Core Purpose:
We honor life through donation.
Business Definition:
We facilitate organ and tissue recovery.
Core Values:
Determined, compassionate and professional
What We Do
Gift of Life Michigan, headquartered in Ann Arbor, is the state's only federally designated organ and tissue recovery program, providing all services necessary for organ donation to occur in Michigan. We’re a non-profit organization working 24 hours a day all over the state as a liaison between donors, hospitals and transplant centers.
Gift of Life was incorporated in 1971 by Michigan transplant surgeons to provide a network for sharing kidneys. Today, Gift of Life recovers more than 900 organs every year for transplantation from 300 or more donors, saving hundreds of lives. Bone, skin and other tissue also is recovered, helping to significantly improve the lives of thousands of seriously injured and sick recipients. Gift of Life also works with Eversight to manage cornea and eye donation.
In addition, Gift of Life maintains and grows the Michigan Organ Donor Registry in partnership with the Michigan Secretary of State. The registry is a confidential database of people who have expressed their desire to someday help others by becoming an organ, eye and tissue donor.
Financials:
Organ Acquisition Charge (OAC)
Transplant centers pay Gift of Life Michigan an organ acquisition charge (OAC) to cover costs associated with recovering and providing the organ for transplant. The average OAC is $31,000 per organ. Here is a breakdown of the expenses that go into the OAC:
Philanthropy:
Each year, Gift of Life Michigan supports numerous charities and non-profit organizations through both financial and in-kind contributions. Recipients of Gift of Life contributions include Food Gatherers, SafeHouse, the Transplant Games of America, Camp Michitanki, the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation, the Donate Life Coalition of Michigan and the American Red Cross. Gift of Life staff provide hands-on service to our community through Habitat for Humanity in Genesee County, Food Gatherers, Forgotten Harvest and neighborhood clean-up efforts in Detroit. These organizations enrich our community and nation and complement our mission. Gift of Life is proud to contribute to their continued success.
Brand:
Gift of Life Michigan has partnered with Lands' End to provide apparel embroidered with the Gift of Life Michigan logo. Click here to place your order today.
Certifications and Accreditations:
- American Association of Tissue Banks
- Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance
- Association of Organ Procurement Organizations
- College of American Pathologists
- Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- The American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI)
Memberships:
- Association of Organ Procurement Organizations
- Donate Life America
- Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation
- Michigan Health & Hospital Association
- Donate Life Coalition of Michigan
Directions to Gift of Life Michigan:
* Note that due to pandemic safety restrictions we are currently not accepting visitors to our office, except for those required to be there for clinical purposes.
3861 Research Park Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
866-500-5801
Gift of Life is on the south side of Ann Arbor off of State Street and is easily accessed from Interstate 94. Travelers from the Detroit area should take I-94 west, and those from central and western Michigan can follow I-94 east. Those coming from the north or south should take U.S. 23 to I-94 west.
From westbound I-94, exit at State Street and turn left (south) onto State Street.
From eastbound I-94, exit at State Street and turn right (south) onto State Street.
Follow State Street south, staying in the left lane. Go past Airport Boulevard on your right and Research Park Drive on your left at the median and turn around (make a "Michigan left"). That will put you on State Street headed north. Turn right on Research Park Drive. Take the first left in the median. Gift of Life is directly in front of you. Our main entrance is in the back of the building, underneath the large logo.