKLED INTO THE NONPROFIT SECTOR, driving up costs on everything from postage to supplies and service contracts.
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We executed a phased approach to reducing annual expenditures, conserving our assets, and right-sizing our operation after a period of intentional growth. SURPLUS REVENUES FROM PREVIOUS YEARS CONTINUE TO GIVE US FINANCIAL STABILITY, while across the nonprofit sector organizations report declining revenues.
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Due to our strategic response to recent structural changes in the economy, OUR 2024 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS RESEMBLE 2023, with only minor fluctuations in a few revenue and expense categories.
One of the keys to our long-term sustainability is actively looking to the future; we identify and capitalize on opportunities and build defensive positions around upcoming challenges. WE ARE POISED TO EXPAND DEATH WITH DIGNITY TO MORE QUALIFIED TERMINALLY ILL INDIVIDUALS IN 2025 AND RAPIDLY RESPOND TO THREATS FROM OUR OPPONENTS.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF ACTIVITIES
IT COMES DOWN TO THE RIGHT OF AN INDIVIDUAL TO CONTROL THEIR OWN ENDOF-LIFE DECISIONS FREE FROM GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION OR RELIGIOUS INTERFERENCE.
HOW WEST VIRGINIA COULD SIGNAL THE FUTURE OF THE MOVEMENT.
At the start of the legislative session, West Virginia introduced resolution HJR28, which quickly passed the Senate with a decisive 28-4 vote. This resolution seeks to amend the state constitution to prohibit physicians and healthcare providers from participating in "medically-assisted suicide."
Although medical aid in dying is already illegal in West Virginia, this amendment would mark the first time any state explicitly enshrines such a prohibition in its constitution, potentially restricting terminally ill patients' rights to make autonomous end-of-life decisions.
West Virginia is not an isolated case; it reflects a broader trend of evolving opposition tactics. Across multiple states, opponents are amplifying long-debunked falsehoods about our movement and using these inaccuracies as a basis for legislative campaigns. This shift echoes the attacks on reproductive rights that have reshaped the legal landscape, showing how a single landmark decision can have farreaching consequences.
In response to these new tactics aimed at undermining Death with Dignity laws, we remain committed to fighting back. At Death with Dignity, we are dedicated to exposing and combating efforts that seek to limit access to medical aid in dying laws, and ensuring that every individual has access to a full range of end-of-life options.