Who Are We?
In operation since 2002, Can Do Coalition (CDC) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit charity dedicated to helping the fight against cancer, particularly on behalf of children with cancer.
Specifically, we work to increase participation in the volunteer stem cell registries so when you or a loved one is in need of a matching donor, you can find one. This work does not happen in a vacuum. Whether you or someone you love needs a donor next week or three years from now, your chances of finding a life-saving stem-cell match are improved thanks to multi-year efforts to increase awareness, engagement and recruitment. That is what we do – please help.
Mission
We recruit Champions!
Can Do Coalition has educated and motivated thousands of individuals to become stem cell volunteers. These are special individuals we call CHAMPIONS, because they make themselves available to help others.
You too can become a Champion! … How?
A “stem cell volunteer” is an individual that is willing to share their regenerable stem cells with a patient in need. These stem cell volunteers are also commonly referred too as: “blood stem cell donors,” “donors,” “matching unrelated donors,” or “bone-marrow donors.” Please do not let these terms scare you.
When you choose to become a volunteer in a stem cell registry — you request a free buccal swab, you swab your cheek and you send the swab back to the registry. The registry in turn does what is known as Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing from your swab. If in the rare instance, sometime in the future, you are lucky enough to get a call from a doctor at a hospital informing you are HLA match for a patient in need — lucky you — you have been granted a once in lifetime opportunity to save someone else’s life. To learn more, you are welcome to checkout our FAQs.
Programs
Can Do Coalition is probably best known for the Do Good Donor Game (DGDG) — one of the earliest public service “games” on the Web. In a traditional video game, a player is creatively engaged and encouraged to accomplish specific game objectives. For example, a player of a match-3 game is motivated to match as many digital candies together as she can, because when she does, she earns points that eventually result in a game prize or achievement. The Do Good Donor Game (DGDG) is like a traditional video game, in that it too creatively engages and encourages players to accomplish specific “game” objectives. However, instead of earning points by matching digital candies together, players of the DGDG earn HOPE ribbons by learning why and how to become a volunteer in a stem cell registry. For every 100* HOPE ribbons earned by members of the public, Can Do Coalition procures and delivers a free gift to a kid fighting cancer. (*The public can go here to see DGDG good faith disclaimers.)
Can Do Coalition, through the DGDG, works to continuously increase, improve and replenish the number of volunteers in the stem cell registries so that when someone has an urgent need for a stem cell donor, they can find a high quality match. Can Do Coalition recognizes that while finding a good HLA match is good, finding a great HLA match is better. To learn more, you are welcome to check out our FAQs.
Importantly, the DGDG represents the culmination and integration of several concurrent public service efforts. For example, in order to make the DGDG go, Can Do Coalition (CDC) needs to create and procure gifts and activities for kids fighting cancer. CDC then needs to coordinate the delivery of those gifts with participating hospitals. In sum, Can Do Coalition (CDC) via DGDG, has supported patients, patient families and the stem cell registries since its inception in 2002.
In concert with a growing goodwill alliance, Can Do Coalition has succeeded in educating the public about the volunteer stem cell registries, recruiting stem cell volunteers (donors), and providing thousands of gifts and activities to pediatric oncology patients.