Understanding Donor Family Support Program and How It Works

At Donate Life Kentucky Trust, we are honored to work alongside the OPO and heroic families who give the greatest gift of life during the worst days of their lives. Our Donor Family Support Program was founded to provide limited assistance to donor families after donation has taken place. These funds are never considered prior to authorization.

It is important to clarify that the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO), including Network for Hope, has no control over these grants. All requests are reviewed independently and overseen by a committee of our Board to ensure fairness, compliance, and responsible stewardship.

Because our funds are finite and carefully managed, as much as we want to, we are not able to help in every situation.

What Donor Support may include
When eligibility criteria are met, donor support may include short-term assistance such as lodging, meals, transportation, or limited funeral or cremation support.

Why we can’t fund all requests
We frequently receive calls requesting cremation or funeral assistance. While we deeply empathize with every family experiencing loss, support may not be available if:

The individual was not a donor

Donation did not occur

The request was not referred through the OPO

The request falls outside program guidelines or available funding

We do not accept self-referrals, and support cannot be considered before donation authorization.

Why this process matters
These guidelines ensure donor families are supported fairly, consistently, and with dignity – while allowing donor support funds to remain available for families who qualify now and in the future.

Other help may be available
Families who are not eligible for donor support may still find assistance through local, faith-based, county, or community resources. Hospital care teams and social workers are often the best place to start when exploring these options. More can be found here: Sudden Loss Support 2025.docx

Our commitment
We truly wish we had the resources to support every family who reaches out. Even when we cannot provide financial assistance, we remain committed to compassion, honesty, and respect. Every donor hero and every family matters.

If you are interested in helping make Donor Family Support Program available to more families, our philanthropy team would be grateful to talk with you about giving opportunities that directly sustain this fund.