A little heart makes a big difference. You can get involved with National Donate Life Month activities – no matter where you live, work and engage with your community. Here is why participating now is more important than ever: 

• In the United States, more than 100,000 men, women and children are on the national organ transplant waiting list – over 2,700 live right here in the Upper Midwest.  

• Every 8 minutes, a new name is added to the ever-growing transplant wait list. Unfortunately, an average of 16 people die each day waiting for their second chance at a healthy life to arrive.

• ONE person – one registered organ donor – can save up to 8 lives through organ donation, and improve over 75 lives through tissue and cornea donation. 

We need 100% participation to ensure no one dies waiting for an organ transplant. Communities across the Upper Midwest need our help.  

The easiest way to become a hero during National Donate Life Month is to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor and have a conversation about joining the donor registry with your loved ones.

Be a Donate Life advocate: ideas to inspire your Community

Feel inspired to do more advocacy? Be a hero in your community. Check out some ideas to get involved below.

Online or via your favorite social media accounts

1. Engage with LifeSource (@LifeSourceMNDAK) on social media. When you like, comment and share on LifeSource’s posts, your friends may see our post too. It’s an easy way to share how important organ, eye and tissue donation is to you.  
   Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn | YouTube  

2. Do you have a personal connection to donation and/or transplantation? Talk about your personal connection or a special moment as a donor family, transplant recipient or advocate. If comfortable with sharing, here are some starting questions to reflect on:  

• If you could describe organ, eye or tissue donation in one word, what would it be?
• Ask family and friends for special memories about your loved one who saved lives as a donor. 
• Share a way that you celebrated your transplant anniversary, or how life has changed since receiving a transplant. Share your before and after transplant pics to show the miracle of donation. 
• Post a message of hope and healing to patients waiting on the national transplant waiting list.   

3. Do you know an interesting fact about donation? Share it! Test your knowledge with our Donation 101 quiz. Share the quiz with your family and friends.  
   Test Your Knowledge 

4. Inspire others by sharing your donor status and why you checked the box. Post about it on social media, or start a group text with your family and friends. Challenge them to do the same. Not a donor? Encourage them to register at life-source.org/register.   

5. Be the donation expert. Check out our frequently asked questions and help debunk donation misconceptions. Send us an email at info@life-source.org for any assistance.  

6. Visit the virtual national Donor Hero Remembrance Garden, hosted by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations. Donor families are invited to submit a forget-me-not digital flower. Deadline to submit a virtual tribute is April 30.  

7. Write a letter and connect: Help us show support for everyone currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant as well as those families whose loved ones graciously gave the gift of life. 
   Transplant recipients can write to their donor’s family; donor families can write to their loved one’s transplant recipient(s). LifeSource recently launched its online letter writing forms: 
   Writing to Transplant Recipients | Writing to Donor Families 

8. Start a Facebook Fundraiser to support LifeSource’s programs to: (1) increase community education, and (2) provide support to families.  
   Start a fundraiser 

9. Post about Donate Life Month. Update your profile with the Donate Life Month artwork:
   Download LifeSource Social Media Resources 

At the office, breakroom, school or college/university

10. Request LifeSource to visit for a lunch-and-learn educational session on organ, eye and tissue donation.  

11. Hang donation education posters in elevators, hallways and breakrooms.  

12. Share a fact about organ, eye and tissue donation during an upcoming meeting or on your organization’s intranet, internal newsletter(s), building screens or office monitors.  
    Fast Facts | Donation Frequently Asked Questions  

At the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

13. If you’re renewing your license soon: Thank your local DMV staff for asking everyone the most important question: Do you want to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor?  

14. Stop by and share gratitude – whether that be a treat, a card, or just a simple “thank you.” The work they do often goes unnoticed, especially when it comes to donation. Over 90% of people who register do so at the DMV. 

15. If you have a personal connection to donation and transplantation, take a few minutes to share your “why.” It’s always meaningful for those who get to hear it.  

At in-person gatherings

16. Fly the Donate Life flag. Purchase a Donate Life flag through Donate Life America and fly it during April – and beyond! If you have a flagpole, host a Donate Life flag raising ceremony – at your office, school, home or broadcast live on social media.  

17. Light a candle and host a moment of silence in honor of our donor heroes who have given the gift of life through organ, eye and tissue donation. 

18. Wear blue and green on National Blue & Green Day (April 12, 2024). Every year, we love seeing this incredible Donate Life community honoring the generous donors and sharing gratitude for the gift of life in your beautiful blue & green gear.

19. Make organ, eye and tissue donation a discussion topic at an upcoming get-together. Understand everyone’s desire to donate or not, and then discuss why. Talk about the “what if this happens” etc. to start the conversation so when and if the time comes everyone understands what the others want.  

20. Gather for a moment of silence for 1 minute and 8 seconds to honor past organ, eye and tissue donors and for those who continue to live out their legacies. Why for 1 minute and 8 seconds? One donor can save eight lives. Let’s pause for life. 

21. Visit donor tributes in your local community. 

22. Request for your city council to show their support for donation by declaring April as Donate Life Month. Attend the city council meeting in-person to accept the proclamation. Download Proclamation Template 

With some extra creativity

23. Start a registration drive. See how many people you can reach to register as donors. Template resources can be provided per request, if interested. 

24. Create Donate Life rocks. Head outside today & pick up a rock. Do you have blue & green paint, markers or fabric at home? Decorate your rock in any way you can give someone else love and joy; or simply what Donate Life means to you! Leave it in your neighborhood on your next walk to spread love and joy. 

25. Chalk about donation. Time to get outside! Go on a walk. Create blue and green chalk art describing what organ donation means to you. Share a picture with us at info@life-source.org for a chance to be featured on our social media accounts.  

26. Decorate your house with blue and green lights, flags and window artwork. Light up local buildings with Donate Life blue and green lights. Decorate your hospital unit or office space with blue and green lights, streamers, flags and art. Create a blue and green luminary path. 

27. Download the Donate Life Month coloring pages, and show us your art skills via email (info@life-source.org) or tag us on social media @LifeSourceMNDAK. Download Donate Life coloring pages. 

28. Build #aworldofhearts. Hang paper hearts in your window. BONUS: Create a collage and ask everyone who visits if they are an organ, eye and tissue donor. If yes, have them sign their name on a heart and hang it up. 

Thank you for your participation in Donate Life Month and all you do to advocate for organ, eye and tissue donation!

Have an idea to add to this list? Send us an email at info@life-source.org. For more information on Donate Life Month, visit Life-Source.org/donate-life-month.