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The Blood Connection Incorporated

EIN 57-0660489 · Piedmont, SC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair65 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

HEALTHCARE PARTNERS SUPPORTED BY ADEQUATE, SAFE, COST-EFFECTIVE BLOOD SUPPLIES AND SERVICES.

Income
$149.7 million
Spending
$141.4 million
Spent on programs
94%
Reserves
2.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 99%
Employees
1,628
Volunteers
13
Highest pay
$574,562, president/ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 2.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 32% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 4% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    94% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 53% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    13 of 13 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, 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 (5)
  1. $95.4 million spent. BLOOD DONOR PROGRAM: ALLOGENEIC WHOLE BLOOD DONOR PROGRAM: AFFORDS FREE OPPORTUNITY FOR PATRONS TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE IN THE FORM OF VOLUNTARY WHOLE BLOOD DONATIONS. FOR DONORS - EARLY DETECTION & TREATMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, ANEMIA, ABNORMAL PULSE RATE AND OTHER ILLNESSES FOUND DURING BLOOD DONOR SCREENING. AUTOLOGOUS BLOOD PROGRAM: AFFORDS FREE OPPORTUNITY FOR PATIENTS TO PROVIDE THEIR OWN BLOOD IN ADVANCE OF MEDICAL TREATMENT. REDUCTION IN DEMAND ON COMMUNITY BLOOD SUPPLY, REDUCED RISK OF TRANSFUSION TRANSMITTED DISEASE. DIRECTED BLOOD DONOR PROGRAM: AFFORDS OPPORTUNITY FOR PATIENTS TO DESIGNATE DONORS OF THE BLOOD FOR THE PATIENTS TRANSFUSIONS. AUTOMATED COLLECTION APHERESIS (PLATELET, PLASMA & RBC) DONOR PROGRAM: AFFORDS FREE OPPORTUNITY FOR PATRONS TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE IN THE FORM OF VOLUNTARY, AUTOMATED DONATIONS. THERAPEUTIC SERVICE PROGRAM: PROVIDES FREE THERAPEUTIC PHLEBOTOMY FOR PATIENTS WITH BLOOD DISORDERS SUCH A POLYCYTHEMIA AND HEMOCHROMATOSIS. CELLULAR PROGRAM: HEMATOPOIETIC PROGENITOR CELL PROCESSING SERVICES: PROVIDES CELLULAR THERAPY SERVICES INCLUDING PROCESSING, CRYOPRESERVATION, STORAGE, INFUSION PREPARATIONS FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY, AND TRANSPLANT FOR BOTH AUTOLOGOUS AND MATCHED RELATED TRANSPLANTS FOR MULTIPLE MYELOMA, NHL AND HODGKINIS LYMPHOMA. PROVIDES TRANSPLANT PRODUCT PREPARATION AND SHIPMENT PREPARATION TO AN OUTSIDE FACILITY UPON REQUEST. THE CRYOGENIC STORAGE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE FOR THE FIRST YEAR. GOALS: PROCESS 100% OF REQUESTS FOR PROCESSING AND INFUSIONS OF HEMATOPOIETIC PROGENITOR CELLS AND DONOR LYMPHOCYTES, OFFER SERVICES 24/7, PROVIDE SAME DAY TURNAROUND FOR CD34+ FLOW CYTOMETRY ANALYSIS, AND PRODUCE A PRODUCT PROVEN TO BE CAPABLE OF ENGRAFTMENT. CELLULAR THERAPY COLLECTION SERVICES: PROVIDES CELLULAR COLLECTION SERVICES FOR TWO HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. ONE, A BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANY (DENDREON) APPLIES ITS EXPERTISE IN ANTIGEN IDENTIFICATION, ENGINEERING AND CELL PROCESSING TO PRODUCE AN ACTIVE CELLULAR IMMUNOTHERAPY PRODUCT CALLED PROVENGE (SIPULEUCEL-T). PROVENGE IS INDICATED FOR TREATMENT OF ASYMPTOMATIC OR MINIMALLY SYMPTOMATIC METASTATIC CASTRATE RESISTANT PROSTATE CANCER. THE BLOOD CONNECTION COLLECTS MONONUCLEAR CELLS FROM PROSTATE CANCER PATIENTS DEEMED SUITABLE BY THEIR PHYSICIAN AND SCHEDULED BY DENDREON. POST COLLECTION, THE COLLECTED PRODUCT IS SHIPPED TO DENDREON FOR FURTHER TESTING AND PROCESSING; THE FINAL PRODUCT IS LATER TRANSFUSED BACK TO THE PATIENT AT THEIR TRANSFUSION CENTER. THE OTHER PROVIDER IS A CANCER TREATMENT INSTITUTE AFFILIATED WITH A LOCAL HOSPITAL SYSTEM. THE BLOOD CONNECTION COLLECTS CIRCULATING BONE MARROW CELLS FROM PATIENTS IN THE REMISSION PHASE OF CELLULAR CANCERS SUCH AS LEUKEMIA, LYMPHOMA, AND MYELOMA. THOSE COLLECTIONS, RICH IN HEMATOPOIETIC PROGENITOR CELLS, ARE THEN PROCESSED AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.
  2. $19.2 million spent. SEE SCHEDULE O BLOOD PROCESSING STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION: PROVISION OF BLOOD COMPONENTS TO HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS: ON A FEE FOR SERVICE BASIS, PREPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF BLOOD COMPONENTS TO HOSPITALS, CLINICS, DIALYSIS CENTERS, BLOOD BANKS, AND BLOOD FRACTIONATORS. GOAL: PREPARE BLOOD COMPONENTS AND DISTRIBUTE ACCORDING TO NEEDS OF HEALTHCARE CLIENTS. MAINTAIN CONSISTENT (5-7 DAY SUPPLY) INVENTORY OF ALL TYPES UNITS OF PLASMA DISTRIBUTED FOR BLOOD DERIVATIVE PREPARATION. COST CONTAINMENT FOR HEALTHCARE OF BLOOD COMPONENTS, FOR HEALTHCARE CLIENTS, NUMBER OF PATIENT BENEFICIARIES, DERIVED HEALTH BENEFITS, LIVES SAVED.
  3. $18.0 million spent. SEE SCHEDULE O LABORATORY SERVICES: DONATED BLOOD TESTING PROGRAM: USES LABORATORY SEROLOGIC, CHEMISTRY, AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE ASSAYS TO ASSESS THE SUITABILITY OF DONATED BLOOD, PLATELETS AND PLASMA. FOR DONORS DETECTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE FOR WHICH DONOR MAY SEEK TREATMENT. POSITIVE PUBLIC HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF DISEASE DETECTION, PARTNER NOTIFICATION, EXPOSURE CONTROL.
  4. $564,467 spent. ADDITIONAL PROGRAM EXPENSES INCLUDE INTEREST EXPENSES AND PROGRAM RELATED ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.
  5. (Expenses $ 564,467 including grants of $) ADDITIONAL PROGRAM EXPENSES INCLUDE INTEREST EXPENSES AND PROGRAM RELATED ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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 October 13, 2026.

  2. 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 October 13, 2026.

  3. 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 October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending August 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since February 1978.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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 21, 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.