Donor Alliance

One of 58 independent, nonprofit Organ Procurement Organizations 

(OPOs) designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services (CMS), Donor Alliance’s mission is to save lives through 

organ and tissue donation and transplantation. To achieve this 

mission, Donor Alliance employs effective family approach and 

recovery programs in more than 100 hospitals. Donor Alliance also 

inspires the public to register as organ and tissue donors through 

community partnerships, public outreach, and education campaigns 

throughout its donation service area. It serves Colorado and most 

of Wyoming, the third largest geographic service area, covering 

184,151 square miles. It has two locations in Denver, CO, and 

regional offices in Grand Junction, CO; Colorado Springs, CO; and 

Casper, WY.

Senior Leadership

• Senior leaders demonstrate a commitment to mission at every 

opportunity. Each organizational presentation begins with review 

of the Mission, Vision, and Values (MVV). Staff members 

demonstrate a widespread awareness, understanding, and 

connection to the MVV, along with how their own personal 

objectives contribute to fulfilling the organization’s mission to 

save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. 

• In 2017,100% of staff members indicated that they understood 

how their jobs helped the organization achieve success, a full 

5 percentage points better than the top 25% comparison.

Product and Service Results

• Donor Alliance has consistently been ranked as one of the top 

10 OPOs in the nation due to its high organ donor conversion rate 

of more than 80%. (Organ donor conversion rate is the actual 

number of organ donors divided by the number of patients who are 

regarded as a potential organ donor.) The organization consistently 

outperforms the top 25% of organ procurement organizations 

in the percentage of donors who have registered themselves to be 

donors. Results have improved from 64% to 74% for organ donors 

since 2014 and from 65% to 68% for tissue donors (e.g., skin, bone).

• Donor Alliance’s rate for authorization of eligible organ donors 

has been between 80–84%, a rate that has met or exceeded top 

25% national comparison performance since 2014. Its authorization 

rate for tissue donation has been between 74–79% since 2014 

and is in the top 10% nationally. Tissue donation referrals from 

hospitals consistently have been between 99–100% since 2014, 

outperforming two OPOs that benchmark each other.

• The number of organ donors has increased from 109 in 2014 to 

144 in 2017, and is projected to reach over 160 in 2018, exceeding 

the national top 25% comparison for number of organ donors 

2018 Award Recipient

Baldrige Performance Excellence Program • National Institute of Standards and Technology • Department of Commerce 

Highlights

• Donor Alliance has consistently been ranked as one 

of the top 10 organ procurement organizations in the 

nation due to its high organ donor conversion rate 

of more than 80%.

• The organization consistently outperforms the top 25% 

of OPOs in the percentage of donors who have registered 

themselves to be donors. With results improving from 

64% to 74% for organ donors since 2014 and from 

65% to 68% for tissue donors (e.g., skin, bone).

• Donor Alliance’s rate for authorization of eligible organ 

donors has been between 80–84%, a rate that has met 

or exceeded top 25% national comparison performance 

since 2014. Its authorization rate for tissue donation has 

been between 74–79% since 2014 and is in the 

top 10% nationally.

• All four local transplant center customers reported 

100% satisfaction in the 2018 survey. Tissue processors, 

who are responsible for the preparation, preservation, 

storage, and distribution of final tissue grafts for 

transplantation, also reported 100% customer 

satisfaction with Donor Alliance. 

 
2018 Award Recipient

Donor Alliance 

per 10,000 inpatient hospital deaths. Donor Alliance is an industry 

leader in the number of tissue donors, which has increased from 

1,590 in 2014 to 1,752 in 2017 and is in the top 10% nationally.

Financial Results

• Donor Alliance demonstrated industry-leading results for days 

cash on hand of greater than 494 days from 2014 to 2016. This is 

more than two times better than the top 25% comparison.

• In support of the strategic objective to maintain financial 

sustainability, the Donor Alliance Recovery Center has realized organ 

donor cost savings between 66%–73% over the past five years.

Customer Process with Results

• All four local transplant center customers reported 100% 

satisfaction in the 2018 survey. Tissue processors also reported 

100% customer satisfaction on three measures: overall satisfaction, 

relationships, and requirements met. In 2017 and 2018, customer 

satisfaction with support received from Donor Alliance staff was 

100% for organ donor families.

People Process with Results

• Based on Donor Alliance’s value of People First, the organizational 

culture supports open communication, high performance, and 

engagement. Employee performance plans are aligned with strategic

action plans, goals, and objectives. Training “blueprints” contain

role- and culture-specific learning requirements. 

• At 91%, Donor Alliance’s employee engagement has achieved 

top 25% scores over the last three years. In addition, 97% of staff 

members indicate that they are proud to work for the organization, 

also exceeding the top 25%. Donor Alliance exceeds top 25% 

for engagement scores on benefits offered to employees, with

performance improving from 74% in 2014 to 83% in 2017.

From 2015 to 2018, staff certifications and specialized training 

have increased from 31% to 38% for clinical staff, 12% to 14% for 

leadership staff, and 4% to 11% for support staff.

Strategic Planning

• The nine-step Strategic Planning Process enables Donor Alliance 

to consider strategic opportunities; reaffirm its MVV; review 

performance and projections; and complete action plans. 

Information Systems/Performance 

Measurement

• Donor Alliance tracks progress on achieving strategic objectives 

and action plans by documenting and reviewing Balanced 

Scorecard measures, process measures, and personal goals in the 

online performance measurement system Compass. The innovative 

TAOS (Tissue and Organ System) information system tool captures 

data from the True North electronic donation management system; 

facilitates data verification; and allows real-time, secure, web-based

staff access for daily operations.

• The security and cybersecurity of sensitive and privileged data 

and information are ensured through a layered security approach 

called Defense-in-Depth. Donor Alliance employs information 

technology staff and a third-party cybersecurity firm using software 

tools and audits to validate the effectiveness of the approach used 

to prevent cyberattacks. The most recent audit identified no urgent 

or high-priority items.

Work Process Effectiveness

• Donor Alliance’s Supplier Management Committee (SMC) reviews 

vendors and suppliers to ensure that they are qualified and 

positioned to meet operational needs and enhance performance 

and customer satisfaction. The SMC monitors suppliers to ensure 

supply chain capability and capacity. Findings per supplier audit 

have been either zero or one since 2015, demonstrating supplier 

compliance with requirements.

Citizenship with Results

• Donor Alliance’s Charitable Contribution Program gives each 

employee $100 annually to donate to the charity of his or 

her choice. The PRIDE Committee collaborates with individual 

departments and work groups to coordinate quarterly employeedriven events that benefit local nonprofit organizations. 

• Donor Alliance has 200 Advocates for Life: volunteers who work 

to inspire the public to join the organ and tissue donor registry. 

They volunteer approximately 3,500 hours and represent Donor 

Alliance at more than 200 events each year.

• Through active recycling, Donor Alliance has saved an estimated 

447 trees since 2015. In 2018, it has saved 13 cubic yards of 

landfill, 8 barrels of oil, and 29,610 gallons of water.

For more information:

Donor Alliance

200 Spruce Street, Suite 200

Denver, CO 80230

United States

baldrige@donoralliance.org

www.donoralliance.org/Baldrige

Baldrige Performance Excellence Program

The Baldrige Program educates organizations of all sizes and 

from all sectors in organizational performance management and 

improvement. We also administer the Malcolm Baldrige National

Quality Award. Our key services are to identify and recognize 

role-model organizations, share best management practices, 

and help organizations achieve best-in-class performance levels.

We are the only public-private partnership and Presidential award 

program dedicated to improving U.S. organizations. 

For more information on the Baldrige Program: 

www.nist.gov/baldrige | 301-975-2036 | baldrige@nist.gov

Baldrige Performance Excellence Program • National Institute of Standards and Technology • Department of Commerce