BBB Wise Giving Report for
Death with Dignity National Center

BBB Wise Giving Report issued June 2010
BBB Wise Giving Report expires June 2012


This BBB Accredited charity meets all 20 Standards for Charity Accountability and is a Seal Holder. Find out more...


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Charity Contact Information

Name: Death with Dignity National Center
Address: 520 Southwest Sixth Avenue, Suite 1030
  Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 503-228-4415
Web Address: www.deathwithdignity.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1997, California
Affiliates: Oregon Death with Dignity Political Action Fund
Stated Purpose: "to provide information, education, research and support for the preservation, implementation and promotion of Death with Dignity laws, which allow a terminally ill, mentally competent adult the right to request and receive a prescription to hasten death under certain specific safeguards."

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Evaluation Conclusions

               

Death with Dignity National Center (DDNC) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

               

DDNC focuses on public education and legal defense. The organization hosts the informational web site, www.deathwithdignity.org, which it reports receives over 97,000 visits per year. DDNC also reports that it responds to over 2,500 phone calls and emails per year, providing educational materials and referrals to terminally ill patients and their family members, students, and others interested parties. DDNC also provides targeted education to groups with an interest in Oregon and Washington States' model Death with Dignity laws, including physicians, lawyers, medical students, elected officials, reporters and members of the media, college students, and church officials. The organization also conducts educational workshops in rural Oregon to ensure equitable access to the law.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, DDNC's program expenses were:

  
Oregon Plus One 933,023
Public education 123,151
Communication 25,094
Lobbying 17,247
Total Program Expenses: $1,098,515
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Governance

               

Chief Executive : Peg Sandeen, Executive Director
Compensation*:
 59,651

Chair of the Board: Steve Telfer
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Principal, The Telfer Company

Board Size: 8

Paid Staff Size: 8

*April 1, 2008 - March 31, 2009 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
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Fund Raising

               

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, telemarketing, special events, grant proposals, Internet appeals, and planned giving.
Fund raising costs were 34% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $388,519, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
DDNC incurred joint costs of $141,200 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs, $70,600 was allocated to program expenses and $70,600 was allocated to fund raising expenses.
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Tax Status

               

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
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Financial

               

The following information is based on DDNC's audited financial statements (consolidated with affiliate) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Contributions 291,319
In-kind contributions 86,700
Grants 10,500
Loss on investment -37,225
Total Income $351,294


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 85%  Fund Raising: 10%  Administrative: 5% 

Total income   $351,294
  Program expenses $1,098,515
  Fund raising expenses 131,480
  Administrative expenses 59,874
 
Total expenses   $1,289,869
Expenses in Excess of Income   (938,575)
Beginning net assets   1,369,615
Ending net assets   431,040
Total liabilities   15,751
Total assets   $446,791

Note: For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, DDNC had in-kind income in the amount of $86,700 for legal services.

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An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

This report is not to be used for fund raising or promotional purposes.

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