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Introducing NMDP, formerly known as the National Marrow Donor Program and Be The Match.
Our name has changed but our mission has not: We save lives through cell therapy. Learn more
Introducing NMDP, formerly known as the National Marrow Donor Program and Be The Match.

Our name has changed but our mission has not: We save lives through cell therapy. Learn more
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Join the movement. Save a life.

Every year, 18,000 patients are diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers or other blood disorders that could be cured or treated with a blood stem cell transplant. But 70% of them don't have a fully matched donor in their family. They depend on NMDP℠ to find an unrelated donor.


Your healthy blood stem cells may be a patient's best or only hope for a cure.

Step up to change a life

Become a potential lifesaver to patients battling blood cancers or other blood diseases who need a blood stem cell donor.

Icon of a computer on blue-green background that represents step 1 of being a potential donor: registering online.

1. Register online

Answer simple questions about your medical history to make sure you meet health guidelines.

Icon of two swabs on blue-green background that represents step 2 of being a potential donor: swabbing your cheek.

2. Swab cheek

Your sample will be tested, and your genetic type will be added to the NMDP Registry℠.

Icon of a snippet of DNA on blue-green background that represents step 3 in being a potential donor: matching with a patient.

3. Get matched

Because of the genetic complexity of matching donors to patients, it could be a few months or many years before you’re matched to a patient.

Icon of an IV bag on blue-green background that represents step 4 in being a blood stem cell donor: donation.

4. Donate

Patients and their families are counting on you to keep your promise to donate, if needed. You could be someone’s only hope for a cure.

4 things to know before joining

Four people holding hands and jumping in the air. Text above them talks about how there’s no cost to the donor for donating. 
Young man smiling directly at the camera and holding a rectangular blue card that says, “I swabbed because: to help others.”

Frequently asked questions

You probably have a few questions about what it takes to save a life. We get it—we'd have them too.

Your privacy is our priority

For more than 35 years, we’ve managed the most diverse blood stem cell registry in the world—and the only one that’s federally funded and Congressionally authorized.

During that time, protecting the personal information of our donors has been a top priority. Learn more in our privacy policy.

Join the donor registry

Before you begin, please be aware of our age guidelines. For the safety of patients and donors, you need to be between 18 and 40 to join the registry. That’s because research has shown that cells from younger donors lead to better long-term survival for patients.

Which describes you?*

Three young people smiling and looking directly at the camera while swabbing their cheeks.
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