Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation

What Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation does

The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by Ken Ross, son of psychiatrist, humanitarian, and hospice pioneer Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926-2004), to advance her legacy in end-of-life care, thanatology, and grief education. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona with 51-100 employees, the foundation operates international chapters in Singapore/Southeast Asia, France, and Guatemala, while extending programmatic reach into more than 100 countries through board-level ties with the Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance and Pallium India. Its primary beneficiaries are healthcare professionals seeking end-of-life training, individuals experiencing bereavement, educators and students, and NGOs/healthcare organizations establishing hospice services in underserved regions.

The foundation's product surface spans three categories: educational content (the Education Series with live Zoom classes and 90-day recorded access, priced at $85 for an 8-class program with simultaneous Spanish/English interpretation), a publishing and merchandise storefront (seminal books including "On Death and Dying" and "On Grief & Grieving" priced at $16.50-$19.00 per unit, audio lecture CDs at $14.95-$20.95, and trademarked memorial wrist bands), and grief-support resources plus the EKR Global Humanitarian Colloquium. Technology infrastructure consists of a WordPress-based website with a Kajabi-powered online education platform, PayPal payment processing, Google Analytics, and social media integrations across Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and X — there is no proprietary software or in-house AI/ML capability.

Revenue is generated primarily through tax-deductible donations (online giving, checks, stocks, planned and estate gifts, institutional giving, and memorial/honorary contributions), supplemented by product sales and education series registration fees. The organization operates with a 10% overhead rate and is a Platinum-level GuideStar participant, signaling operational efficiency and transparency. It holds registered trademarks on the Five Stages of Grief® and Kübler-Ross Change Curve® frameworks and related merchandise marks; in 2019 it donated the Kübler-Ross Archives (50-60 boxes of manuscripts, lectures, letters, and audio/video tapes) to Stanford University Libraries' Department of Special Collections.

Name

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation

Legal name

EKR Family Limited Partnership

Website

https://ekrfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers grief support, end-of-life care education, and humanitarian programs globally through international chapters, fee-based online courses, and published materials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

End-of-Life Care Education and Bereavement Support

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Grief support services
• End-of-life education
• Palliative care training
• Hospice resources
• Bereavement support

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the foundation's mission of improving access to quality end-of-life care and grief resources globally. The foundation accepts online giving, checks, stocks, planned and estate gifts, institutional giving, and memorial/honorary donations.
2. Product Sales (Store): Sale of books, CDs, and merchandise including Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's published works such as 'On Death and Dying', 'On Grief & Grieving', educational audio lectures on CD, wrist bands, and other memorial items.
3. Education Series Registration: Fee-based online educational programs including the Spring 2022 Education Series at $85 for 8 classes with unlimited access to recorded presentations for 90 days.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers paid online Education Series classes on grief and end-of-life care, sells books and audio lectures authored by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross through an e-commerce store, produces wrist bands and memorial merchandise, and operates international chapters that deliver grief-support programs and palliative-care training in 100+ countries. Revenue is generated through tax-deductible donations, education-series registration fees, and merchandise sales, all in service of stewarding the Kübler-Ross legacy.

Product overview

The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation operates as a nonprofit organization offering educational, support, and publishing services centered on grief, end-of-life care, and the legacy of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Core offerings include the Education Series (live and recorded Zoom classes on grief support), the 5 Stages of Grief® framework, grief support resources, international chapters, and the Global Humanitarian Colloquium. The foundation also operates an e-commerce store selling books, audio CDs, and merchandise (wrist bands) authored by or related to Dr. Kübler-Ross, including seminal works like On Death & Dying, On Grief & Grieving, and Life Lessons. The organization accepts donations through its website and maintains international presence through chapters in Singapore, France, Guatemala, and other countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Series Online educational programming featuring alternative, holistic, and creative approaches to grief support, taught by experts in the field of grief and end-of-life care. Includes live Zoom classes with 90-day recorded access. Targeted at grieving individuals, healthcare professionals, and adult learners.
• Donations Program Tax-deductible donation program for supporting the foundation's mission of improving access to end-of-life care and grief resources, accepting one-time and recurring gifts, stock transfers, planned/estate gifts, and memorial or honorary donations.
• EKR Global Humanitarian Colloquium Global conference bringing together palliative-care professionals, grief counselors, and humanitarian workers to advance the foundation's mission across its international chapters.
• International Chapters Program Global network of EKR Foundation chapters providing localized grief-support groups, conferences, fellowship-based end-of-life training for medical professionals, and community humanitarian programs across more than 100 countries.
• On Death & Dying (Paperback) Foundational paperback by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introducing the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance), based on her interdisciplinary seminar on death, life, and transition.
• On Grief & Grieving (Hardcover) Hardcover book by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler applying the five stages of grief framework to the grieving process.
• Life Lessons (Hardcover) Hardcover book by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler exploring practical and spiritual lessons for living life to its fullest.
• The Wheel of Life: A Memoir of Living and Dying (Paperback) Paperback memoir by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross recounting her life, her death and dying work, and the lessons she learned about how to live well.
• Living with Death and Dying (Paperback) Paperback guide to communicating with the terminally ill, sharing tools and frameworks for understanding how dying patients convey their innermost knowledge and needs.
• On Life After Death (Paperback) Paperback collection of inspirational essays drawing on research of over 20,000 people who had near-death experiences.
• Questions and Answers on Death and Dying (Paperback) Paperback companion volume to On Death and Dying with frequently asked questions and compassionate answers about death and dying.
• On Children and Death (Paperback) Paperback book offering families of dead and dying children help and hope, based on Dr. Kübler-Ross's decade of work with dying children.
• Death: The Final Stage of Growth (Paperback) Paperback book exploring how to deal with death and dying, drawing on cultural perspectives and personal accounts.
• To Live Until We Say Good-Bye (Paperback) Paperback photographic record of Dr. Kübler-Ross's counseling work with terminally ill patients.
• Working It Through (Paperback) Paperback companion guide to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's famous workshops on death and dying.
• Remember The Secret (Paperback) Paperback book for young people about love, caring, and loss, featuring characters Suzy and Peter dealing with death.
• The Tunnel and the Light (Paperback) Paperback compilation of insights from Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's lectures on living and dying, including views on near-death experiences.
• Tea with Elisabeth (Paperback) Paperback collection of memories and tributes from 51 contributors, including authors, celebrities, hospice leaders, and friends of Dr. Kübler-Ross.
• The Dougy Letter (Paperback) Paperback handwritten and illustrated book by Dr. Kübler-Ross for a young boy dying of cancer, explaining life and death in a way children understand.
• Lecture in Hawaii 1982 (2 CD Set) Audio CD set containing Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's lecture delivered in Hawaii in 1982, totaling 118 minutes of content.
• The Santa Barbara Lecture 1981 (CD) Audio CD containing Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's lecture delivered in Santa Barbara, California in 1981, 46 minutes of content.
• Life, Death & After Death 1980 (CD) Audio CD lecture about Life, Death and Life After Death, 59 minutes of content.
• Elisabeth Talks to High School Students (CD) Audio CD of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross speaking to high school students about life, death and dying, 62 minutes of content.
• Children & Death (CD) Audio CD lecture about Children and Death, 30 minutes of content.
• Healing in Our Times Lecture DC, 1982 (2 CD Set) Audio CD set of the Healing in Our Times lecture delivered in Washington DC in 1982, totaling 85 minutes of content.
• In Mourning Wrist Band Black rubber wrist band with the phrase 'In Mourning' debossed on the surface, offered as a memorial item to grieving individuals and supporters of the foundation.
• One Who Soars Wrist Band White rubber wrist band with the inspirational phrase 'One Who Soars' debossed on the surface, sold via the foundation's store as a memorial and inspirational item.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stanford University Archives acquisition preserves legacy for future education
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, regional and minor.

• Stanford UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKen Ross and his sister Barbara Rothweiler donated the Kübler-Ross archive to Stanford University's Department of Special Collections. The archive includes 50-60 boxes of materials: mementos from Dr. Kübler-Ross's early life in Switzerland, copies of books translated into many languages, unpublished lectures and manuscripts, letters from around the world, and videotapes/audiotapes from the 1960s-70s.
• Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Stephen Connor serves as Executive Director. WHPCA is an alliance of over 400 national and regional hospice and palliative care organizations in over 100 countries.
• Green Pastures HospitalregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerEKR Southeast Asia, in conjunction with Green Pastures Hospital, held 2-day palliative care conferences in Pokhara, Nepal in February 2023 and 2024.
• Pallium IndiaregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Dr. M.R. Rajagopal is chairman of Pallium India and director of Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences (TIPS), a WHO Collaborating Centre for Training and Policy on Access to Pain Relief.
• PaCCHI (Palliative Care for Children - A Humanitarian Imperative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Joan Marston serves as International Children's Palliative Care Consultant. She is also an ICPCN Global Ambassador for Children's Palliative Care and Director of Education and Development for Sunflower Children's Hospice in South Africa.
• Healing Circles GlobalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in the Education Series Spring 2022, with presenters including Susanne Fest (Program Manager) and Diana Lindsay (co-founder and co-director of Healing Circles Global and Healing Circles Langley).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Hospice UK: Hospice UK is the national charity for hospice and end-of-life care in the United Kingdom, supporting over 200 hospices and advocating for quality end-of-life care. It is comparable to EKR in mission and educational programming but operates regionally in the UK.
• Pallium India: Pallium India is a Kerala-based nonprofit that integrates palliative care into India's healthcare system, with EKR board member Dr. M.R. Rajagopal as chairman. It is comparable as a palliative care education and advocacy organization but focused geographically on India and South Asia.

Broad incumbents

• American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine: AAHPM is the leading professional association for physicians and healthcare providers specializing in hospice and palliative medicine. It is comparable to EKR as a stakeholder in palliative care education but operates as a professional membership body rather than a public-facing foundation.

Others

• Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance: WHPCA is a global alliance of over 400 hospice and palliative care organizations across 100+ countries, with EKR board member Stephen Connor serving as Executive Director. It is thematically aligned with EKR's global palliative care mission and serves as a distribution and partnership channel rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization: NHPCO is the largest US membership organization for hospice and palliative care providers, offering advocacy, education, and resources to professionals. It is directly comparable to EKR's mission of advancing end-of-life care, though it operates at a substantially larger scale.
• National Alliance for Children's Grief: The National Alliance for Children's Grief is a US nonprofit that supports professionals and communities serving grieving children and families. Its educational resources, training programs, and advocacy for bereaved youth directly parallel EKR's grief education mission and children's death-related publications.
• Dougy Center: Dougy Center is a Portland-based nonprofit that provides peer support groups and training for grieving children, teens, and families. Its grief education, training programs, and resource offerings are highly comparable to EKR's grief support resources and Education Series.
• Hospice Foundation of America: Hospice Foundation of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that educates the public and professionals about hospice, grief, and end-of-life care, with a similar education-and-advocacy model to EKR. Both organizations operate education programs and rely on donations to fund grief and hospice awareness initiatives.
• Center to Advance Palliative Care: CAPC is a national nonprofit that provides healthcare professionals with training, tools, and technical assistance to build palliative care programs. Its focus on clinician education and capacity-building for palliative care closely mirrors EKR's Education Series and fellowship programs.
• Compassion & Choices: Compassion & Choices is a nonprofit end-of-life advocacy organization focused on expanding options including medical aid in dying. It shares EKR's end-of-life mission and education-driven approach to empowering individuals facing terminal illness.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ElisabethKublerRossFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/ekublerross
• Instagraminstagram.com/elisabethkublerrossfoundation
• Pinterestpinterest.com/elisabethkubler
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elisabeth-kubler-ross-foundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation