What Aging With Dignity, Inc does

Aging with Dignity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 in Tallahassee, Florida by Jim Towey, who served as legal counsel to Mother Teresa of Calcutta for 12 years. Its flagship program is Five Wishes, an advance directive document drafted with the American Bar Association's Commission on Law & Aging that addresses personal, emotional, spiritual, and medical dimensions of end-of-life care. Five Wishes is legally valid in all 50 states and available in 33 languages plus Braille; over 44 million copies have been distributed to date, making it the most widely used advance care planning program in the United States. The organization complements Five Wishes with My Wishes (for seriously ill children), Voicing My Choices (for adolescents and young adults, developed with NIH researchers), Finishing Life Faithfully (a Catholic companion guide endorsed by Cardinals and bishops), a Video Counseling Library, the Gift of Legacy legacy-preservation program, and Assisted Suicide Watch (a 2025-launched research initiative monitoring physician-assisted suicide).

The business model combines tax-deductible individual donations and foundation grants with direct document sales. Aging with Dignity states it has never accepted government funding. Five Wishes is sold at $5 per copy, a price held flat for approximately 25 years, via an online storefront and phone/mail orders, while the organization also distributes hundreds of copies free of charge annually through donation-supported programs. Distribution is multi-channel: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store, enterprise partnerships with major healthcare systems such as VITAS and Johns Hopkins (5,200 healthcare professionals trained in 2024), employer benefit programs (e.g., Federated Investors, Fannie Mae), and faith community channels that collectively span more than 15,000 partner organizations. The organization operates a headquarters in Tallahassee, a secondary office in Falls Church, Virginia, and is governed by a 10-member Board of Directors with leadership including CEO Jim Towey, newly returned COO Pamela Potter Ricco, and Presidents Jamie Towey and (departing) Paul Malley.

Products are positioned for two primary segments: families and individuals planning end-of-life care, and healthcare providers and clinicians facilitating advance care conversations. Secondary segments include employers offering Five Wishes as an employee benefit, Catholic faith communities for Finishing Life Faithfully, and broader faith groups. The organization has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no public funding rounds, relying instead on private donations, foundation grants, and modest program revenue.

Name

Aging With Dignity, Inc

Legal name

Aging with Dignity, Inc

Website

https://agingwithdignity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aging with Dignity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that produces Five Wishes, the most widely used advance directive document in the United States, serving families, healthcare providers, employers, and faith communities with end-of-life planning resources in 33 languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advance Care Planning

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthy Aging & Longevity Lifestyle Coaching (HSADAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Benefits, Insurance & Entitlement Navigation (Medicare/Medicaid/VA/LTC) (HSABAIAG)

Keywords

• Advance care planning
• Advance directives
• End-of-life planning
• Advance directive documents
• Hospice and palliative resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallahassee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Aging with Dignity relies primarily on tax-deductible donations from individuals. EIN is 59-3367487. The organization has never taken government funding.
2. Five Wishes Document Sales: Individual copies of Five Wishes sold for $5 (same price for 25 years). Sold via online store and phone orders.
3. Finishing Life Faithfully Sales: Companion Catholic guide to Five Wishes sold as additional product.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Aging with Dignity primarily sells the Five Wishes advance directive document—a user-friendly, legally valid advance care planning resource co-written with the American Bar Association that addresses personal, emotional, spiritual, and medical needs at the end of life. Priced at $5 per copy, the document is distributed online, by phone, and through more than 15,000 partner organizations across healthcare, employer, and faith channels, and is offered in 32 languages plus Braille. The organization also sells companion guides and produces advocacy, educational, and counseling resources supporting end-of-life dignity.

Product overview

Aging with Dignity offers a portfolio centered on Five Wishes, America's most widely used advance care planning program—an advance directive document available in 32 languages plus Braille that helps individuals plan for end-of-life care. This core product is complemented by Assisted Suicide Watch (a research and advocacy initiative monitoring physician-assisted suicide), a Video Counseling Library providing educational video content, and several specialized add-on modules including My Wishes (for seriously ill children), Voicing My Choices (for adolescents and young adults, developed with NIH), and Finishing Life Faithfully (a Catholic companion guide endorsed by Cardinals and bishops). The organization also provides the Gift of Legacy resource for preserving personal stories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Five Wishes: America's most popular advance care planning program, helping families plan for end-of-life care. Available in 32 languages plus Braille, legally valid in all 50 states.
• Assisted Suicide Watch
• Video Counseling Library
• Finishing Life Faithfully

Products and services

• Five Wishes America's most popular advance directive and advance care planning program, available in 32 languages plus Braille, legally valid in all 50 states, priced at $5 per copy.
• Finishing Life Faithfully Catholic companion guide to Five Wishes providing clear guidance on following the moral teachings of the Catholic Church when making healthcare decisions at the end of life.
• Assisted Suicide Watch (ASW) Research and advocacy initiative that monitors the rise of legalized physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, tracks data, and analyzes legislative impact on the elderly and people with disabilities.
• My Wishes Advance care planning document designed for seriously ill children to express their wishes and preferences for care.
• Voicing My Choices Advance care planning document developed by NIH researchers based on Five Wishes, designed for adolescents and young adults facing serious illness.
• Video Counseling Library Library of videos providing insights into physical, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing for individuals facing serious medical diagnoses and caregivers.

Quantifiable outcome

• NIH study shows Five Wishes reduces anxiety in seriously ill adolescents and young adults
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Cardinals and Catholic BishopsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Endorsed Finishing Life Faithfully, the new Catholic companion guide to Five Wishes. Includes Cardinals Sean O'Malley and Timothy Dolan, Archbishops Gregory Aymond and Thomas Wenski, and Bishops William Wack, James Wall, and Michael Burbidge.
• U.S. SenateflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Jim Towey and Paul Malley testified before the U.S. Senate, leading to federal government adopting reimbursable doctor-patient advance care discussions.
• Eunice Kennedy ShriverflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Launched Five Wishes nationally at the National Press Club in Washington, DC alongside Jim Towey in 1997, bringing national visibility to the program.
• VITAS HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor healthcare organization partner with Aging with Dignity to expand the use of Five Wishes in hospice and palliative care settings.
• Johns HopkinscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor healthcare organization partner expanding the use of Five Wishes in medical settings and research.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aging With Dignity, Inc