About Donate Life Texas
Helping Texans register their decision to save lives
Donate Life Texas is the nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Texans safely and securely document their donation decisions, and is the only official tissue, eye and organ donor registry in the state. As part of the national Donate Life America registry network, Texas organ and tissue recovery organizations use the registry to confirm donor registration status when a person dies. This ensures a donor’s decision is available to the right people at the right time to save and heal lives.
Get to know us
Established by the 79th Texas Legislature in 2005, the Glenda Dawson Donate Life Texas Registry allows Texans to document their decision to save and heal lives through tissue, eye and organ donation after death. In addition to managing the registry, we’re dedicated to being a unifying voice for donation in the state, providing public education and outreach.
What does it mean to register with Donate Life Texas?
Registering to be a donor with Donate Life Texas means you are providing authorization for tissue, eye and organ donation after your death. It does not include living organ donation, living bone marrow, blood or whole body donation. Find resources for those options here.
How many Texans are registered as donors?
More than 13 million Texans have trusted Donate Life Texas with their donation decision, a milestone achieved in 2021. Want to join them? Register now.
What is the impact of the registry?
When a person registers as a donor on the Donate Life Texas registry, they are authorizing the donation of their organs, eyes and tissues for transplantation – a legal decision that cannot be overturned by another person. That means, if medically eligible, their commitment translates to lives saved. Through 2021, more than 3,600 Texans have gone on to donate their organs and tissues after authorizing their decision on the registry. These generous donors have saved and healed thousands of lives.
Who are Donate Life Texas’ partners?
We partner with 17 recovery agencies in the state, including the three organ procurement organizations (OPOs) serving Texas. Learn more about our partners.
How is Donate Life Texas governed?
As a nonprofit organization, Donate Life Texas is governed by a Board of Directors, made up of the chief executive officers from each of the three Texas organ procurement organizations (OPOs) – LifeGift, Southwest Transplant Alliance and Texas Organ Sharing Alliance
How is Donate Life Texas funded?
Donate Life Texas is solely funded by charitable contributions, including those made by Texans when applying for or renewing their state-issued driver’s license or ID card. These funds are used to maintain the donor registry and continue public education efforts about the lifesaving importance of donation and registering as a donor. Want to help? Make a contribution.
Why is the registry named the Glenda Dawson Donate Life Texas Registry?
The registry was named in honor of Texas state representative Glenda Dawson. Elected in 2002, Dawson served two terms as the Texas House Representative for the 29th District, covering the greater eastern Houston area. A kidney transplant recipient herself, Dawson was a passionate advocate for organ donation.
Representative Dawson passed away in September 2006, not long after the state tissue, eye and organ donor registry she championed was established. Today, her legacy lives on through the lives touched every day by registered donors.
How does Donate Life Texas work with the Department of Public Safety and Department of Motor Vehicles?
Donate Life Texas partners with both the Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) Driver License division and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to allow Texans to join the donor registry when applying for or renewing their driver’s license, state ID or vehicle registration. Texans can also voluntarily contribute money to Donate Life Texas during these transactions.
