Charity of the week: Be The Match Foundation

last updated 8 January 2015

Each year, 10,000 patients in the U.S. with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, and other life-threatening diseases need a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor. Only half receive one. Since 1991, the Be The Match Foundation (marrow.org) has raised money to help patients get the bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplants they need. Last year, the organization provided more than $2 million to help fund treatment for more than 1,700 patients. It also supports the National Marrow Donor Program, which directs cutting-edge transplant research, and manages the Be The Match Registry, a growing community of 10 million donors willing to be matched with transplant patients.

Each charity we feature has earned a four-star overall rating from Charity Navigator, which ranks not-for-profit organizations on the strength of their finances, their control of administrative and fund-raising expenses, and the transparency of their operations. Four stars is the group’s highest ranking.