South Texas Blood & Tissue Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD & TISSUE CENTER SUPPLIES BLOOD TO MORE THAN 100 HOSPITALS THROUGHOUT TEXAS AND SUPPORTS TISSUE, RESEARCH/NEW THERAPIES, AND UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD/BIRTH TISSUE DONATIONS.
- Income
- $84.9 million
- Spending
- $87.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 74%
- Reserves
- -5.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 99%
- Employees
- 460
- Volunteers
- 4
- Highest pay
- $423,265, svp, coo stbtc
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 38 out of 100. Higher than 14% of charities in its peer group (health care, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 124% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1574% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 60 out of 100. Higher than 2% of charities in its peer group (health care, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
0 of 250 of 1 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $64.7 million spent. THE SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD & TISSUE CENTER (STBTC) SPECIALIZES IN COLLECTING AND PROVIDING LIFE-SAVING BLOOD AND BLOOD COMPONENTS TO HOSPITALS AND PATIENTS THROUGHOUT TEXAS AND BEYOND. WE MEET THIS COMMITMENT THROUGH OUR GENEROUS DONORS, WHO HELP SAVE LIVES EVERY DAY BY GIVING OF THEMSELVES. STBTC DREW 119,777 LIFE-SAVING RED BLOOD CELL UNITS AND 28,379 PLATELET UNITS IN 2024. THE CENTER FOR ADVANCED THERAPIES INCLUDES THE LIFE LEGACIES TISSUE DEPT., APHERESIS SERVICES, THE CORD BLOOD/BIRTH TISSUE PROGRAM AND CLINICAL & RESEARCH OPERATIONS. IN 2024, THE TISSUE DEPARTMENT GREW DECEASED DONOR DONATIONS BY OVER 6% AND PERINATAL TISSUE DONATIONS GREW BY OVER 53% COMPARED TO THE PRIOR YEAR, HELPING TO SAVE AND IMPROVE THE LIVES OF (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) COUNTLESS INDIVIDUALS IN NEED OF TRANSPLANTS AND MEDICAL TREATMENTS. THE ORGANIZATION ACTIVELY FOSTERED PARTNERSHIPS WITH HOSPITALS, MEDICAL EXAMINERS, FUNERAL HOMES & TISSUE PROCESSING ORGANIZATIONS, RESULTING IN IMPROVED COORDINATION AND STREAMLINED PROCESSES FOR THE TIMELY COLLECTION AND TRANSPLANTATION OF TISSUES, ULTIMATELY BENEFITING PATIENTS IN NEED. THROUGH VARIOUS OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS, THE DEPARTMENT PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DECEASED DONOR, PERINATAL TISSUE, AND CORD BLOOD DONATION AND SUCCESSFULLY INCREASED THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED TISSUE DONORS IN SOUTH TEXAS, CONTRIBUTING TO A LARGER DONOR POOL AND PROVIDING HOPE TO THOSE AWAITING LIFE-SAVING TREATMENTS. RECOGNIZING THE EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS OF FAMILIES WHO OPTED FOR DECEASED DONATION, THE DEPARTMENT PROVIDED COMPASSIONATE SUPPORT SERVICES, COUNSELING, AND RESOURCES TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE GRIEVING PROCESS, OFFERING SOLACE DURING DIFFICULT TIMES, INCLUDING AGAIN OFFERING IN-PERSON EVENTS THAT WERE PAUSED DURING THE PANDEMIC. WE EXPECT EFFORTS HAVE POSITIONED THE ORGANIZATION TO FURTHER GROW THESE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES IN THE COMING YEARS. CLINICAL & RESEARCH OPERATIONS PERFORMED 740 RESEARCH COLLECTIONS IN 2024 FOR A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND STUDIES. WE CONTINUED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL OF US, A RESEARCH PROGRAM FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH FOR WHICH WE COLLECTED 240 BIOSAMPLES IN 2024. ALL OF US AIMS TO HAVE ONE MILLION OR MORE VOLUNTEERS WHO REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THE U.S. RESEARCHERS MAY USE THE PARTICIPANT DATA COLLECTED TO STUDY MANY DIFFERENT CONDITIONS, INCLUDING CANCER, DIABETES, DEPRESSION, ASTHMA, AND OTHER DISEASES. AS RESEARCHERS STUDY OUR HEALTH DATA, THEY MAY FIND PATTERNS. THESE PATTERNS CAN HELP THEM UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFERENT PEOPLE REACT TO DIFFERENT PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PLANS. OUR PARTICIPATION IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD & TISSUE TO CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WAY TO BETTER HEALTH FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND BEYOND. IN 2024, THE APHERESIS CENTER PERFORMED A TOTAL OF 166 PERIPHERAL BLOOD STEM CELL (PBSC) COLLECTIONS TO HELP TREAT CANCER PATIENTS REQUIRING MARROW TRANSPLANTS, INCLUDING 3 FOR A LOCAL HOSPITAL PARTNER SERVING PEDIATRIC PATIENTS. 100 MONONUCLEAR CELL (MNC) COLLECTIONS WERE PERFORMED TO PROVIDE CELLS TO COMPANIES DEVELOPING NOVEL CANCER THERAPIES SUCH AS CAR T AND TUMOR INFILTRATING LYMPHOCYTE (TIL). THERE WERE 49 COLLECTIONS OF GRANULOCYTES, A TYPE OF WHITE BLOOD CELL, WHICH ARE USED TO TREAT CASES OF SEVERE INFECTION. THE ADVANCED THERAPIES LABORATORY PERFORMED 285 CRYOPRESERVATIONS OF PBSC'S AND MNC'S TO FACILITATE MANUFACTURING OF SUCH THERAPIES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1975.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.