The Cord Blood Council has received federal 501(c)(3) [1] tax-exempt status and is now accepting tax-deductible donations from the public [2].
This shift allows the Seattle-based organization to secure private funding to strengthen the infrastructure of public cord blood banks. By increasing capacity, the council aims to ensure more life-saving stem cells are available for patients in need.
The organization described itself as a "capacity-building nonprofit supporting the nation’s public cord blood banks" [1]. Public banks collect cord blood from consenting donors after birth, providing a critical resource for treating various blood disorders, and cancers.
By transitioning to a nonprofit model, the council can now leverage public philanthropy to address gaps in the current system. This funding is intended to expand the reach and efficiency of the nation's public storage facilities [1].
The council announced the news today, and said it is now open to contributions from individuals and organizations [2]. These funds will be directed toward the growth and sustainability of the public banking network [1].
Public cord blood banks operate as a vital part of the healthcare safety net, offering a source of hematopoietic stem cells that can be used for transplantation. The ability to accept tax-deductible gifts allows the council to scale these operations more rapidly than through traditional funding alone [2].
“The Cord Blood Council has received federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.”
The transition to 501(c)(3) status transforms the Cord Blood Council from a professional body into a fundraising vehicle. This allows the organization to tap into the U.S. philanthropic market to subsidize public health infrastructure, potentially reducing the reliance on government grants to maintain and expand the national supply of cord blood stem cells.
