Transplant Life Foundation

What Transplant Life Foundation does

Transplant Life Foundation is a 501(c)(3)-style nonprofit advocacy organization, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that serves the U.S. organ donation and transplant community. Its core mission is to unite recipients, living donors, donor families, and clinical stakeholders around awareness, education, and recognition of transplantation. The Foundation is led by President & CEO Bill Ryan and works alongside major sector partners including the American Society of Transplantation (AST), the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), Donate Life America, 58 organ procurement organizations, and 250+ transplant centers.

Its product surface centers on three pillars: (1) the Transplant Games of America, a biennial multi-sport event held in rotating host cities, with Denver selected for 2026; (2) TransplantNATION Magazine, a bimonthly publication that transitioned to include a paid digital subscription tier in February 2025 priced at $36 for one year and $96 for three years; and (3) supporting programs including an E-Newsletter, a DIY Fundraiser Guide, and alignment with the National Donate Life Registry. The Foundation also convenes a tiered corporate council sponsorship program, with CareDx as presenting sponsor of the 2026 Games, Eurofins at the Trailblazer level, and United Therapeutics at the Visionary level.

The Foundation's revenue mechanics combine individual donations and grassroots fundraising, magazine subscription revenue, and corporate sponsorships. There is no disclosed financial data, headcount, or audited revenue in the available input, so scale is inferred only from operational footprint. The biennial Games cycle produces inherently lumpy revenue, and the introduction of a digital subscription product in early 2025 is the most notable structural shift toward a more recurring revenue mix.

Name

Transplant Life Foundation

Legal name

Transplant Life Foundation

Website

https://transplantlifefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Transplant Life Foundation is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based nonprofit, founded in 2011, that serves the U.S. organ donation and transplant community through the biennial Transplant Games of America, TransplantNATION Magazine, and supporting advocacy and fundraising programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organ Donation Advocacy Nonprofit

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations (BPAGACAJ)

Keywords

• Organ donation advocacy
• Transplant community services
• Nonprofit health advocacy
• Donor registration services
• Transplant awareness events

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The foundation generates revenue primarily through monetary donations from individual supporters, monthly donors, employer giving programs, text-to-donate campaigns, legacy bequests, mail-in checks, and DIY fundraiser hosting. They also accept checks made out to Transplant Life Foundation.
2. Magazine Subscriptions: TransplantNATION magazine subscriptions provide a secondary revenue stream. The 68-page magazine is published six times annually with various subscription tiers for domestic and international subscribers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Transplant Life Foundation is a nonprofit advocacy organization that unites the U.S. donation and transplant community through education, awareness events, and publishing. Its core offerings include the biennial Transplant Games of America athletic festival, the bimonthly TransplantNATION magazine (print and digital), and advocacy for the National Donate Life Registry to increase organ, eye, and tissue donor registration.

Product overview

The Transplant Life Foundation operates a unified nonprofit service portfolio centered on the transplant and donation community. The core offerings include the National Donate Life Registry for donor registration, the bimonthly TransplantNATION Magazine for education and connection, and the biennial Transplant Games of America as a flagship awareness event. Additional services include an E-Newsletter for ongoing community engagement and a DIY Fundraiser Guide to empower supporters in fundraising efforts. These products work together to educate, inspire, and transform lives within the donation and transplantation ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Transplant Games of America: A biennial festival-style event produced by the Transplant Life Foundation for individuals who have undergone life-saving transplant surgeries.
• TransplantNATION
• National Donate Life Registry

Products and services

• TransplantNATION Magazine A 68-page bimonthly magazine published six times per year featuring human interest stories, transplant health news, fitness content, medicine updates, technology advances, and policy information for the transplant community. Available via print subscription (domestic and international tiers of 1, 2, and 3 years) and via annual digital subscription with interactive content and access to prior issues.
• Transplant Games of America A biennial festival-style athletic event for transplant recipients, living donors, and donor families that celebrates the importance of organ donation while promoting health, athletic achievement, and community connection. Hosted in different U.S. cities; Denver, Colorado is hosting the 2026 Games.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 30,000 organ transplants, 50,000 corneal transplants, and hundreds of thousands of tissue transplants every year represent the potential audience for donation and transplantation awareness
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, trailblazer and visionary.

• American Society of TransplantationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor transplant medical professional society that works alongside the foundation in serving the donation and transplant community. The partnership supports educational initiatives and advocacy for the transplant community.
• American Society of Transplant SurgeonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional society for transplant surgeons collaborating with the foundation on community programming and advocacy efforts for the transplant ecosystem.
• Donate Life AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization managing the National Donate Life Registry; the foundation works alongside Donate Life America to increase organ, eye, and tissue donor registration rates.
• 58 Procurement OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation collaborates with 58 organ procurement organizations across the U.S. to support the donation and transplant community through education and advocacy.
• 250+ Transplant CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 250 transplant centers located across the United States partner with the foundation in serving thousands of individuals within the transplant community.
• CareDxflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Transplant Games Presented by CareDx. CareDx is a precision medicine company serving the transplant community. As presenting sponsor, CareDx supports the premier celebration of transplant recipients and donors.
• EurofinstrailblazerGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as Trailblazer-level sponsor of the Transplant Life Foundation Council. Eurofins supports the foundation's mission through leadership giving at the highest council tier.
• United TherapeuticsvisionaryGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as Visionary-level sponsor of the Transplant Life Foundation Council. United Therapeutics supports organ transplantation research and is a major supporter of the foundation's initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Gift of Life Donor Program: One of the 58 U.S. OPOs that TLF partners with; performs organ procurement and donor-family services at a regional level, providing a relevant procurement-side comparison to TLF's national advocacy scope.

Direct peers

• Donate Life America: Manages the National Donate Life Registry that TLF promotes; operates as the national voice on donation issues with overlapping mission and stakeholder base (donor families, recipients, OPOs).
• American Society of Transplantation: Strategic partner of TLF and a leading professional society for transplant clinicians/researchers; serves overlapping community including healthcare professionals and patient advocacy, making it a directly comparable nonprofit advocacy/education entity.
• Be The Match (National Marrow Donor Program): Operates the bone marrow donor registry and runs large-scale patient/community engagement programs; closest analog to TLF for transplant registries plus community advocacy in the marrow transplant niche.

Emerging players

• American Liver Foundation: Dedicated liver disease/transplant nonprofit serving an organ-specific subset of the transplant population that TLF also addresses; smaller and more focused than TLF's whole-ecosystem scope.

Broad incumbents

• National Kidney Foundation: Large established health nonprofit focused on kidney disease and transplantation; overlaps with TLF on kidney transplant recipients/living donors but operates at much larger scale across a broader disease continuum.
• American Heart Association: Massive health advocacy nonprofit with similar donation-driven model, magazine, events, and broad public campaigns; benchmarks TLF's organizational model at vastly larger scale.
• American Society of Transplant Surgeons: Strategic partner of TLF and a large professional society for transplant surgeons; overlaps in advocacy and education across the transplant ecosystem, but represents surgeon members rather than lay community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRs0IyJx5YvYbvILI7JWy0A
• Facebookfacebook.com/TransplantLifeFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/transplantlifefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/transplant-life-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Transplant Life Foundation