You’ve brought us this far. The fight isn’t over.

The fight for dignity at the end of life doesn’t happen in one place, or overnight. It happens everywhere, in the moments that matter most. 

In the halls of the nation’s capital and in state legislatures across the country. In doctors’ offices and hospital rooms. And at home, in the quiet hours when families face the hardest questions life can ask. Wherever end-of-life care touches a life, our movement shows up. And that’s because you are there. 

In uncertain and overwhelming times, your commitment to compassionate care at the end of life is a steady source of hope for us — and for the people who need it the most: people navigating a terminal diagnosis, families walking alongside a loved one, and individuals who are simply planning ahead, determined to have a say in how their final chapter unfolds. 

How we die matters. And far too many Americans still face that chapter without the options, information, or support they deserve.

Transforming end-of-life care from the ground up

From our legislative efforts to our legal initiatives and our community engagement work, Compassion & Choices is confronting the realities of dying in the United States. We are expanding and improving access to available end-of-life care options, protecting patient decision-making, and empowering you to plan for the end-of-life experience you want. 

The impact is real. We hear this in the voices of the people we serve every day:

“I was really grateful when I came across this organization because I myself was looking into end-of-life planning and options. For my five-year ‘cancerversary,’ which is a huge milestone, I decided to use the Compassion & Choices End-of-Life Decisions Guide as a party favor for my guests, which everyone appreciated.”

— Deltra James, advocate and death doula

“One of my clients had endured an onslaught of treatments for his bile duct cancer, and he wanted to do end-of-life care planning. We spent a year going through the nuts and bolts of what he wanted the end to look like using Compassion & Choices resources like the End-of-Life Decisions Guide. Now he’s just fearlessly enjoying life. He even visited several hospices to choose one in advance for himself and ended up volunteering at the hospice. To see him take charge and feel like he has some agency again has been amazing.”

— Mariah Riess, death doula

“I needed someone to hold my hand through this, and Compassion Legal guided me each step of the way. They encouraged my persistence in advocating for myself and were absolutely critical in helping me get the healthcare I needed.” 

— Walter Hill, a political science professor in Maryland, turned to our legal helpline via Call Compassion after he struggled to get his care team to turn off his pacemaker even though it was causing him discomfort.

“Our webinars and workshops with Compassion & Choices have had such an impact on the people who have attended. They now have information they didn’t even know existed before. I’ve heard from multiple families saying, ‘I didn’t even know this [advance care planning] was something I could do, I thought it was for rich people…’ It’s been incredible to see the change start to happen, one conversation at a time.”

— Dr. Paulina Sosa-Quintanilla, Latino Leadership Council member and founder of LatinX Voces

Every story we hear is a testament to what we know: When people get to direct their own end-of-life care, they can live better, at peace, and free from fear and anxiety. Because the end of life? It’s just as important as any other part of your life. 

The work ahead — and why we need you now more than ever

As we close out this fiscal year, we’re reflecting on how far we’ve come — and how much further we’ll go together. 

The victories of the past year are critical opportunities for us to make the most of our momentum:

• With three new states passing medical aid-in-dying legislation, along with securing the option in California and protecting it in Montana, we now turn to implementation and access for the people who have been waiting and fighting for years for this option. 
• Our legal actions to protect patient-directed care and defend aid-in-dying laws are just the beginning of an ongoing battle, as we anticipate lawsuits from opposition groups challenging the new laws in New York and Illinois.
• Our resources, workshops, and partnerships that are actively increasing Americans’ health literacy and helping them prepare for end of life require sustained investments, including dedicated staff and materials, especially as we develop new resources like an interactive advance care planning tool. 

In the weeks ahead, we’ll be sharing a fuller picture of our work ahead, from the individual advocates we’ve walked alongside, to the communities we’ve strengthened, to the systems we’re working to change for good

None of it happens without you. All of it is for you.

Learn more about how you can support our work.