Join in Person

Every day over 6,000 men, women and children desperately search the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry for a matching bone marrow donor. You could be the one to save a life. Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially needed.

Where to join

If you are serving in the U.S. military, contact the C.W. Bill Young Marrow Donor Center in Kensington, Md.
If you live outside the United States, contact an international donor center in your country.

What to expect

When you come to a donor drive, we will explain what it means to become a donor, help you understand your commitment, answer your questions and help you through the process.

• Complete a registration form with contact information, health history questions and a signed agreement to join the NMDP Registry. To help you complete the form, bring along:
  
  • Personal identification (such as a driver's license or passport)
  • Contact information for two family members or friends who would know how to reach you in the future if your address changes.
• Pay for tissue-typing costs, in some cases (tax deductible donation).
• Give either a swab of cheek cells or a blood sample so your tissue type can be tested. 

That's it! Your tissue type is then added to the NMDP Registry. Doctors search our Registry when they need to find a donor for their patients.

Still have questions?