The National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC)

What The National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) does

The National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) is a federally funded nonprofit program administered under a cooperative agreement between the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), with academic oversight currently provided by the University of Kansas. Established in 2007 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, NLDAC operates the Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program, which reimburses eligible living organ donors up to $6,000 per donation process for travel, lost wages, and dependent care expenses. The program serves directed donors, non-directed (anonymous) donors, and paired exchange participants across all 50 U.S. states and territories, with eligibility tied to recipient household income and U.S. residency/citizenship requirements mandated by federal legislation.

The program is delivered through a B2B-to-B2C distribution model: applications are not accepted directly from patients but are filed by transplant center professionals (social workers, nurse coordinators, living donor advocates, financial coordinators) at 200+ enrolled transplant programs nationwide. The technology stack consists of a web-based application portal with separate donor and recipient access, a controlled value card system for travel disbursements, and ACH/direct deposit infrastructure for wage and dependent care reimbursements. Supporting tools include a Pay Calculator, PDF eligibility screening tool, paper application worksheets, and bilingual educational materials. The website and portal are developed and maintained by Arbor Research Collaborative for Health.

NLDAC's revenue model is structured as a single-source federal grant program: HRSA provides 100% of total program costs (a $9,449,999 award as of September 2020), with no commercial revenue, fees to donors/recipients, or third-party funding of meaningful scale. A marginal secondary funding stream was introduced through a partnership with UnitedHealthcare to process its Kidney Donor Travel Assistance Program applications. The organization operates with a lean core team of approximately 11 staff members spanning program direction, evaluation, coordination, outreach, and application processing. NLDAC also conducts a randomized controlled trial and survey-based program evaluation to inform policy and demonstrate impact.

Name

The National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC)

Legal name

National Living Donor Assistance Center

Website

https://livingdonorassistance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) is a federally funded nonprofit program that reimburses eligible living organ donors up to $6,000 for travel, lost wages, and dependent care expenses, delivered through 200+ enrolled U.S. transplant centers under an HRSA cooperative agreement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Living Organ Donor Financial Assistance

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Intergovernmental Affairs & Federal Grants Administration (BPAIAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Emergency Livelihood Support (BPAGAAAJ)

Keywords

• Living donor assistance
• Organ transplant reimbursement
• Donor financial support
• Transplant travel grants
• Lost wage reimbursement

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Grant (HRSA): NLDAC operates as a federally funded program through a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HRSA provides 100% of total costs through grant funding. The program does not generate revenue from commercial activities but disburses federal funds to eligible living organ donors for travel, lost wages, and dependent care expenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) is a federally funded nonprofit program that provides financial reimbursements up to $6,000 to eligible living organ donors for qualified expenses, including travel, lost wages, and dependent care costs. The program is administered through a cooperative agreement between the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), with applications filed on behalf of donors by enrolled transplant center professionals.

Product overview

NLDAC operates the Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program as a single, integrated service offering. The program provides financial assistance to eligible living organ donors through three main reimbursement components: travel expenses, lost wages, and dependent care costs. These components are accessed through a unified application process available via online or paper forms. Supporting resources include a Pay Calculator tool, eligibility screening tools, and educational materials including videos and brochures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program Federally funded reimbursement program that covers travel, lost wages, and dependent care expenses for eligible living organ donors up to $6,000 per donor, accessed through more than 200 enrolled transplant centers across the United States and its territories.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,039 living donors have completed donation surgery using the NLDAC program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2006ASTS serves as the primary subcontractor for NLDAC operations. ASTS provides administrative infrastructure, issues IRS Form 1099 to donors receiving wage/dependent care reimbursements, and contributes professional expertise through its members serving on the National Advisory Group.
• University of ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2006University of Arizona became the prime cooperative agreement holder in May 2016 (previously University of Michigan). Provides academic oversight, research collaboration, and program evaluation through Dr. Akinlolu Ojo, Executive Dean of University of Kansas School of Medicine (lead evaluation specialist).
• Arbor Research Collaborative for HealthminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDeveloped and maintains the NLDAC website. Previously served as the organization where Dr. Robert Merion served as president and CEO, maintaining continuity with the original program leadership.
• Enrolled Transplant ProgramscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 200 transplant programs nationwide are registered to file NLDAC applications on behalf of donors and recipients. These programs include major medical centers such as Mayo Clinic, UCSF, Johns Hopkins, and others that serve as the distribution channel for NLDAC services.
• UnitedHealthcareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnitedHealthcare's Kidney Donor Travel Assistance (KDTA) Program provides up to $6,000 for travel expenses for living kidney donors whose recipients have UnitedHealthcare commercial insurance. NLDAC processes these applications and sends them to UnitedHealthcare for donors who qualify.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Be The Match / National Marrow Donor Program: Federally-supported nonprofit operating the U.S. marrow donor registry with financial assistance programs for donors (travel, lodging). Comparable as a federally-aligned donor-support program addressing financial barriers to living donation in a different clinical context.

Broad incumbents

• American Kidney Fund: National nonprofit providing direct financial assistance (premiums, treatment-related expenses) to kidney patients. Comparable as a kidney-focused grantmaking and financial-assistance organization, though focused on recipients rather than living donors.
• Donor Alliance: Organ procurement organization serving Colorado and Wyoming. Comparable as a federally-regulated transplant ecosystem participant, though focused on deceased donation logistics rather than living-donor financial assistance.
• National Kidney Foundation: Major kidney-health nonprofit offering patient education, advocacy, and some financial assistance programs. Comparable as a federally-aligned nonprofit operating in the kidney/transplant space with broad programmatic reach.
• United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS): Federally designated Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) contractor managing U.S. organ allocation. Comparable as the federally-contracted backbone of U.S. transplant infrastructure, though UNOS focuses on allocation rather than donor financial assistance.

Direct peers

• Children's Organ Transplant Association (COTA): Nonprofit providing financial assistance for transplant-related expenses (primarily pediatric). Comparable operating model—fundraising and grantmaking to support transplant candidates and families—and shares NLDAC's mission of reducing financial barriers to transplantation.
• American Transplant Foundation: Nonprofit supporting living donors and transplant recipients through financial assistance, education, and advocacy. Closely comparable to NLDAC as a direct financial-assistance provider for the transplant community, though funded through private donations rather than federal grants.
• Living Kidney Donors Network (LKDN): Nonprofit providing education and advocacy for living kidney donors. Comparable as a nonprofit focused specifically on supporting living kidney donors, though LKDN emphasizes education/advocacy over direct financial reimbursement.
• National Foundation for Transplants: Nonprofit raising and distributing funds for transplant patients' out-of-pocket costs. Comparable as a transplant-focused grantmaking organization that helps patients navigate and pay for transplant-related expenses.

Others

• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – Division of Transplantation: Federal funder and regulator of NLDAC. Included as the upstream governmental counterpart that shapes NLDAC's mandate, eligibility rules, and funding levels—not a competing organization but the entity whose policy and budget decisions most directly determine NLDAC's trajectory.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NLDAC_ASTS
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalLivingDonorAssistanceCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/nldac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/living-donor-assistance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC)