THE

LIVING BANK

2009 Annual Report

Celebrating our 41st Anniversary

The mission of The Living Bank, a private, non-profit organization, is to educate the community about the urgent need for organ donors so no one will die or suffer from lack of a donation; to support organ recipients; and to honor donor families. Again, this year, as in every year since The Living Bank was born in 1968, our greatest challenge was to educate the public about organ and tissue donation. Each year the task seems to grow, and we seem to fall further behind in our quest for the day when no single human being will die because of the lack of a life-saving organ when it is needed.

We are particularly conscious of the need to adequately reach the minority communities of America with our message. It is, we think, a matter of education. Blacks, Hispanics and Asians all have transplant needs that far exceed their proportionate donors. In years to come, we hope to carry out programs to address this education shortfall.

In early 2009, the Board approved the establishment of The Living Donor Bank to address the overwhelm- ing need for kidney donors. Of the 108,000 candidates on the waiting list for an organ, more than 85,000 need a kidney. The Living Donor Bank Program’s primary mission is to act as a living donor advocate for individuals who express interest in becoming living donors.

Potential living donors are identified by the organization’s outreach efforts or are referred to The Living Donor Bank Program by transplant centers. The services provided include a pre-screening of potential donors and a report and recommendation to the transplant centers regarding the suitability of the candidate for donation.


2009 Program Strategic Goals and Accomplishments

Strategic Goal 1: Motivate and educate potential donors to increase organ donation.


  1. The Living Bank, through its Educational Program, distributed educational information on organ donation to more than 25,000 individuals through our newsletters, Web site, e-mail, telephone, health fairs, presentations and personal contact.
  2. We established “The Living Donor Bank Program” to identify, assess and advocate for living donors; a coordinator/counselor and grant assistant were hired.
  3. We received six grants to support The Living Donor Bank.
  4. We identified and educated 39 potential living donors.
  5. A new contract minority director of outreach in the Hispanic community enhanced the engagement of this population in learning about organ donation and living donation.
  6. We redesigned the newsletter, brochure and a Spanish brochure to upgrade their looks and quality for outreach activities.
  7. The successful gala spread the word about organ donation to 325 guests. The event grossed $165,000 to support programs.
  8. Information on the gala appeared in Paper City, The Houston Business Journal, Texas Medical Center News and Health & Lifestyle magazine, spreading the word about the programs of The Living Bank, further highlighting our educational efforts.

Strategic Goal 2: Build Partnerships to Enhance Programs

  1. The Living Bank was invited to participate in the project to build Nora’s Home, a facility to house transplant patients and their families, and pledged funds to plantmature trees in honor of organ donors to be named “The Living Bank Grove.”
  2. We engaged Texas Children’s Hospital in our programming efforts to educate families. Ten children in the dialysis clinic painted “Tree of Life” logos for the gala auction, and our outreach specialist provided information to parents about transplantation.
  3. We engaged Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center as a partner in The Living Donor Bank and will provide advocacy/assessment services to its living donor candidates.
  4. d. We applied to the Texas State Registry for a Minority Outreach Grant. e. We expanded the Board to include the VP of Education at St. Luke’s Hospital-Texas Heart Institute, bringing the Board member total to 11, up from six in 2008.

Strategic Goal 3: Recognize and support organ donors.

  1. The Living Bank received donations for its “Tree of Life Program” to plant 15 trees at Nora’s Home in honor of organ donors.
  2. The Board approved a “Stipend Program” to provide up to $1,000 to cover travel/accommodation costs for living donors or recipients who need to travel for transplantation.
  3. We provided funding to one out-of-state living donor to cover accommodations. d. We provided support and follow-up services to three (3) organ donors after surgery.
  4. e. We educated 39 potential organ donors about living donation.

Strategic Goal 4: Engage/support recipients

  1. The Living Donor Bank worked with 12 potential recipients from The Methodist Hospital Transplant Center and made a presentation to 10 potential recipients at Memorial Hermann in order to motivate them to find a living donor.
  2. The Living Donor Bank coordinator/counselor visited with potential organ recipients at DeVita Dialysis Center to encourage and motivate them to find a living donor.
  3. We posted materials for recipients to use in approaching donors on our Web site.
  4. We engaged chairs for the gala this year (whose spouses are organ recipients) who brought new energy and contacts to support our educational outreach.
  5. We identified and engaged 10 recipients in our public relations campaign, and each one continues to support our educational efforts through participation in outreach efforts.
The following is an overview of The Living Bank’s income and expenses
for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.
Total Support & Revenue: $591,393
Program Expenses: $443,807
Management & General Expenses: $157,401
Fundraising Expenses: $  60,407
End of Year Net Asset Balance: $1,198,644

2009 Board of Directors


E. Edward Reitman PhD, Chairman   A. Osama Gaber, M.D.
Joan S. Anderson PhD, Treasurer John T. Greer
Patti Whitmire Carlton Golda Jacob
Evelyn M. Clark , Ed.D. Suzanne Taylor, M.P.H.
Beatriz DeAlvarado  

Carole Keeney Harrington, President/CEO

The Living Bank is tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.