A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (May 2021) |
Founded | 8/22/2017 |
---|---|
Headquarters | Buffalo, NY |
Area served | North America |
Website | https://www.ycod.org |
The Youth Coalition for Organ Donation (YCOD) is a multinational nonpartisan[1] NY-based 501(c)(4) lobbying group formed with the goal of increasing the number of organ donations in the US. The YCOD promotes organ donation through various online campaigns, including social media messaging,[2] news appearances,[3] and public lobbying campaigns.[4]
Formed in 2017 by Buffalo high schoolers Evan Roden, Henry McLaughlin, Grace Tapani, and Sage Sellers the group has grown to include former Erie County Executive Joel Giambra as a primary partner.[5]
In 2019, the YCOD unsuccessfully advocated for an opt-out system of organ donation in New York State, currently in use in 27 European Nations and Nova Scotia, Canada, but no US state. [6] In 2022, the YCOD partnered with Waitlist Zero to pass the Living Donor Support Law in New York State. [7]
The Youth Coalition for Organ Donation (YCOD) has focused on youth engagement[4] through leadership roles, general marketing campaigns, and website design.[8] The YCOD's senior staff members and founders were high-school and college-aged at founding.[9][10] The YCOD advocates for organ-donation education in public high schools, starting in New York State. The YCOD also advocates for an opt-out system of organ donation in New york State to increase the rate of donation there.[11] To this end, the group drafted a bill, which was introduced in 2019 as A07954.[12]