Lifelink Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO HONOR DONORS AND SAVE LIVES THROUGH ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION. (EXPANDED MISSION ON SCHEDULE O)
- Income
- $205.8 million
- Spending
- $178.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 95%
- Reserves
- 16.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 87%
- Employees
- 820
- Volunteers
- 250
- Highest pay
- $913,162, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 95% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 16.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 14% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 13% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 23% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1594% of spending went to programs.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 2512 of 18 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
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
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 June 30, 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)
- $108.0 million spent. LIFELINK FOUNDATION ORGAN PROCUREMENT ORGANIZATIONS: ORGAN DONATION IS ONE OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL, EMOTIONAL, AND VULNERABLE EXPERIENCES A FAMILY CAN FACE. OUR LONGSTANDING PRESENCE IN OUR DONOR SERVICE AREAS MEAN:- FAMILIES KNOW US- HOSPITALS RELY ON US- COMMUNITY PARTNERS VALUE OUR OUTREACH- OUR STAFF REFLECT THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE- TRANSPLANT CENTERS TRUST OUR EXPERTISE(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)LIFELINK OF FLORIDA, LIFELINK OF GEORGIA, AND LIFELINK OF PUERTO RICO PARTNER WITH HOSPITALS TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND COMFORT TO FAMILIES THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ORGAN DONATION IN 15 FLORIDA COUNTIES, THE STATE OF GEORGIA AND TWO COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA, AND THE COMMONWEALTHS OF PUERTO RICO AND US VIRGIN ISLANDS, RESPECTIVELY. THEY CARRY OUT THE DECISIONS OF REGISTERED DONORS AND THOSE FAMILIES WHO SAID "YES" TO DONATION AND HONOR THE LIFE OF EACH DONOR BY PROVIDING ORGANS FOR TRANSPLANT TO AS MANY PATIENTS AS POSSIBLE.THE ACT OF ORGAN DONATION GIVES PATIENTS WITH CRITICAL CONDITIONS A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE. ONE ORGAN DONOR CAN SAVE 8 LIVES. THANKS TO A DONOR HERO'S LIFESAVING GIFTS, MANY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS GO ON TO LEAD NORMAL, ACTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE LIVES. THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF ORGAN DONORS AND THEIR FAMILIES, LIFELINK OF FLORIDA, LIFELINK OF GEORGIA AND LIFELINK OF PUERTO RICO FACILITATED 2,645 LIFE-SAVING ORGAN TRANSPLANTS DURING THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR, REPRESENTING OVER 5% OF ALL TRANSPLANTS PERFORMED IN THE UNITED STATES. EACH LIFELINK OPO CONTRIBUTED TO THESE EFFORTS, WITH LIFELINK OF FLORIDA FACILITATING RECOVERY OF 356 DONORS, LEADING TO 959 ORGANS BEING TRANSPLANTED. LIFELINK OF GEORGIA TRANSPLANTED 1,388 ORGANS FROM THE RECOVERY OF 446 DONORS. LIFELINK OF PUERTO RICO RECOVERED FROM 115 DONORS AND TRANSPLANTED 298 ORGANS. DONATION RESULTS FROM INTERNAL COLLABORATION, AS WELL AS COLLABORATION WITH PARTNER HOSPITALS AND THE COMMUNITY, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, STAFF COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE, AND MOST OF ALL, DONOR FAMILY SUPPORT AND THE FORETHOUGHT OF INDIVIDUALS WHO CHOSE TO JOIN THEIR RESPECTIVE STATE DONOR REGISTRIES.AN EXAMPLE OF COLLABORATION WITH OUR PARTNER HOSPITALS HAS BEEN THE LIFELINK DONOR CARE UNIT AT PIEDMONT ATLANTA HOSPITAL. THE DONOR CARE UNIT ENHANCES THE LIFESAVING GIFTS PROVIDED BY GENEROUS ORGAN DONORS THROUGH EXPERT CLINICAL MANAGEMENT, WHILE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT DONOR FAMILIES THROUGH THE DONATION PROCESS WITH COMPASSIONATE, PERSONALIZED CARE. A SIMILAR CONCEPT OF DEDICATED SPACE HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED AT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL IN TAMPA, FLORIDA FOR OUR LIFELINK FLORIDA OPO AND AT AUXILLO MUTUO IN PUERTO RICO FOR OUR LIFELINK PUERTO RICO OPO. PARTNERSHIP WITH HOSPITALS DOES NOT END WITH ENGAGEMENT IN CLINICAL DONOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGAN RECOVERY. LIFELINK OPOS ALSO WORKED WITH 383 LOCAL HOSPITALS THROUGHOUT THE FOUNDATION SERVICE AREA TO CREATE A DONATION FRIENDLY COMMUNITY WITHIN HOSPITALS AND THE AREAS WE BOTH SERVE.
- $48.1 million spent. LIFELINK TISSUE BANK: LIFELINK TISSUE BANK IS A DEDICATED STEWARD OF THE LEGACY ENTRUSTED TO US BY TISSUE DONORS AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE HONOR EACH TISSUE DONOR BY SAFELY PROVIDING AN ENHANCED QUALITY OF LIFE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE THROUGH TISSUE TRANSPLANTATION AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH TO IMPROVE PATIENT CARE. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) GENEROUS TISSUE DONORS MADE POSSIBLE MORE THAN 83,000 MUSCULOSKELETAL TISSUE GRAFTS TO ENHANCE THE LIVES OF PATIENTS IN NEED OF TISSUE TRANSPLANTATION. ADDITIONALLY, THROUGH BIRTH TISSUE DONATION, THE ONLY DONATION LIFELINK FACILITATES FROM LIVING DONORS, NEARLY 45,000 GRAFTS WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO HELP PATIENTS RECOVER FROM DIFFICULT-TO-HEAL WOUNDS, DIABETIC ULCERS AND DURING OTHER LIFE ENHANCING SURGICAL PROCEDURES.TISSUES RECOVERED BY LIFELINK TISSUE BANK: SKIN: PRIMARILY USED TO ASSIST IN THE HEALING OF BURN PATIENTS BONE: USED FOR A VARIETY OF ORTHOPEDIC AND SPINAL PROCEDURES TENDONS: OFTEN USED ON SPORTS-RELATED INJURIES VALVES: USED COMMONLY IN HEART VALVE REPLACEMENT SURGERIES BIRTH TISSUE: PLACENTAL TISSUE DONATED BY NEW MOTHERS AFTER THE BIRTH OF THEIR BABY AND THE ONLY TISSUE RECOVERED AND PROCESSED BY LIFELINK TISSUE BANK FROM A LIVING DONOR, IS UTILIZED AS A WOUND COVERING. TISSUES PROCESSED AND DISTRIBUTED BY LIFELINK TISSUE BANK: SPINAL GRAFTS: DESIGNED TO PROMOTE FUSION AND HELP PATIENTS WHO SUFFER FROM SEVERE AND/OR CHRONIC PAIN TO LEAD NORMAL LIVES. SPORTS GRAFTS: USED IN JOINT RESTORATION PROCEDURES TO HELP RESTORE MOVEMENT TO PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM PAIN AND DISCOMFORT THAT PREVENTS THEM FROM ENJOYING ACTIVE LIFESTYLES. GENERAL ORTHOPEDIC GRAFTS: HELP TO PROMOTE BONE FORMATION, OPTIMIZE HEALING AND ACCELERATE A PATIENT'S RETURN TO NORMAL FUNCTION. FRESH AMNIOTIC BIRTH TISSUE TO TREAT DIABETIC FOOT ULCERS AND OTHER DIFFICULT TO CLOSE WOUNDS.
- $12.4 million spent. LIFELINK TRANSPLANTATION IMMUNOLOGY LABORATORY: LIFELINK TRANSPLANTATION IMMUNOLOGY LABORATORY BRINGS THE LEGACY ESTABLISHED BY ORGAN DONORS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO LIFE BY SERVING AS THE MATCHMAKER BETWEEN ORGAN DONORS AND POTENTIAL TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS. WE CONTINUE TO HONOR DONORS BY ENSURING THE LONGEVITY OF RENEWED LIFE WITH DILIGENT POST-TRANSPLANT MONITORING AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH TO IMPROVE PATIENT CARE. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)DURING THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR, THE LIFELINK TRANSPLANTATION IMMUNOLOGY LABORATORY FACILITATED 1,062 LIFESAVING TRANSPLANTS FOR SIX TRANSPLANT CENTERS SERVED. THEY ALSO EVALUATED 545 LIVING DONORS AND 947 DECEASED DONORS AND CONDUCTED OVER 44,000 TRANSPLANT RELATED TESTS. THE LIFELINK TRANSPLANTATION IMMUNOLOGY LABORATORY UTILIZES HLA TYPING BY NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING (NGS) TO BETTER ASSESS THE COMPATIBILITY OF A DONOR AND A POTENTIAL RECIPIENT.
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: THE PRIMARY GOAL OF LIFELINK IS TO RECOVER LIFESAVING ORGANS AND TISSUES FOR TRANSPLANTATION. HOWEVER, THERE ARE INSTANCES WHEN THOSE ORGANS AND/OR TISSUES ARE UNABLE TO BE TRANSPLANTED, IN WHICH CASE THEY CAN STILL BE DIRECTED TO HELP OTHERS IN NEED THROUGH RESEARCH INITIATIVES. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AIDS LIFELINK EFFORTS TO MAXIMIZE ALL GIFTS OF DONATION WITH A SHARED GOAL TO BENEFIT DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION OUTCOMES THROUGH SCIENTIFIC ENDEAVORS.PUBLIC EDUCATION: PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION IN GEORGIA, FLORIDA, AND PUERTO RICO: THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND MULTICULTURAL DONATION EDUCATION PROGRAM TEAMS WORK TO PROVIDE DONATION EDUCATION AND INCREASE DONOR REGISTRATION ACROSS VARIOUS AUDIENCES INCLUDING DRIVER LICENSE ISSUING OFFICES, HOSPITALS, YOUTH, FAITH, AND MINORITY COMMUNITIES. LIFELINK UTILIZES AMBASSADORS THROUGHOUT OUR SERVICE AREAS TO SHARE DONATION AND TRANSPLANT STORIES WHILE ENCOURAGING INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE A LIFESAVING DECISION BY REGISTERING TO BE AN ORGAN AND TISSUE DONOR.
- RECOGNIZING THAT CERTAIN COMMUNITIES HAVE DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS AROUND ORGAN DONATION, LIFELINK CREATED A PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, THE INFINITY CAMPAIGN. ORIGINALLY BORN IN PUERTO RICO AS THE INFINITO CAMPAIGN AND LAUNCHED WITH A PRIMARILY HISPANIC AUDIENCE. THE INFINITY CAMPAIGN REFRAMES ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION THROUGH THE LENS OF LEGACY; THE LEGACY AN INDIVIDUAL CHOOSES FOR THEMSELVES WHEN THEY REGISTER AS A DONOR. TRADITIONALLY, DONATION OUTREACH HAS FOCUSED ON THE PROFOUND IMPACT TRANSPLANTATION HAS ON RECIPIENTS. INFINITY INTRODUCES A POWERFUL NEW PERSPECTIVE INSPIRED BY ONE OF THE LIFELINK FOUNDERS, WHO OFTEN ASKED: "WHAT IS YOUR LEGACY?" THE CAMPAIGN EXPLORES THAT QUESTION THROUGH THE LIVES AND STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO REGISTERED AS ORGAN AND TISSUE DONORS, HONORING THE IDEA THAT WHEN SOMEONE CHOOSES DONATION, THEIR STORY DOES NOT END. IT CONTINUES THROUGH THE MEMORIES OF THEIR LOVED ONES, THE LIVES OF THE RECIPIENTS THEY HELP, AND THE COMMUNITIES FOREVER CHANGED BY THEIR GENEROSITY. THIS CONCEPT IS VISUALLY REPRESENTED THROUGH THE INFINITY SYMBOL AND EXPRESSED THROUGH THE CAMPAIGN TAGLINE, "YOUR STORY CONTINUES." IN THE PUERTO RICO DONOR SERVICE AREA (DSA), THE INFINITO CAMPAIGN DEMONSTRATED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DONOR REGISTRATIONS ACROSS THE ISLAND. WITHIN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS FOLLOWING THE CAMPAIGN LAUNCH IN OCTOBER 2023, REGISTRATIONS ROSE TO 128% OF THE SAME PERIOD IN 2022. THROUGHOUT 2024, DONOR REGISTRATIONS AVERAGED MONTHLY INCREASES OF 65% COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND 2025 ILLUSTRATED THE STAYING POWER OF THIS CAMPAIGN, WITH AN AVERAGE MONTHLY INCREASE IN DONOR REGISTRATIONS AT 120% WHEN COMPARED TO 2024.REGARDING THE CAMPAIGN'S IMPACT AND REACH ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS, THE FIRST THREE MONTHS POST-LAUNCH GENERATED A REACH OF 9,392,221 WITH A CLICK-THROUGH RATE OF 0.17%. IN 2024, THE CAMPAIGN REACHED 14,636,340 USERS WITH A CLICK-THROUGH RATE OF 0.20%. IN 2025, WE OBSERVED A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN IMPRESSIONS, REACHING 33,630,725 WITH A CLICK-THROUGH RATE OF 0.19%. THE SUCCESS OF THE CAMPAIGN IN PUERTO RICO LED US TO IMPLEMENT THE CAMPAIGN IN THE LIFELINK OF FLORIDA AND LIFELINK OF GEORGIA DSAS.IN FLORIDA AND GEORGIA, THE INFINITY CAMPAIGN CONTINUED ITS STRONG PERFORMANCE, PARTICULARLY ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA, STREAMING PLATFORMS, AND CONNECTED TV. SOCIAL MEDIA PLACEMENTS ONCE AGAIN SIGNIFICANTLY EXCEEDED BENCHMARKS. ONLINE VIDEO COMPLETION RATES EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS; STREAMED ADS ON CONNECTED TVS, LAPTOPS AND MOBILE DEVICES ACHIEVED COMPLETION RATES AS HIGH AS 98%, AND STREAMING AUDIO OUTPERFORMED INDUSTRY STANDARDS. THESE RESULTS VALIDATED BOTH THE CREATIVE APPROACH AND THE STRATEGIC USE OF MULTILINGUAL, COMMUNITY-CENTERED MESSAGING TAILORED TO DIVERSE AUDIENCES.GEORGIA HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATIONS IN THE COUNTRY, A FAST-GROWING HISPANIC POPULATION, MAJOR URBAN CENTERS, DEEPLY RURAL COMMUNITIES, AND A STRONG YOUTH POPULATION SPREAD ACROSS MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS.OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION MODEL IN GEORGIA REFLECTS THIS COMPLEXITY WITH A DEDICATED MULTICULTURAL DONATION EDUCATION PROGRAM (MDEP), PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR OUTREACH TO AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATIONS IN BOTH METRO ATLANTA AND RURAL GEORGIA FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS.MDEP PRIORITIZES OUTREACH IN AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCHES, COMMUNITY GROUPS, NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS, COLLEGES, AND CIVIC NETWORKS, WITH PRESENTATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS TAILORED TO THE UNIQUE EXPERIENCES OF THESE COMMUNITIES. LIKEWISE, OUTREACH IN GEORGIA'S HISPANIC COMMUNITIES INCORPORATES BILINGUAL MATERIALS AND CULTURALLY ALIGNED MESSAGING CRAFTED SPECIFICALLY FOR HISPANIC FAMILIES WHO CALL GEORGIA HOME.ONE KEY MDEP PROGRAM INVOLVES CLOSE ALIGNMENT WITH GEORGIA'S EIGHT HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCU), WHERE MDEP STAFF NOT ONLY CONDUCT ON CAMPUS EDUCATION ABOUT ORGAN DONATION, BUT THEY ALSO CULTIVATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF DIVERSE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. MEDICAL STUDENTS AT MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOREHOUSE COLLEGE IN ATLANTA PARTICIPATE IN A PROGRAM THAT SHADOWS DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION PROFESSIONALS IN THE LIFELINK OF GEORGIA DONOR CARE UNIT, AND THIS PROGRAM RECENTLY EXPANDED TO INCLUDE NURSING STUDENTS AT FT. VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY AND ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY. THIS PROGRAM, PART OF A NATIONAL INITIATIVE DRIVEN BY DR. CLIVE CALENDAR, A PIONEER IN TRANSPLANTATION WHO WAS THE FIRST TO BRING A TRANSPLANT PROGRAM TO A HISTORICALLY BLACK MEDICAL SCHOOL AND THE THIRD BLACK TRANSPLANT SURGEON IN THE COUNTRY, OFFERS FUTURE CAREGIVERS' INSIGHT INTO CAREER PATHS IN THE MEDICAL FIELD THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED AND ALSO BUILDS TRUST WITHIN MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITIES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 1984.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 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.