What HonorBridge does

HonorBridge is a federally designated nonprofit organ procurement organization (OPO) headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, that coordinates the recovery of deceased-donor organs, eyes, and tissues for transplantation across 77-78 counties in North Carolina and Virginia, serving approximately 7.5 million people. Founded in 1985 (through predecessor organizations that merged in 1999 as Carolina Donor Services and rebranded as HonorBridge in August 2021), the organization partners with more than 100 hospitals and 4 transplant centers, including Duke University Medical Center, UNC Kidney Center, and ECU Health, to identify donors, support families, recover organs and tissue, and deliver them to recipients. HonorBridge operates one of only 11 freestanding Donor Care Centers (DCC) in the United States, a Chapel Hill facility opened in 2024 that includes a Donor Care Unit, operating room, tissue suite, on-site CT imaging, and simulation lab, enabling in-house recovery without reliance on overcrowded transplant hospitals.

The organization has invested in differentiated clinical and logistics capabilities, including Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP) for Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) donors (representing roughly 50% of 2025 donation activity), TransMedics Organ Care System for lung preservation, machine perfusion for kidneys and other organs, GEGO-based UNOS Organ Tracking Service for real-time organ delivery monitoring, and a Teledoc camera system piloted as the first in any OPO for remote surgical viewing by transplant surgeons. HonorBridge employs approximately 230-250 people across offices in Chapel Hill, Greenville, and Winston-Salem, and is led by an incoming CEO, Kimberly Koontz (effective April 2026), succeeding Danielle Bumarch.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, HonorBridge's revenue is sourced from Medicare-approved OPO reimbursement for organ and tissue acquisition (the dominant stream), hospital and federal pass-through funding, and charitable donations from individuals and organizations supporting donor education and family services. The organization does not charge donor families; all donation-related costs are absorbed. Marketing and donor registration are driven through community-led channels, including DMV and iPhone Health App registration, workplace and campus outreach (SODA chapters), faith-based programs, and the upcoming North Carolina Senate Bill 600 tax-filing registration pathway launching in 2028. In 2025, HonorBridge achieved its strongest year on record, recovering 1,155 organs, transplanting 906, and saving 789 lives, with 2,986 tissues recovered from 1,517 tissue donors.

Name

HonorBridge

Legal name

HonorBridge

Website

https://honorbridge.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

HonorBridge is a federally designated nonprofit organ procurement organization coordinating deceased-donor organ, eye, and tissue recovery across 78 counties in North Carolina and Virginia. It partners with 100+ hospitals and 4 transplant centers and operates one of only 11 freestanding Donor Care Centers in the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organ Procurement and Transplant Coordination Services

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations (BPAGACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Transplant Specialty Hospitals (HLAFAHAE)

Keywords

• Organ procurement
• Tissue recovery
• Transplant coordination
• Donor services
• Organ donation

Headquarters

HQ city

Chapel Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: HonorBridge is a federally designated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The primary funding mechanism is charitable giving from individuals, families, and organizations who support the mission of organ and tissue donation. The website prominently features a 'Give' / 'Ways to Give' section and accepts commemorative donations in memory of donors.
2. Healthcare System / Government Reimbursement: As a federally designated OPO, HonorBridge coordinates organ and tissue recovery with hospitals and transplant centers. Costs associated with donation recovery are absorbed by the organization (not the donor family), with reimbursement flowing through the healthcare system and federal designation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

HonorBridge is a federally designated nonprofit organ procurement organization that recovers and coordinates the placement of organs, eyes, and tissues from deceased donors for transplantation. It serves 77 counties in North Carolina and Virginia through hospital partnerships, a freestanding Donor Care Center, and clinical services including NRP, machine perfusion, and CT imaging, while also operating public education and donor registration programs.

Product overview

HonorBridge is North Carolina's largest federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) offering a comprehensive suite of organ, eye, and tissue donation and recovery services. The organization's core offering centers on coordinating the entire donation process—from donor identification and family support through organ and tissue recovery at their state-of-the-art Donor Care Center in Chapel Hill, NC, to transplant coordination with partner hospitals. Services include the Donor Registration platform (integrated with NC DMV and National Donate Life Registry), the Donor Care Center (featuring dedicated DCU, surgical recovery suites, CT imaging, and family support areas), Donor Family Services (grief resources, tribute programs, donor quilts), and Community Engagement Programs (campus outreach, workplace partnerships, faith-based initiatives, and volunteer opportunities). The organization also employs the UNOS Organ Tracking Service with GEGO tracking devices for real-time organ transport monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organ Procurement and Recovery Services
• Tissue and Eye Recovery Services
• HonorBridge Donor Care Center (DCC)
• Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP) Program
• Public Education and Donor Registration Outreach Community education, DMV partnership registration drives, and online donor registration enabling first-person authorization to donate across the 77-county service area.

Quantifiable outcome

• 789 lives saved in 2025 through organ donation (906 organs transplanted from 1,155 recovered from deceased donors)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, key and core.

• Pitt Charity Golf Tournament (The Pitt)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2025Sheila Martin has hosted The Pitt Charity Golf Tournament annually since 2007, with all proceeds donated to HonorBridge for donor education. Over 22 years, the tournament has raised over $200,000 for HonorBridge's mission.
• Kidney Transplant CollaborativekeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022In March 2022, HonorBridge received a grant from the Kidney Transplant Collaborative to fund a project developing a new system for kidney recovery and tracking, aimed at increasing the number of kidneys available for transplant.
• TransMedicskeyTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2021In July 2021, HonorBridge (then Carolina Donor Services) became one of 6 OPOs partnering with TransMedics to implement its Organ Care System (OCS) for lungs, increasing the number of lungs available for transplant by better preserving organs during transport.
• United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) — Organ Tracking ServicekeyTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2021In June 2021, HonorBridge was one of 15 OPOs to pilot the UNOS Organ Tracking Service, which uses GEGO global tracking devices to provide live tracking maps and real-time notifications for organ deliveries to transplant centers.
• The Decision ProjectkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2021In February 2021, HonorBridge announced a partnership with The Decision Project to better serve multicultural communities where donor registration rates are historically low. The partnership supports culturally appropriate outreach and deeper conversations about donation in diverse communities.
• UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing)coreTechnology or IntegrationHonorBridge is affiliated with UNOS, the organization that manages the nation's organ transplant system under federal contract. HonorBridge participates in UNOS Organ Tracking Service using GEGO devices, follows OPTN policies, and was one of 15 OPOs to test and adopt the UNOS Organ Tracking Service for real-time organ delivery tracking.
• AOPO (Association of Organ Procurement Organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHonorBridge is a member of AOPO, the professional association representing the 57 federally designated OPOs in the US. CEO Kim Koontz holds leadership roles within AOPO. AOPO membership provides best practice sharing, advocacy, and professional development for the organ donation field.
• Donate Life AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHonorBridge is affiliated with Donate Life America, the national brand for organ, eye, and tissue donation. HonorBridge displays the Donate Life America logo and drives registrations through the Donate Life NC registry. The organization also participates in Donate Life Month and national awareness campaigns.
• OPTN (Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationHonorBridge operates under OPTN policies and governance. CEO Kim Koontz currently serves as Chair of OPTN's Operations and Safety Committee, demonstrating HonorBridge's leadership role in shaping national donation and transplantation standards.
• Duke University Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHonorBridge partners with Duke University Medical Center for organ recovery and transplantation. Dr. Andrew Barbas, a Duke transplant surgeon, performed the first recovery in HonorBridge's Donor Care Center (2024) and uses NRP and machine perfusion for complex donor cases.
• ECU HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHonorBridge partners with ECU Health (East Carolina University) for organ transplantation. Dr. David Leeser at ECU Health partnered with HonorBridge on patient storytelling campaigns. Dr. Matthew Black, an ECU transplant surgeon, is contracted with HonorBridge for organ recovery and has led NRP adoption in the region (~60 NRP cases performed).
• UNC Kidney CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHonorBridge works with UNC Kidney Center in Chapel Hill for kidney transplant coordination. UNC transplant coordinators make organ offers to waiting patients, and UNC serves as the transplant center for HonorBridge-recovered kidneys. UNC's Living Donor Coordinator (Kristen Martin) facilitates living donor evaluations.
• Precision Ocular Network (PON)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrecision Ocular Network (formerly North Carolina Eye Bank) is HonorBridge's partner eye bank. PON handles eye donation recovery while HonorBridge coordinates organ and other tissue donation. PON's PR Specialist Penny Loy is a 33-year kidney transplant recipient and an advocate connecting the two organizations.
• National Kidney RegistrykeyTechnology or IntegrationHonorBridge participates in the National Kidney Registry's paired exchange program, which matches living kidney donors with recipients nationally. The Angel Advocates program connects patients with National Kidney Registry vouchers, enabling chains of paired exchanges.
• The Great Social Experiment / David KrissmankeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Krissman's 'The Great Social Experiment' is a podcast documentary about kidney disease and living donation. HonorBridge CEO Danielle Bumarch sponsored a patient through Krissman's living donor advocacy program, and HonorBridge staff (including Stephanie Wiggins) have become Angel Advocates, participating in paired kidney exchange chains.
• 100+ Hospital PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHonorBridge partners with over 100 hospitals across North Carolina and Virginia to facilitate donor referrals, coordinate the donation process, and maximize organ and tissue recovery. Hospital liaisons work on-site to identify potential donors and support families through the donation decision.
• Funeral Service / EMS / Medical Examiner PartnerskeyChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHonorBridge maintains ongoing partnerships with funeral directors, EMS agencies, and medical examiners to coordinate the donation process respectfully and efficiently. EMS/ME Liaison Alyssa Schuster provides education and workflow coordination to ensure donation opportunities are maximized while supporting death investigations.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LifeNet Health: Virginia-based federally designated OPO and tissue bank that operates in adjacent/overlapping territory with HonorBridge. LifeNet Health is a direct peer in organ and tissue recovery, with similar core mission and donor services model.
• OneLegacy: The largest federally designated OPO in the US, serving the greater Los Angeles area. Comparable nonprofit organ procurement organization with a similarly large service area and multiple transplant center partnerships.
• Donor Network West: Federally designated OPO serving northern California and Nevada. Comparable nonprofit organ, eye, and tissue donation organization with similar donor family services and community outreach programs.
• Mid-America Transplant: Federally designated OPO serving Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas. Comparable nonprofit organ procurement organization with hospital and transplant center partnerships, similar scope of services.
• Lifeline of Ohio: Federally designated OPO serving central and southeastern Ohio. Comparable nonprofit organ procurement organization with similar hospital and transplant center partnership model and community-based donor outreach.
• New England Donor Services: Federally designated OPO serving the New England region. Comparable nonprofit organ, eye, and tissue procurement organization with similar hospital network and multi-state coverage.
• LiveOnNY: Federally designated OPO serving the New York metropolitan area. Comparable nonprofit organ and tissue donation organization with similar hospital partnership network and metropolitan service area.
• Gift of Life Michigan: Federally designated OPO serving the state of Michigan. Comparable nonprofit organ, eye, and tissue recovery organization with similar regulatory environment, hospital partnerships, and donor family services.
• We Are Sharing Hope SC: Federally designated OPO serving South Carolina. Comparable nonprofit organ procurement organization with regional hospital partnerships and similar Carolinas/Southeast geographic adjacency.

Others

• UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing): National organization that manages the organ transplant system under federal contract. While not a direct peer, UNOS is a critical ecosystem participant — HonorBridge's organ tracking, allocation, and regulatory compliance all flow through UNOS infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HonorBridge
• Facebookfacebook.com/HonorBridge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/honorbridge
• Instagraminstagram.com/honorbridgecares

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HonorBridge