activities · 18
what they do
direct service · 15
- Birthing tissue donation program Birth and Placental Tissue RecoveryCollects umbilical cord and placental tissue after childbirth to create allografts for medical use; a single placenta donation can yield up to 100 tissue grafts and potentially heal over 50 individuals.
- Coordinate transplant access for patients Deceased Organ and Tissue Recovery CoordinationCoordinates organ transplants for over 10,000 patients in northern California and northern Nevada, and supports transplant access for over 100,000 individuals nationwide.
- Deceased organ and tissue donation coordination Deceased Organ and Tissue Recovery CoordinationFacilitates organ and tissue donation from deceased donors, including recovery of kidneys and other organs, with one donor able to save up to eight lives and heal over 75 people through tissue donation. In 2025, facilitated 465 donors in northern California and northern Nevada.
- Facilitate deceased and living organ donations Deceased Organ and Tissue Recovery CoordinationCoordinates organ donation and transplantation services for over 10,000 patients in northern California and northern Nevada, facilitating deceased donor kidney transplants and supporting living kidney donation, which accounts for approximately one third of kidney donations. The organization enables one donor to save up to eight lives and supports living organ donations that account for 47% of all transplanted organs in the U.S.
- Facilitate deceased and living organ donations Deceased Organ and Tissue Recovery CoordinationCoordinates organ donation and transplantation services for over 10,000 patients in northern California and northern Nevada, facilitating deceased donor kidney transplants and supporting living kidney donation, which accounts for approximately one third of kidney donations. The organization enables one donor to save up to eight lives through organ donation and supports living organ donations that account for 47% of all transplanted organs in the U.S.
- Facilitate deceased organ and tissue donation Deceased Organ and Tissue Recovery CoordinationCoordinates organ and tissue recovery from deceased donors in northern California and northern Nevada, enabling up to eight life-saving organ transplants and over 75 tissue grafts per donor. In 2025, facilitated 465 donors, supporting transplant access for over 10,000 patients in the region.
- Facilitate deceased organ and tissue donation Deceased Organ and Tissue Recovery CoordinationCoordinates organ and tissue recovery from deceased donors in northern California and northern Nevada, facilitating transplants that can save up to eight lives and heal more than 75 people per donor. In 2025, facilitated 465 deceased donors.
- Facilitate tissue donation and allograft creation Birth and Placental Tissue RecoveryRecovers tissue from deceased donors and collects umbilical cord and placental tissue post-delivery to create tissue-based allografts; a single donor can benefit over 75 recipients, with up to 100 tissue grafts created from one placenta donation.
- Facilitate tissue donation and allograft creation Birth and Placental Tissue RecoveryRecovers tissue donations from deceased donors and collects umbilical cord and placental tissue after birth to create tissue-based allografts; a single donor can heal over 75 people, with up to 100 tissue grafts created from one placenta donation.
- Living donor transplantation support Living Organ Donation ProgramsSupports living kidney and organ donation programs, which account for approximately one third of kidney donations and 47% of all transplanted organs in the U.S.
- Recover and process birth tissue for allografts Birth and Placental Tissue RecoveryCollects umbilical cord and placental tissue post-delivery to create tissue-based allografts; a single placenta donation can yield up to 100 grafts, with one birth tissue donor potentially healing over 50 individuals.
- Recover and process birth tissue for allografts Birth and Placental Tissue RecoveryCollects umbilical cord and placental tissue after childbirth to create tissue-based allografts; a single placenta donation can yield up to 100 grafts and potentially heal over 50 individuals.
- Support living kidney and organ donation Living Organ Donation ProgramsFacilitates living donor programs, including kidney transplants, which account for approximately one third of kidney donations and 47% of all transplanted organs in the U.S.
- Support living organ donation Living Organ Donation ProgramsFacilitates living kidney and organ donations, which account for approximately one third of kidney donations and 47% of all transplanted organs in the U.S.
- Transplant patient coordination and access Deceased Organ and Tissue Recovery CoordinationCoordinates organ transplants for over 10,000 patients in northern California and northern Nevada and supports transplant access for over 100,000 individuals nationwide.
advocacy · 3
- Advocate for organ donation awareness Deceased Organ and Tissue Recovery CoordinationReports national and regional data on organ transplant waitlists and mortality, including that over 100,000 people in the U.S., 20,000 in California, and 700 in Nevada are waiting for transplants, and that 22 people die daily while waiting. Highlights that someone is added to the waitlist every 10 minutes.
- Advocate for organ donation awareness and address transplant inequities Deceased Organ and Tissue Recovery CoordinationReports on national and regional organ transplant waitlist statistics, including over 100,000 people waiting in the U.S., more than 20,000 in California, and over 700 in Nevada, emphasizing that someone is added to the waitlist every 10 minutes and 22 people die daily while waiting, to highlight preventable deaths and promote donation.
- Advocate for organ donation awareness and policy change Deceased Organ and Tissue Recovery CoordinationReports national and regional organ transplant waitlist statistics, including over 100,000 people waiting in the U.S., more than 20,000 in California, and over 700 in Nevada, emphasizing the urgency of donation through data on waitlist additions every 10 minutes and an average of 22 daily deaths among those awaiting transplants, while highlighting preventable deaths in the transplant waiting population.
strategies · 32
how they think
Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any to see the full field of orgs running the same approach.
- Coordinate multi-tissue donation for broader medical impact multi-tissue donation modelMaximizes the healing potential of donations by facilitating the recovery and use of multiple tissue types—including organs, eyes, and tissues—for transplantation and surgical needs.
- Coordinated Birth Tissue Donation with Donor Support donor_support_coordinationImplements a donor-support model for tissue donation using dedicated Birth Tissue Coordinators who guide donors through consent, documentation, and logistics to ensure efficient and respectful tissue recovery.
- Deceased Organ Donation Registration and Facilitation deceased_organ_donation_registrationFacilitates deceased organ donation by registering individuals who wish to donate upon death and connecting them to the national transplant waiting list, ensuring a structured pathway for posthumous donation.
- Deceased and Living Donation Model deceased_and_living_donation_modelOperates under a dual model of organ donation that includes both deceased donor registration and living donor transplantation to maximize organ availability and reduce wait times for recipients.
- Deceased and Living Organ Donation Model deceased_and_living_donation_modelOperates under a dual model of organ donation that includes deceased donor registration and living donor transplantation, increasing the overall organ supply and reducing transplant wait times through multiple pathways to donation.
- Donor Education and Life-Giving Narrative donor_registration_and_educationPromotes organ and tissue donation as a life-giving act of human kindness that enables recipients to live fully, using education and narrative to increase public engagement and registration.
- Enable transplantation through paired and altruistic living donation paired kidney exchangeUses kidney paired exchange programs and facilitates altruistic living donations to overcome biological incompatibility and expand access to transplantation for recipients without a matched donor.
- Facilitate deceased and living organ donation to expand transplant opportunities deceased_and_living_donation_modelOperates under a dual model of organ donation—registering deceased donors and facilitating living donations—to increase the organ supply, reduce wait times, and enable more transplants through both posthumous and living contributions.
- Fair and medically guided organ allocation fair_allocation_matchingUses a medically guided matching system that prioritizes urgency, biological compatibility, and geographic proximity to ensure equitable and clinically effective organ allocation.
- Family-Centered Consent and Advance Communication Support family-centered consent supportSupports end-of-life decision-making by encouraging individuals to communicate their donation intentions in advance, reducing family uncertainty and increasing consent rates during emotionally difficult times.
- Family-Centered Donation Support family-centered consent supportSupports end-of-life decision-making by encouraging advance communication of donation intentions and providing coordinated support through dedicated staff to reduce family uncertainty and ensure donor wishes are honored.
- Federally Coordinated Organ Procurement and Allocation federally_designated_organ_procurementFunctions as the federally designated Organ Procurement Organization to coordinate donation services, using medically guided matching systems based on urgency, compatibility, and proximity to ensure fair and effective organ allocation.
- Federally Designated, Medically Guided Organ Procurement and Allocation federally_designated_organ_procurementOperates as the federally designated Organ Procurement Organization using medically guided, equitable matching systems based on clinical urgency, compatibility, and proximity to allocate organs within a defined service region.
- Federally designated organ procurement and coordination federally_designated_organ_procurementOperates as the federally designated Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) to coordinate organ, eye, and tissue donation services across a defined region, ensuring medically supervised recovery and distribution in alignment with national standards.
- Integrate donor registry with national systems for portability national donor registry enrollmentEncourages enrollment in the National Donate Life Registry so donor status is recognized and honored across state lines, ensuring consistency and recognition regardless of relocation.
- Living Donor Prioritization and Expansion living-donor_preferencePrioritizes living organ donation—especially kidney donation—due to superior graft survival and uses paired exchange and altruistic donation programs to expand access for incompatible or unmatched donor-recipient pairs.
- Living Donor Prioritization and Facilitation living-donor_preferencePrioritizes living kidney donation due to superior graft survival and facilitates living donor transplants, including through kidney exchange programs and altruistic donation, to expand access and reduce dependency on deceased donor organs.
- Multi-Tissue Donation for Surgical Healing multi-tissue donation modelLeverages donations of various tissues (e.g., skin, bone, heart valves) to meet diverse surgical and healing needs, extending the impact of a single donor.
- Multi-Tissue and Research Donation Model multi-tissue donation modelMaximizes the healing impact of donation by utilizing multiple tissue types and facilitating organ, eye, and tissue donation for both transplantation and research purposes.
- National Donor Registry and Public Registration Campaigns public registration campaignEncourages enrollment in the National Donate Life Registry and promotes registration as a quick, life-saving action to build a broad, portable donor pool and reduce transplant wait times.
- Operate as federally designated organ procurement organization federally_designated_organ_procurementFunctions as the official Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) for a defined region, ensuring standardized, regulated coordination of organ donation and transplantation services in compliance with federal requirements.
- Organ and Tissue Donation for Transplantation and Research organ_and_tissue_donationFacilitates the recovery of organs, eyes, and tissues for both transplantation and medical research to save lives and advance scientific understanding.
- Prioritize living donor transplants for improved clinical outcomes living-donor preferencePromotes living kidney donation due to superior graft survival rates—functioning on average eight years longer than deceased donor kidneys—to improve long-term recipient outcomes.
- Prioritize medically guided, fair organ allocation based on clinical criteria fair_allocation_matchingUses a medically driven matching system that prioritizes urgency, biological compatibility, and geographic proximity to ensure equitable and effective organ allocation in alignment with national transplant policies.
- Promote universal donor registration with deferred medical screening universal donor registration with medical screening deferralEncourages all individuals aged 13 and older to register as organ donors regardless of current health status, relying on medical professionals to determine eligibility at the time of donation, thereby maximizing potential donors.
- Public Registration Campaigns to Expand Donor Pool public registration campaignConducts public campaigns to promote quick and simple registration in the National Donate Life Registry, increasing the donor pool and ensuring donor status is recognized nationwide.
- Strengthen donor participation through public registration campaigns and education public registration campaignAdvances public awareness and donor registration through education and outreach, emphasizing the life-saving impact of donation and simplifying registration as an accessible, meaningful act.
- Support donor families and ensure ethical, compliant donation processes family-centered consent supportProvides family-centered consent support and ensures voluntary, HIPAA-compliant donation processes, with dedicated coordinators guiding donors and families through documentation and tissue recovery.
- Universal Donor Registration with Medical Deferral universal donor registration with medical screening deferralPromotes universal organ donor registration for individuals 13 and older regardless of age or health status, deferring medical eligibility determination to professionals to maximize potential donors.
- Universal Donor Registration with Professional Medical Screening universal donor registration with medical screening deferralPromotes universal registration for organ donation among individuals aged 13 and older regardless of health status, deferring medical eligibility determinations to medical professionals at the time of donation.
- Voluntary, HIPAA-Compliant Donation Process voluntary_hipaa_compliant_donationEnsures all donation activities are conducted voluntarily and in full compliance with HIPAA regulations to protect donor privacy and maintain ethical standards.
- Voluntary, HIPAA-Compliant Donation Process voluntary_hipaa_compliant_donationEnsures all donation participation is voluntary and protects donor privacy in compliance with HIPAA, maintaining ethical and legal standards throughout the donation process.
named programs · 3
what they call their work
Birth Tissue Program
Enables expectant mothers to donate placenta and umbilical cord tissue after delivery for use in wound care, sports medicine, ophthalmology, and surgical procedures
Deceased Donor Organ Recovery
Coordinates recovery of organs from deceased donors for transplantation, serving patients on the national waitlist in northern California and northern Nevada
Living Kidney Donation Program
Facilitates direct, paired, and altruistic living kidney donations to reduce wait times and improve transplant outcomes
relationships · 18
who they work with
- American Kidney Fund Partner — Partner organization referenced in connection with living donor resources.
- California Pacific Medical Center Partner — Collaborates with transplant centers such as California Pacific Medical Center to facilitate living kidney donation evaluations and procedures.
- California Pacific Medical Center Kidney & Pancreas Transplant Partner — Transplant center in Donor Network West's service area where living donors can learn more or participate.
- Donate Life America Network — Donor Network West is a proud affiliate of Donate Life America, participating in a national alliance to promote organ, eye, and tissue donor registration.
- Donor Network West Government — Federally designated organ procurement organization serving Northern California and Northern Nevada.
- HIPAA Government — Follows HIPAA regulations to protect donor health information.
- Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford Partner — Transplant center in Donor Network West's service area where living donors can learn more or participate.
- National Kidney Foundation Partner — Partner organization referenced in connection with living donor resources.
- National Kidney Registry Partner — Partner organization referenced in connection with living donor resources.
- Organ Procurement and Transplant Network Government — Operates within the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) system to coordinate deceased donor kidney allocation and support altruistic living donor referrals.
- Stanford Health Care Partner — Works with Stanford Health Care to enable living kidney donation through clinical evaluation and surgical transplantation.
- Stanford Hospital Kidney Transplant Program Partner — Transplant center in Donor Network West's service area where living donors can learn more or participate.
- The United Network for Organ Sharing Partner — Works with UNOS to coordinate organ donations and maintain the national waiting list.
- UCSF Partner — Partners with UCSF to support living kidney donation through evaluation and transplant services.
- UCSF Medical Center Partner — Transplant center in Donor Network West's service area where living donors can learn more or participate.
- UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay Partner — Transplant center in Donor Network West's service area where living donors can learn more or participate.
- US Department of Health and Human Services Government — Federally designated as the Organ Procurement Organization for northern California and northern Nevada
- United States Government — Participates in the national organ donation and transplant system serving individuals awaiting transplants across the U.S.