Donorpool

The donor pool is a defined group of individuals who are eligible and willing to donate a particular resource, such as organs, blood, stem cells, or charitable funds, to a program or system. In medical contexts, it most commonly refers to potential organ donors within a region, including deceased donors identified through clinical criteria and living donors who consent to donate organs or tissue. The donor pool is created and maintained by registries and health authorities, and its size and composition depend on population demographics, consent rates, eligibility criteria, and the effectiveness of donor recruitment and retention efforts. Availability can change as donors become ineligible due to health, refusal of consent, or death, and allocation decisions may reduce the pool as organs are transplanted.

In organ transplantation, matching algorithms pair donors with recipients based on blood type, human leukocyte antigen compatibility, age, and medical urgency. In blood and stem cell programs, the pool is supplemented by regular donors and registered volunteers, with screening to ensure safety for both donor and recipient.

In fundraising and philanthropy, the donor pool denotes the set of potential donors identified through data sources and prior giving history. Organizations analyze the pool to tailor outreach, predict giving propensity, and plan campaigns, while observing privacy laws and opt-out preferences.

Ethical considerations include consent, privacy, equitable access, and transparency in how the pool is defined, maintained, and used.