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Vitalant

EIN 86-0098929 · Scottsdale, AZ

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood86 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

UNITE BLOOD AND BIOLOGICS DONORS, TALENT, AND INNOVATION TO SAVE AND IMPROVE LIVES.

Income
$739.6 million
Spending
$738.9 million
Spent on programs
86%
Reserves
7.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 92%
Employees
5,069
Volunteers
912
Highest pay
$1.8 million, president/ceo

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

Good: 86 out of 100. Higher than 82% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 7.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 26% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    12 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 0% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 8% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    86% 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

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

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    14 of 14 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 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 (3)
  1. $547.6 million spent. BLOOD SERVICES DIVISION - BLOOD BANKING THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE BLOOD SERVICES DIVISION (BSD) IS TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND STABLE SUPPLY OF BLOOD AND BLOOD COMPONENTS TO HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL FACILITIES. THE STRENGTH OF BSD IS THAT IT OPERATES AS LOCAL BLOOD CENTERS THAT ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND YET HAS ACCESS TO A LARGE NETWORKED ORGANIZATION WITH ALL THE ADVANTAGES AND EFFICIENCIES THAT ARE REALIZED THROUGH STANDARDIZATION AND ECONOMIES OF SCALE. BSD COLLECTS BLOOD FROM VOLUNTEER DONORS, PERFORMS SCREENING AND TESTING ON THE DONATED BLOOD, AND PROCESSES THE WHOLE BLOOD INTO BLOOD COMPONENTS SUCH AS RED CELL PLATELETS AND PLASMA. BLOOD AND BLOOD COMPONENTS ARE THEN STORED AND DISTRIBUTED TO HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
  2. $51.7 million spent. VITALANT LABORATORIES (VL) - VITALANT LABORATORIES' STAFF OF HIGHLY TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED PERSONNEL PROVIDE SUPPORT AND EXPERTISE TO HOSPITALS, TRANSFUSION AND TRANSPLANT CENTERS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE FACILITIES FOR THEIR TRANSFUSION MEDICINE NEEDS. VL OPERATES EIGHTEEN LABORATORIES FOR (IRL) IMMUNOHEMATOLOGY REFERENCE LAB, THREE (HLA) HISTOCOMPATIBILITY LABORATORIES AND FOUR (CTL) CELLULAR THERAPY LABORATORIES. TOGETHER THEY SOLVE SOME OF THE MOST COMPLEX IMMUNOHEMATOLOGIC COMPATIBILITY CASES AND ENSURE LIFE-SAVING BLOOD AND CELLULAR THERAPY SERVICES TO HOSPITALS ALL ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. FOR HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IN MULTIPLE STATES, VL ALSO SERVES AS A BLOOD BANK, PROVIDING COMPLETE TRANSFUSION SERVICES INCLUDING PATIENT COMPATIBILITY TESTING AND DELIVERY.
  3. $33.0 million spent. VITALANT RESEARCH INSTITUTE (VRI) - THE VITALANT RESEARCH INSTITUTE CARRIES OUT STUDIES FUNDED BY EXTRAMURAL GRANTS (NIH AND OTHER AGENCIES) AND RECEIVES INTRAMURAL FUNDING FROM VITALANT BETWEEN $7.0M AND $10.0M EACH YEAR. VRI HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN NOTED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO INFECTIOUS DISEASE TESTING / MONITORING, EPIDEMIOLOGY / PUBLIC POLICY, AND SELECTED NON-INFECTIOUS RISKS OF TRANSFUSION. RECENT RESEARCH EFFORTS INCLUDE CHARACTERIZATION OF METABOLIC AND GENETIC FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE RED BLOOD CELL STABILITY, AND SINCE THE PANDEMIC, A HOST OF CRITICALLY IMPORTANT STUDIES TO UNDERSTAND SARS-COV-2 EPIDEMIOLOGY, THE SAFETY OF THE BLOOD SUPPLY, THE TIME COURSE OF ITS ANTIBODY RESPONSE/IMMUNITY AND THE EFFICACY OF COVID CONVALESCENT PLASMA. A PUBLIC SERVICE, VRI'S RESEARCH EXTENDS FAR BEYOND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS, BENEFITING PATIENTS ALL OVER THE US (AND THE WORLD) AS WELL AS COMPETING US BLOOD CENTERS, IMPROVING BLOOD PRODUCT QUALITY, RECIPIENT SAFETY, AND THE DONOR EXPERIENCE. VRI SUPPORTS TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR SPECIALISTS IN TRANSFUSION MEDICINE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH SCIENTISTS IN A HOST OF TRANSFUSION MEDICINE SUBSPECIALTIES. VRI INVESTIGATORS PUBLISHED MORE THAN 100 PEER-REVIEWED ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPERS IN 2024 ALONG WITH MANY MORE REVIEWS, EDITORIALS, BOOK CHAPTERS AND SCIENTIFIC MEETING ABSTRACTS. TOGETHER, VRI'S 12 INVESTIGATORS, 2 CLINICAL INVESTIGATORS, 16 AFFILIATED INVESTIGATORS, 6 CORE LEADERS, 10 ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AND ~70 SCIENTISTS, TECHNOLOGISTS AND POST-DOCS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MAJOR DISCOVERIES IN TRANSFUSION SAFETY AND EFFICACY.

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

  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 December 2024.

    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 October 2015.

    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.