2011 Annual Report
posted by Peg Sandeen, MSW on November 3, 2011
I'm pleased to present our 2011 Annual Report detailing the organizational activities undertaken by the Death with Dignity National Center during fiscal year 2010-2011. Our nation is facing difficult times, and economic issues are at the forefront of all policy discussions. And, yet, donors to the National Center have been exceedingly generous this past year. Your support has made it possible for us to continue our work improving end-of-life options for terminally ill individuals.
Relationships. Partnerships. Networking. These are the keywords best describing our activities of the past year. Focused on grassroots organizing, staff and board members of the Death with Dignity National Center have forged important alliances with advocacy groups, interested individuals, and medical professionals throughout New England. The shift to New England from a focus on Washington and Oregon was necessitated by trends in the movement. Death with Dignity is no longer an issue viable only in a few states on the west coast. It's a policy experiencing broad public support around the country.
During the last fiscal year, we partnered closely with individuals from Vermont to provide public education and information to stakeholders and members of the general public. The Vermont Legislature is considering Death with Dignity legislation, and our organization has worked throughout the year to contribute non-political, educational presentations and materials to those who are participating in the important debate about expanded end-of-life care options in Vermont. We've raised and distributed funds to the grassroots organization Patient Choices Vermont to support their important work on this effort.
Additionally, we've provided grassroots organizing support to the people of Massachusetts in their pursuit of Death with Dignity. Three of our board members live in Boston, and we have a deep commitment to end-of-life care policy reform in the Commonwealth. Our organization provided the financial and legal resources necessary to author the Massachusetts Death with Dignity Act currently being considered for the 2012 Massachusetts ballot. We helped the Massachusetts-based organizers identify supporters and volunteers, and we'll continue to participate in the campaign throughout 2012. When compared with other social movements in the United States, Death with Dignity is a movement moving from infancy to childhood. We've experienced vital success at the US Supreme Court, and we've firmly established laws in Washington and Oregon. Broad public support in New England and on the East Coast suggests there will be many successes in the upcoming years.
All of this success would not be possible without you. I invite you to peruse our 2011 Annual Report, and please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about it.
Defend dignity. Take action.
You are the key to ensuring well-crafted Death with Dignity laws for all Americans. With your financial and volunteer help, the Death with Dignity National Center, a 501(c)(3), non-partisan, non-profit organization, has been the leading advocate in the death with dignity movement. Member contributions helped us pass a new Death with Dignity law in Washington, defend the Oregon law, and provide education and outreach programs for the vitality of the death with dignity movement.
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Who We Are
The Oregon Death with Dignity Political Action Fund partners with the Death with Dignity National Center and conducts lobbying and political activities in order to achieve the enactment of Death with Dignity laws in other states.
Learn more about efforts to bring dignity to people around the nation.
History
The Oregon Death with Dignity Political Action Fund (the Fund) began in 1993 as Oregon Right to Die, a state political action committee, formed to help pass the Oregon Death with Dignity Act. The Death with Dignity Act was tied up by legal challenges and a legislative repeal effort until the fall of 1997.
In late 2001, Oregon Right to Die changed its name and tax status to become the Oregon Death with Dignity Political Action Fund. This effort was undertaken so the organization could more easily combine its political strengths with the Death with Dignity National Center. Together these organizations are positioned to lead the charge in the death with dignity movement.
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. 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.
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