Research For Life
Research For Life is an AATB-accredited nonprofit whole body donation organization connecting donors with medical educators and researchers across Arizona and Southern California, offering no-cost transportation, cremation, and tissue donation services to families.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersPhoenix, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Research For Life does
Research For Life is an AATB-accredited Non-transplant Anatomical Donation Organization (NADO) that facilitates whole body donations from terminal or pre-registered donors to medical educators, surgical training programs, and disease researchers. Founded circa 2009-2010, the organization operates three service locations across the southwestern United States: Phoenix, Arizona (headquarters); Temecula, California; and Whittier, California. It manages the complete donation lifecycle, including donor transportation, filing of death certificates, cremation, and return or disposition of cremated remains, and it maintains a 24/7 death reporting hotline alongside online donor registration.
All donor-facing services are provided at no cost to families, positioning the program as a financial alternative to traditional funeral arrangements. The organization is funded through partnerships with medical research and educational institutions that utilize donated tissue, supplemented by ancillary service revenue streams. Distribution relies on direct relationships with hospice organizations, senior care facilities, and medical professionals who counsel patients on end-of-life options, supported by in-service presentations, a content marketing blog, public facility tours, and active social media presence.
The company is led by founder and CEO Garland Shreves and co-founder Laurie Shreves (Director of Family Services). It holds AATB accreditation, NADO licensing, and state licensure from the Arizona Department of Health Services and the New York State Department of Health. Value-added services include bereavement counseling and an annual memorial celebration program honoring donors.
Research For Life firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Research For Life
- Legal name
- Research For Life
- Website
- https://researchforlife.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Research For Life is an AATB-accredited nonprofit whole body donation organization connecting donors with medical educators and researchers across Arizona and Southern California, offering no-cost transportation, cremation, and tissue donation services to families.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Research For Life industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Anatomical Donation Services
- NAICS
- Blood and Organ Banks (621991)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations (BPAGACAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)
Keywords
Where Research For Life is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Phoenix
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Research For Life business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Whole Body Donation Services: As a non-transplant anatomical donation organization (NADO), Research For Life provides no-cost donation services to donors and their families. All services including transportation, cremation, and return of cremated remains are provided at no charge. The organization is funded through partnerships with medical research and educational institutions that utilize donated tissue.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Research For Life product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Research For Life operates an AATB-accredited Non-transplant Anatomical Donation Organization (NADO) that facilitates no-cost whole body donations from donors and their families to medical educators, surgical training programs, and disease researchers. The organization provides comprehensive donor services at no charge, including transportation, death certificate filing, cremation, and return of cremated remains, and is funded through partnerships with medical research and educational institutions that utilize donated tissue.
Product overview
Research For Life is a whole body donation organization that serves as the link between donors and medical researchers and educators. Their primary offering is a no-cost donor program that accepts whole body donations for medical education, surgical training, and disease research. The organization operates multiple service locations (Phoenix, AZ; Temecula, CA; Whittier, CA) and provides comprehensive services including transportation, cremation, and return of cremated remains at no cost to donors or their families. They also offer resources for medical professionals, public tours, and bereavement support services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Whole Body Donation Program A no-cost whole body donation program that accepts anatomical donations and connects them with medical educators, surgical training programs, and disease researchers. The program covers transportation, cremation, and return of cremated remains for registered donors at no cost to donors or their families.
- Medical Professional Resources Resources and support services for healthcare professionals including hospice workers, featuring in-service presentations, donor registration assistance, and 24/7/365 death reporting services for medical staff who counsel patients on end-of-life options.
- Public Tours Scheduled educational facility tours offered to Arizona residents to learn about the whole body donation program, the donation process, and facility operations.
- Bereavement Counseling Support services for donor families including grief counseling resources and annual memorial celebrations held to honor donors and their contributions to medical science.
Quantifiable outcome
- Thousands of families supported through the donation program
Companies that use Research For Life
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Research For Life technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Research For Life partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB)coreResearch For Life is a proud member of the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB). Their accreditation is characterized by commitment to medical research and education. They provide accredited tissue services for research and educational partners in the United States and globally.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Research For Life competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LifeQuest Anatomical: Non-transplant anatomical donation organization providing whole body donation services for medical research and education, operating the same donor-family-to-researcher intermediary model with comparable hospice partnerships.
- Anatomy Gifts Registry: Whole body donation organization facilitating anatomical gifts for medical research and education with a similar no-cost donor program. Comparable in mission, accreditation posture, and target customer segments (medical schools and researchers).
- MedCure: Whole body donation organization serving as a donor-to-research intermediary with AATB accreditation, providing tissue for medical education, surgical training, and research. Operates the same NADO business model as Research For Life.
- Science Care: One of the largest AATB-accredited non-transplant anatomical donation organizations in the US, offering no-cost whole body donation programs to donors and supplying tissue to medical researchers and educators. Direct head-to-head competitor to Research For Life with broader geographic reach.
- United Tissue Network: AATB-accredited NADO providing no-cost whole body donation services connecting donors with medical research and educational institutions. Operates a similar donor-family-facing model with comparable hospice and healthcare professional referral channels.
- BioGift Anatomical: Non-transplant anatomical donation organization offering whole body donation for medical research and education, with a similar no-cost donor program and AATB-style accreditation posture. Competes for the same donor families and research institution customers.
- Restore Legacy: Whole body donation organization providing no-cost donor programs for medical education and research, serving as a comparable NADO with similar hospice referral and educational content marketing channels.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Research For Life social profiles
Digital presenceResearch For Life compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Research For Life financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Research For Life leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Research For Life funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Research For Life M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Research For Life
What does Research For Life do?
Research For Life operates an AATB-accredited Non-transplant Anatomical Donation Organization (NADO) that facilitates no-cost whole body donations from donors and their families to medical educators, surgical training programs, and disease researchers. The organization provides comprehensive donor services at no charge, including transportation, death certificate filing, cremation, and return of cremated remains, and is funded through partnerships with medical research and educational institutions that utilize donated tissue.
Is Research For Life a public or private company?
Research For Life is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Research For Life founded?
Research For Life was founded in 2010. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Research For Life based?
Research For Life is headquartered in Phoenix, United States, in the North America region.
How does Research For Life make money?
One revenue line is on record: whole Body Donation Services.
Who are Research For Life's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LifeQuest Anatomical, Anatomy Gifts Registry, MedCure, Science Care, United Tissue Network, BioGift Anatomical and Restore Legacy.
Does Research For Life have an API?
No public API is recorded for Research For Life.
What industry is Research For Life in?
Research For Life's product category is Anatomical Donation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAJ, Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGACAA, Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS). Its NAICS code is 621991 and its SIC code is 8731.