The Donation Process

NDRI makes it easy for individuals and their families to donate tissue or organs for research, potentially leading to a new treatment or cure.

Our donation process is simple. We work with you to obtain authorization for the donation, and we take care of recovering tissues and providing them to approved researchers. Annually, we provide research samples for more than 500 approved researchers around the world. The process is completely confidential.

1. Patient, family or health care team (HCT) makes referral

Individuals can donate tissue from surgery, such as tumors or diseased organs removed during transplant surgery.

Individuals can donate tissue or organs after death, including those that cannot be used for transplant.

2. NDRI obtains authorization and medical/social history

Based on the medical/social history, NDRI creates a donation plan that identifies potential tissues to recover, the recovery specialist and recovery facility.

3. Patient, family or HCT notifies NDRI of pending medical events

For surgical donation: The patient or family lets NDRI know in advance of scheduled surgery, so we can implement the recovery plan in a timely manner.

For post-mortem donation: Family or HCT is asked to notify NDRI of any significant decline in the patient’s health status, so NDRI can implement the recovery plan in a timely manner.

4. Family or HCT notifies NDRI of patient death

Family or HCT is asked to provide information necessary for recovery, including patient name, time of death, cause of death, patient location and funeral home/crematorium.

5. NDRI initiates the recovery process

NDRI will finalize and activate the donation plan and notify all involved recovery partners.

Partners recover donated organs and tissues.

NDRI provides donated organs and tissues to approved researchers.

Are you ready to make a difference?

Become a Donor

NDRI is a Not-For-Profit (501c3) Corporation.