Active Black/Minority Recruiting Organizations

PreserveOurLegacy.org - Nationwide/New York

Harlem, New York based non-profit organization organized after the devastating loss of 3-year old Jaden Hilton on January 29, 2007 when he lost his battle to leukemia. Our goal is to eliminate the Jaden’s of the world and increase donors to the marrow registry using an “edutainment” model. This organization of which I am a member has huge plans for events in cities nationwide in 2010. 

MarrowForLife.org -Atlanta based recruiting

Housed in the APEX Museum, an acronym for African American Panoramic Experience. The President of Atlanta’s only museum to celebrate the rich and often untold history of African Americans Dan Moore, Sr. has worked closely with the NMDP to register African Americans. 

The Make Me A Match Project - Chicago based

Founded by Samuel Roberson out a need to save the lives of patients suffering from Leukemia and other blood related diseases. The Make Me A Match Project is commited to  raising awareness and defying the myths of the registration and donation process. By doing this through arts, entertainment and social media networking, we believe people will be more susceptible to not only listening but understanding the power that they have and be inspired to use it by joining the registry and becoming a potential donor. 

BoneMarrowWish.org - Detroit based recruiting

John C. Frierson founded ABMW in November 2003, after registering at a drive hosted at his church for a local fire fighter in October 2002.  Six months later he was chosen to save the life of a two-year old boy. ABMW was granted 501c3 status from the Internal Revenue Service December 2003.  Since its inception, ABMW has registered more than 1,000 potential donors for the NMDP registry and educated more than 3,000 minorities (people of color) to increase awareness about the critical need for bone marrow. ABMW is currently in the planning stages of a July 2010 launch of an African American Bone Marrow Awareness campaign throughout the United States. 

Shannon’s S.H.A.R.E.  – New York City based

Named for and run by the mother of Shannon Skye Tavarez who passed away at age 11 is dedicated to the education and recruitment of potential bone marrow donors through various programs and services, especially in communities where the need is most prevalent. 

Luis Danvers Leukemia Fund  – New York City based

Named for and run by the mother of Luis Danvers who at 6 years old is currently searching for a match for leukemia. Mission: to promote, educate, and spread awareness about leukemia, Luis’s fight against leukemia, information about the struggles of patients and their families, and becoming a bone marrow donor. 

GiftofLifeOnline.org c/o The William G. Pomeroy Foundation – Syracuse based recruiting

Working in partnership with the National Marrow Donor Program NMDP, the Gift of Life Campaign has conducted several bone marrow drives in an effort to significantly increase the number of diverse donors on the registry. They have expanded their efforts beyond upstate New York and have run drives in other states such as Virginia and Texas. 

Faith Hope And Determination, Inc.  – Tamp, FL based

A non-profit organization, that was formed on August 1, 2008, in memory of Joseph Grimsley. Run by his mother, Ethel Grimsley, their mission is to Help save lives by increasing awareness in the minority community about the urgent need for new bone marrow and stem cell donors. They run bone marrow drives primarily in the Tampa bay area (Largo, Clearwater, St. Petersburg & surrounding cities) and have found that churches are a good place to recruit donors. President Ethel Grimsley says “”Every 1 could be the 1.”

BriaTChism.org - Raytown/Kansas City, MO / Nationwide recruiting

Bria was a bright, happy, African-American kindergartner who passed away July 2, 1999 at the age of 6. She fought a long hard battle with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Her passing motivated her family to start the Bria T. Chism Foundation a 501©(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to increase awareness of the need of bone marrow donations in the minority communities. The have been involved with drives as far away as Colorado and Oklahoma. 

JesUs4Jackie.com - St Louis / Nationwide recruiting

Marrow education and registry recruitment campaign through rapper Nelly’s Non-Profit Foundation 4Sho4Kids. Initiated to find a match for Nelly’s sister Jackie who did not have a match. They held some of the largest marrow drives for African Americans on record. Unfortunately Jackie never found a match and passed away in 2005. The organization is still active and runs drives throughout the country. 

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc - Nationwide Judie Davis Bone Marrow Recruitment Program

Judie was diagnosed with leukemia in 1983. Her Husband and entrepreneur Cal developed a drive to encourage people of color to register as potential donors in the National Marrow Donor Registry. Sadly, Judie died in 1990, but Cal continued his mission by relentlessly targeting African Americans across the country to register. They were the first African American organization recognized by the NMDP. Since then several Sigma Gamma Rho chapters have a Judie Davis Bone Marrow Recruitment Program and are active (see picture of the Dallas chapter on the home page) 

LamonicasMiracleDrive.com - Annual marrow drive in Detroit in her memory

LaMonica Molette was 21yrs old and diagnosed with Leukemia (AML). Her Brother was a match but was murdered the day before her transplant. She had no match on the marrow registry and passed away. Her dying wish was to keep drives going for other people to possibly find matches that her church has done annually since. 

African American Blood Drive and Bone Marrow Registry for Sickle Cell Disease Awareness

This Los Angeles based grassroots effort was created to educate and spread awareness in the Black community about Sickle Cell Disease, blood donation, and joining the marrow registry. Nita T is a Business and Personal Empowerment Consultant / Success Coordinator, and a Health Advocate.

SwabaCheek.org

is a campaign run by the Gift of Life registry. This campaign focuses on registering more minorities to their registry. Originally a registry that was created for the ethnic Jewish population, Gift of Life began the Swab-a-cheek campaign in 2009 because of the dire need to for more minorities to become donors. 

ACLT.org - African Caribbean Leukemia Trust – London, England

The ACLT was established in 1996 by Beverley De-Gale and Orin Lewis, the parents of Daniel ‘Playzo’ De-Gale who suffered from Leukemia. At the time there were only 550 black or mixed race people on the UK bone marrow registers. 

In 1999 at age 12, Daniel received a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated American donor from Detroit named Doreene Carney. This enabled Daniel to live a full and fruitful life including successfully passing his exams at school and University. Daniel was in full remission and free of Cancer, but due to complications with his health that led to multiple organ failure he died aged 21 in 2008. 

The ACLT continues to raise awareness and holds registration drives offering hope and a healthy future to someone whose disorder may otherwise prove fatal. They have raised the numbers of potential Black/Mixed Race donors in the United Kingdom from 550 to approx. 33,000 and many lives have been saved in the process.

nationalmottep.org

 - National Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program 

The mission of the National Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program, (MOTTEP®) is to decrease the number and rate of ethnic minority Americans needing organ and tissue transplants Educate minority communities on facts about organ and tissue transplantation, Empower minority communities to develop transplant education programs which allow them to become involved in addressing the shortage of donors, Increase minority participation in organ/tissue transplant endeavors including signing organ donor cards, Encourage and increase family discussions related to organ and tissue donation, Increase the number of minorities who donate organs and tissues.