Asian American Donor Program (AADP)
Asian American Donor Program (AADP) is one of only a handful of organizations that is an official
recruitment group of the National Marrow Donor Program network. AADP is a non-profit
community organization based in Oakland, California. AADP recruits potential marrow/stem cell
donors and educate the community about the need for more ethnic minorities to join the National
Registry, specifically in the Asian and Pacific Islander community.
Asian American Donor Program
2169 Harbor Bay Parkway
Alameda, CA 94502
1800-59-DONOR
Telephone
510-568-3700
Fax
510-568-2700
In 1989, two Asian leukemia patients, Amanda Chiang, 9 months, and Judith Jang Berkoltz, 32, were
in desperate need of bone marrow transplants. Both patients were unable to find a match within their
own families. Turning to the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) Registry, the patients
hoped to find unrelated marrow donors. With only 123 Asian donors listed on the National Registry,
they were told that the prospects of finding compatible donors were virtually impossible.
Determined family and friends of the two patients made a statewide appeal to recruit more Asians
onto the Registry. Despite the tremendous emotional and financial sacrifice, which led to the
successful recruitment of more than 2,000 Asians, no matches were found. However, the unfortunate
deaths of these two people gave birth to the compelling mission of the Asian American Donor
Program (AADP) and the hope of new life to others.
The Need For More Minority Donors
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jonathan Leong
Chairman
Fiona Ma
President
Art Louie
Vice President
Artina Chinn
Secretary
Carol Gillespie
Treasurer
Each year, over 30,000 people are diagnosed with leukemia, aplastic anemia, and other life
threatening blood disorders. For many of these patients, their only chance for long-term survival is
through a marrow/stem cell transplant.
Transplants require matching certain tissue traits of the donor to the patient. Because some of these
traits are unique to people of specific ancestry, the most likely donor match is from the patient's same
racial or ethnic group. Unfortunately, of the over 5 million potential donors registered through the
NMDP, ethnic minorities make up only 26% of the National Registry.
To ensure that all patients have an equal chance of finding a matched donor, the NMDP has several
ongoing minority recruitment programs.
To register you need to:
• Be between the ages of 18-60 years old and in good general health
• Give a cheek swab sample
• Give consent to be entered on the NMDP Registry, which is searched internationally
• Provide the contact information of two contacts who do not live with you
About the National Marrow Donor Program
The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) is the international leader in the facilitation of
unrelated marrow and blood stem cell transplantation. A non-profit organization based in
Minneapolis, Minn., the NMDP facilitates unrelated marrow and blood stem cell transplants for
patients with life-threatening diseases who do not have matching donors in their families.
Since its founding in 1986, the NMDP has facilitated more than 15,000 unrelated transplants for
patients with blood disorders, such as leukemia and aplastic anemia, as well as certain immune
system and genetic disorders. The NMDP offers a single point of access for all sources of stem cells
used in transplantation: marrow, peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood.
Through an extensive network of national and international affiliates, the NMDP currently facilitates
more than 160 transplants each month. The Network includes apheresis centers, collection centers,
cooperative registries, cord blood banks, donor centers, laboratories, recruitment groups, repositories
and transplant centers. Another partner, The Marrow Foundation®, also supports the NMDP through
strategic fundraising efforts with individuals and corporations.
Approximately 40 percent of the transplants facilitated by the NMDP now involve either a U.S.
patient receiving stem cells from an international donor or an international patient receiving stem
cells from a U.S. donor.
Planning for a Donor Recruitment Campaign
A volunteer must be well-informed about donation before deciding to join the NMDP Registry. One of
the primary goals of a recruitment drive is to create opportunities to inform employees about the
importance of blood stem cell donation and ask for their involvement. Another important goal of a
donor recruitment drive is to encourage more minorities (Asian and Pacific Islanders, African
Americans, Hispanics and Latinos and Native Americans) to register to better serve all patients in need
of a life saving transplant.
To have a donor recruitment campaign, we simply ask for the help of the appropriate corporate parties
to act as liaison to AADP and to help with the planning process of the drive.
Plans must be made for:
 Logistics
o Tables and chairs
o Drive location
o Pre Sign-Ups
o Insurance requirements (AADP can provide Certificates of Insurance covering
Professional Liability and Worker’s Compensation)
 Volunteer donor education
o Education and awareness of the drive beforehand through publicity materials
(AADP can provide the publicity materials)
o AADP is responsible for making sure every volunteer donor is well educated about
joining the NMDP registry
 Recruitment
o Possible volunteer involvement on the day of the drive by the liaison/s
AADP will help plan and schedule employee and donor recruitment events. We recommend a lead
time of at least two months to plan a one or two-day drive on campus.
How a Donor Drive Works
The NMDP is working to recruit committed individuals from diverse racial and ethnic communities to
add new tissue types on the Registry. By diversifying the Registry, the NMDP will be able to improve
the chance of finding an unrelated donor for all patients. There is a critical need to add more
committed donors who identify themselves as Asian or Pacific Islander, Black or African American,
American Indian, or Hispanic or Latino. Because of this need, most of the government funds have been
allocated to covering the recruitment and tissue typing costs for minorities. Non-minorities may be
asked to cover all or part of their own tissue typing cost.
AADP will arrive one hour beforehand to set-up. We are able to provide the necessary
insurance, materials and professional staff to conduct the drive.
An interested volunteer donor is able to sign up beforehand to minimize time spent on the actual day of
the drive to register. The designated liaison/s at Chevron may have available sign-up sheets and
consent forms to be filled out prior to the drive. Upon completion of the consent form, the volunteer
donor will then proceed to a medical review conducted by a member of the AADP staff who will
assess the donor’s medical suitability. A simple cheek swab sample is taken and sent to an NMDP
laboratory to complete the donor’s tissue typing. The tissue type is then placed on the Registry and is
available to all patients searching for a matching donor.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.) What are the advantages of having a donor recruitment drive at my company?
 Unique benefit: By initiating a marrow donor recruitment campaign, your company is offering
employees a unique benefit, one that may offer them the opportunity to help save the life of a
patient suffering from leukemia or more than 70 other blood-related and genetic diseases.
 Effective recruitment: Recent studies conclude that volunteers recruited in the corporate
setting are more often available as donors when they are identified as a match than those
recruited in some other settings.
 Corporate citizenship: Having a marrow/blood stem cell drive publicly positions your
company and organization as a good corporate citizen. It demonstrates that your company
supports efforts that can save lives around the world and in your own backyard. In particular,
you are being responsive to the needs of a diverse workforce. Your company and your
employees are raising awareness and helping patients in need of life-saving marrow/blood
stem cell transplants.
2.) When we have our recruitment drive, what are our responsibilities?
To make an education and recruitment drive as productive as possible, you will want to seek several
volunteers to assist with planning, promoting and holding the drive. AADP will work with you to
define specifically the type of volunteer assistance you will need. As a sponsor, other responsibilities
include providing:
 A large, open room
 Some tables and chairs
Once again, AADP will be able to give you detailed requirements according to your drive location and
size. AADP will work with you to provide ideas to help in all aspects of planning, promoting and
holding the drive.
3.) How much space is needed for a recruitment drive?
The amount of space required for a drive depends on the number of donors you expect to have at your
drive. In any instance, the ideal is to have an open room or space, free of obstructions. It is also
possible to hold the drive in an open, outdoor location that is centrally accessible.
4.) Can we open our drive to the public?
Some employers choose to open their education and recruitment drives to include employees’ eligible
family members, friends or members of the community.
5.) How much time will each employee need to join the NMDP registry?
Generally speaking, the average time to join the registry is about 20 minutes.
6.) What else can we do to promote the drive?
Repetition is key when it comes to publicizing and promoting an education and recruitment drive.
Think about the various ways you already communicate with other employees: electronic messaging,
internal newsletters, internal television monitors, paycheck stuffers, etc. All could be valuable tools to
raise awareness and encourage employees to get involved. The more an employee hears about an
upcoming drive and the opportunity to become a donor, the more inclined an employee may be to
participate.
7.) Why does the NMDP focus on recruiting minorities?
The NMDP is working to recruit committed individuals from diverse racial and ethnic communities to
add new tissue types to the Registry. By diversifying the Registry, the NMDP will be able to improve
the chance of finding an unrelated donor for all patients. There is a critical need to add more
committed donors who identify themselves as Asian or Pacific Islander, Black or African American,
American Indian, or Hispanic or Latino.
The AADP specializes in outreaching to the Asian and Pacific Islander community – it’s patients and
donors. However, our drives are open to all minorities who are medically able and willing to volunteer.
Nationally, all government funds have gone into covering the cost of recruiting all those of minority
descent. Non-minorities may be asked to cover all or part of the cost of their own tissue typing. This is
not meant to discriminate against anyone, but is intended to better help all patients in need.
Selected Corporations and Organizations Supporting Donor Recruitment for the
NMDP Registry
3M
Abbott Laboratories
A.G. Edwards & Sons
Ameren Corporation
American Airlines/AMR Foundation
American Express Company
Amgen
Anheuser-Busch Inc.
Ashland Inc.
Bank of America
Baxter Healthcare
Bell Atlantic/Verizon
Brown Shoe Company
Carpet One
Coin Acceptors
Comerica, Inc.
Cummins Engine Company
CWA (Communications Workers of America)
DaimlerChrysler
Edward Jones
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Family Circle Magazine
Ford Motor Company
Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc.
General Motors Corporation
Graybar Electric Company
Great West
Harbour Group
Health Resources & Services Administration
(HRSA)
Hendrick Motorsports
Home Depot
IAFF
Kraft Foods
Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse
M&T Bank
May Department Stores
Medtronic, Inc.
MetLife
The Midland Company
Monsanto
National City Corporation
NASCAR
Nestle Purina PetCare
New York City Fire Department (FDNY)
Nike
Northwest Airlines
Peabody Energy
Pfizer
PG&E (Asian Employees Association)
Raskas Foods, Inc.
St. Louis University
SBC Communications
Siemens
Stifel Nicolas & Co.
Thompson Coburn
United Auto Workers (UAW)
UAW – National Ford Department
UAW – GM
United States Postal Service
U.S. Bancorp
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS)
Washington University
Wells Fargo Company
XM Satellite Radio