2021-22 Annual Report

NEDA continues to grow and expand while being at the forefront of the End-of-Life Movement! As of December 2022, we have over 1400 NEDA members!

The Board has responded to the feedback and ideas from the NEDA Member Survey sent out to all members in the spring of 2021.

​Accomplishments over the past 2 years include:

• Hosting Doulapalooza, NEDA’s first virtual conference, in October 2021 with nearly 400 participants  
• Hosting Regional Group Meetings for members to connect and develop supportive relationships by geographic area
• Hosting Virtual Member Socials to increase board transparency, understanding of various board initiatives and to encourage networking between members
• Hosting Meet the NEDA Member Doula Trainers sessions to provide insight on the broad spectrum of EOLD training programs available to those interested in the field        
• Hosting a How Do You Doula? panel discussion featuring NEDA members who shared insights and experiences they’ve gained in their various practices
• Broadening the diversity of topics and speakers for our informational webinars  
• Creating a Justice, Equity Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee (now called DEI-J) and library
• Hosting DEI-J listening circles 
• Adding the After-Death Care Educator (ADCE) Proficiency Assessment Badge
• Developing a DEI-J Matrix, a tool for assessing organizations that NEDA may consider entering into partnerships or collaborations 
• Expanding our social media presence beyond Facebook by adding Instagram and LinkedIn 
• Partnering with organizations such as C-TAC (Coalition to Transform Advanced Care), the Collective for Radical Death Studies and NHPCO (National Hospice and Palliative Care Association)
• Increasing member volunteer involvement on committee initiatives    
• Providing access to NEDA merchandise through an online store, Zazzle

Financial Summary 2022
Summary of Activities and Changes in Net Assets
Fiscal Year Ending: December 31
 
FY 2022 Total Revenue: $100,787
FY 2022 Total Expenses: $60,345
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Financial Summary 2021
Summary of Activities and Changes in Net Assets
Fiscal Year Ending: December 31
 
FY 2021 Total Revenue $ 86,324.23
FY 2021 Total Expenses $ 42,437

2020 Annual Report

Organizational Health and Accomplishments

Since September 1, 2019, our membership has grown from 262 to 554 and 683 people subscribe to our newsletter. We now have 187 members who have earned their NEDA Proficiency Badge! 

Accomplishments of the last year include:                                              Thanks to:

• Ten educational webinars for members                                        Alua Arthur and Tracey Walker
• Trainer survey (view results here)                                                   Kristy Brandebur and the Ad Hoc Committee
• Attended/sponsored 3 national events                                          Joe Knight, Victoria Quinn, Diane Button
• Regional/Local Group Formation Guidelines                                 Lisa Patterson and Ad Hoc Committee
• Prime partner with EOL Collective virtual platform                      Diane Button and Marketing Committee
• Raised enough funds to implement new programs                     All of our members!
• Submitted our 501c6 application (under review)                         Joe Knight and volunteer Nora Dunlop

The following goals have been tentatively identified for the coming 1-5 years. We look to incoming board of directors to guide us in fulfilling them and we hope all of our members will be involved!

• Increase the number of member volunteers on our various committees, including event planning, finance, marketing, newsletter, social media, strategic planning, educational webinars.
• Create a diversity and inclusivity committee to continue the work of examining this predominantly white-led organization, how we can meet the needs of a more diverse population, and systemic racism within our organization.
• Form an Advisory Council.
• Increase our educational offerings to EOL doulas and EOL doula trainers, based on the results of our trainer survey last year.
• Encourage regional group formation to support EOL doulas in their communities.
• Continue to increase our visibility at national events and in the media.
• Host an in-person national event for EOL doulas.

We welcome Angela Shook as the next President and Tracey Walker as the next Vice-President! They will lead this organization fearlessly with the same dedication with which they served on the Board. They both embody the heart dedication of EOL doula work and take their leadership roles very seriously. This organization is in very good hands. I also want to take this opportunity to personally thank all of the amazing volunteer board members for their hard work and dedication. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them and am grateful for all that they have accomplished. It has been an honor to serve as President for the last two-and-a-half years.                   -Merilynne Rush, NEDA President

2019 Annual Report

Our Mission: NEDA seeks to inspire positive, creative change in American death practices by creating high standards, ethical and practical guidelines, and rich networking opportunities for all end-of-life doulas, resulting in meaningful experiences for the dying, their caregivers, and the agencies involved.
 
It’s been quite a year for NEDA! Since our inception in the fall of 2017, we have given definition to the profession and firmly established ourselves as the membership organization for all end-of-life doulas and trainers. Our application to be a 501(c)6 has been submitted and is under review.

Highlights of accomplishments from 2017-2019 include:                       Thanks to:

• Establishing Core Competencies for all EOLDs                             Lee Webster, with founding board members
• Designing our membership process                                               Kim Adams
• Creating an assessment tool and Proficiency Badges                  Lisa Patterson, chair, Joseph Knight, Leann Thrapp
• Crafting and publishing 10 issues of our monthly newsletter      Nada Frazier
• Maintaining a beautiful, informative and complete website        Lee Webster
• Setting up our Facebook page and members group                     Karen Reppen
• Producing three educational webinars                                           Suzanne O'Brien, Lee Webster, Alua Arthur

 
Starting a new organization requires the hard work and dedication of many people and I am proud of the current and past board members who have given so much. Special thanks to our founding members: Merilynne Rush, Suzanne O'Brien, Deanna Cochran, Patty Burgess, Trudy Brown, Tarron Estes, and Lee Webster.
 
In the near future we will be working on:

• Celebrating our unity and diversity through our first ever Doulapalooza, October 2020
• Engaging trainers, based on results of the survey developed by Kristy Brandabur (chair), Diane Button and Jacki Riley
• Hosting monthly educational webinars (with Alua Arthur at the helm)
• Developing more marketing 
• Improving our national presence at conferences and events
• Building our directories to become the definitive source of information for doulas, trainers and the public

 
I would like to especially thank Suzanne O’Brien for her inspiration and assistance as Vice-President, Angela Shook (Secretary) for developing our internal communications systems, keeping me on track, and handling correspondence, Joseph Knight for his insight and wisdom as treasurer, and Kim Adams and Lee Webster for their diligent, daily, attention to detail on our website and behind the scenes working with our members.
 
We hope you will stay in touch and get involved as we work together to move the EOLD profession forward in unity, with the ultimate goal of benefiting the dying individuals and families we serve.
                                                                                                                                       —Merilynne Rush, NEDA President

Financial Report

Financial Summary 2018
Summary of Activities and Changes in Net Assets
Fiscal Year Ending: December 31
 
FY 2018 Total Revenue $ 3,823
FY 2018 Total Expenses $ 3,022
 
Getting the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance launched has been a team effort, utilizing the skills, energy and know-how of many to institute our financial and operating systems—programs and platforms that manage our membership database, keep our financial records accurate, collect and disburse our money, and assist in board communication and data storage.
 
These systems also make it possible for our working board of directors and volunteers to serve our members by providing free information on our website, plus upcoming opportunities to engage and network with other EOLDs at our first-ever Doulapalooza. The funds realized through your annual membership fees also go toward running our Proficiency Assessment Program, educational webinars, advertising, and sponsorships to future end-of-life events.
 
We are seeing a steady growth in memberships—from a handful in May of 2018 to over 290 today—indicating a healthy projected financial picture for NEDA. We will continue to manage this revenue wisely to further the personal and collective goals of our members by providing quality networking and support services.

Respectfully submitted,
                                                                                         — Lee Webster, Founder/Treasurer 2017 – April 2018
                                                                                         — Joseph Knight, Treasurer May 2018 – October 2021​

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