Facebook Partners with Donate Life Organization to Increase Organ Designation

VIENNA, Va. – May 1, 2012 – The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) applauds Facebook for working with Donate Life America to recognize designated donors and formally register users who make the decision to donate and save lives.

Currently, there are more than 114,000 listings on the transplant waiting list. AOPO represents 58 federally-designated organ procurement organizations across the United States that work to procure almost 30,000 organs for transplant each year. By highlighting this small segment of the American population, Facebook has achieved its mission “to make the world more open and connected.” 

The need for organ donation is great and increasing. Currently, an average of 18 people die every day while waiting for a life-saving organ. According to Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, “Even one individual can have an outsized impact on the challenges facing another, and on the world.” One organ donor has the potential to save up to 8 lives through organ donation, and help countless others through tissue and eye donation.

“We hope that this partnership will help provide Americans with the facts they need to make a decision regarding organ and tissue donation, and allow an easier way to sign up to be a donor,” said Tim Brown, President of AOPO.  “Using the Facebook tool will also help people share their decision and have those important discussions with their families.”

To add your organ donor status to your Facebook profile, go to your Facebook “timeline” and choose “life events” and "health and wellness." At the top, you will see an option to select and save “organ donor.” If you have not done so, AOPO also asks that you add your name to your state donor registry through Donate Life America at www.donatelife.net.

Official Press Release
Step by step guide to adding donor status on Facebook
Facebook Post to share on your Facebook Timeline
Mark Zuckerberg's Blog Post
Mark Zuckerberg's Interview
All ABC Coverage on the Initiative