About WMDA | WMDA

Our vision

We strive for a world where access to life-saving cellular therapies for all patients is assured and donors’ rights and safety are protected.

Our mission

We work with our members to ensure reliable provision of life-saving cells while promoting care and safety for both patient and donor.

Our aims

Optimising ‘Search, Match & Connect’: A global "Search, Match & Connect" environmentthat facilitates the most suitable cell source for patients;
Supporting global development: Support members to develop and grow, so that more patients find the most suitable match;
Promoting donor care: Assure that the rights and safety of cell donors are promoted and protected;
Ensuring quality: Promote product quality and global collaboration through standardisation.

Our values

We connect. Connecting patients and donors and members across the globe.
We are inclusive. Ensure all members are invited, involved and empowered. We strive for diversity and equal participation.
We are committed. We are dedicated to support the work of our members to help all patients in need of a transplant, while protecting the rights and well-being of the donor.
We are reliable. Provide consistent services and build a sustainable organisation from which our members can expect a pragmatic, cost-efficient approach in the provision of the high-quality services.
We inspire. Exploring and implementing new possibilities, seeking collaboration and innovation. Being part of WMDA is stimulating.

Established in 1994, the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) is a global society of registries, cord blood banks, donor centres, collection centres, HLA-experts, regulators, researchers, technologists, and industry partners with a shared vision to strive for a world where access to life-saving cellular therapies for all patients is assured and donor’s rights and safety are protected.

WMDA is the global leader operating a search and request platform to facilitate that more patients can be transplanted, thereby advancing digitalisation in healthcare. WMDA offers a unique collaborative environment that addresses three key areas of translation: selection of the most suitable stem cell source, donor care and quality. Through strong relationships with global regulatory agencies, registries, and industry partners, WMDA drives the advancement of harmonisation globally.

Comprised of over 1,700 experts across five geographic regions and representation from over 55 countries, WMDA members are part of a global community of peers, thought leaders, and organisations invested in donor care and graft selection.

For more information about the organisation, key initiatives and upcoming meetings, please contact us at: mail@wmda.info

Our Financials & Governance

As a nonprofit organisation, WMDA relies upon the generous donations of individuals to maintain its programs and services, and fulfill its mission of improving the lives of all people affected by disesases that require cellular therapy.

How is WMDA funded?

WMDA’s primary sources of funding are membership fees. Specific sources of revenue include:

individual and organisational membership fees
administrative fees for transplant centres to access Search & Match Service
corporate partnership fees
conferences and events
philanthropic contributions from individuals, organisations, and companies

Read how WMDA puts all income to good use in our Finance & Activities report 2021.

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World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) is made up of organisations and individuals who promote global collaboration and best practices for the benefit of blood stem cell donors and transplant patients.

WMDA was informally initiated in 1988 by three pioneers in the field of transplantation: John Goldman (United Kingdom), E. Donnall Thomas (United States) and Jon J. van Rood (the Netherlands). This led to the foundation of WMDA in 1994.

In 2007, WMDA became one of the founding members of the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (WBMT). WBMT is a non-profit scientific organisation which aims to promote excellence in blood stem cell transplantation, donation and cellular therapy. It has an official relationship with the World Health Organization. The other three founding organisations of the WBMT are the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), the Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), and the Asian Pacific Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group (APBMT).

In 2017, WMDA took over the activities of Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide (BMDW) and the NetCord Foundation. In 2020, EMDIS was integrated into WMDA.

WMDA is led by the WMDA Board supported by committees and working groups whose members are all experts in their fields. Day-to-day activities are carried out by our WMDA office, a team of professionals based in Leiden, the Netherlands.