April is National Donate Life Month, an opportunity to raise awareness about the long list of people awaiting organ transplants in the U.S. Today, nearly 110,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, with many facing life-or-death situations as they hope for a donor. Every day, an average of 13 patients die while waiting for a transplant that never comes. For those fortunate enough to receive transplants, the journey extends far beyond the operating room. They need comprehensive support, peer mentoring, financial assistance, and guidance to navigate a complex medical landscape.
In 2025, Dr. Bronner’s was proud to launch a new philanthropic initiative: our Organ Transplant Giving Circle, in partnership with our technology vendor, Purpose in Expenses (PIE). The Giving Circle was initiated and led by employees whose lives have been personally touched by organ donation. Some participants are living donors; others are recipients of transplanted organs. Their firsthand understanding of the challenges, hope, and healing that transplant journeys entail brought clarity and insight to the process of allocating nearly $20,000 in charitable funds that PIE was instrumental in generating through their unique giving model.
This Giving Circle is part of Dr. Bronner’s Cosmic Principle #6: “Fund & Fight for What’s Right.” This principle reflects a commitment to being an engine for positive change by supporting projects that make a concrete difference in people’s lives and communities. In this case, we wanted to support a cause that has personally touched members of our staff—and their families.
Participating employees volunteered their time to nominate and research nonprofits in the organ donation community, conduct due diligence, and make funding recommendations. They focused on smaller, grassroots organizations with mentoring and one-on-one support programs.
The Organ Transplant Giving Circle funded two non-profits:
The American Transplant Foundation: The American Transplant Foundation provides lifesaving one-on-one support that helps transplant patients and their families navigate a complex medical and emotional journey. Through its 1+1=LIFE Mentorship Program, with more than 350 trained mentors offering guidance in 17 languages, ATF delivers peer support, living donor assistance, donor search strategies, and financial assistance throughout the transplant process. A matching grant from Dr. Bronner’s and Purpose in Expenses helped the American Transplant Foundation raise $253,000 at its recent 20th anniversary celebration.
Organ Transplant Support: Organ Transplant Support (OTS) offers peer mentoring, education, and community programs in the Chicago area and virtually—ensuring that no one walks the transplant journey alone. They serve everyone across the transplant journey: people waiting for transplant, recovering, supporting a loved one, or those considering a living donation. Through OTS, individuals connect with others who truly understand their experiences, creating a sense of belonging during some of life’s most challenging and isolating moments. Through one-on-one mentoring, weekly support groups, monthly guest speakers and educational programs or annual events, OTS provides compassionate guidance, connections through shared lived experiences and practical resources every step of the way. What can feel overwhelming becomes a journey filled with support, understanding, and hope.
To bring the topic closer to home, the Giving Circle also hosted a company-wide presentation for Dr. Bronner’s staff in April in honor of National Donate Life Month. An altruistic living donor and a kidney recipient—both members of the Giving Circle—shared their personal stories. Lifesharing, the organ procurement organization (OPO) for San Diego and Imperial Counties, also attended to discuss the need for organ donation and answer questions. Employees who wished to register as organ donors were invited to do so afterward.
We encourage you not only to learn more about these two outstanding nonprofit organizations, but also—if you haven’t already—to consider registering as an organ donor at OrganDonor.gov.
If you have questions about organ, eye, and tissue donation, or wonder if you can be a donor, visit DonateLife.