Who We Are

Established in 2004, Gift of Life Institute is the education and research arm of The Transplant Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization supporting the objectives of Gift of Life Donor Program (GLDP) in Philadelphia (401 N 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123). Through our affiliation with Gift of Life Donor Program, one of the most experienced OPOs in the nation, the Institute has the unique opportunity to provide learners with real-world and real-time instruction on the best practices of a world leader in donation.

Since our inception, we have:

• Facilitated approximately 400 workshops with 58 (currently 55) OPOs and multiple tissue banks
• Trained over 14,000 donation professionals worldwide
• Hosted transplant and donation experts from over 35 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Iran, Japan, Netherlands, the Philippines, and Spain
• Offered annually (since 2017) “The Art and Science of Leadership: Driving Results for Donation and Transplantation Professionals,” a certificate program specifically designed for both emerging and experienced leaders who want to increase their management skills and strategic perspective, take on additional responsibilities, and be more effective in their organization

Our Approach

Our approach to training and education incorporates proven didactic instruction and experiential learning in a simulated environment, along with intensive skill building and coaching to ensure a strong knowledge base and skilled proficiency upon completion. Our programs incorporate competency testing designed to produce results.

All trainings include problem-based learning and skills practice sessions utilizing reality-based hospital and clinical scenarios.

This provides a learning environment where professionals can practice and adopt new skills and formulate solutions to existing practical problems.

This environment accelerates the learning process for the OPO professional by:

• Providing a multidimensional approach to teach behaviors, skills, and strategies to improve donation rates.
• Preparing, equipping, and empowering learners with the knowledge and skills needed to build relationships and sustain results.
• Guiding learners to effectively respond to complex situations under a variety of circumstances through role-playing and intensive skill building.

Vision

Gift of Life Institute stands at the forefront in offering support and resources to our worldwide partners to create a culture of performance excellence that maximizes organ and tissue donation and transplant outcomes.

Mission

Gift of Life Institute creates and provides innovative, experiential training, consulting services, and research initiatives aimed at enhancing the abilities, knowledge, and methodologies of professionals and organizations worldwide, with the goal of improving outcomes in organ and tissue donation and transplantation.