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Organ Donation Poster Ideas

In hospital beds, hospice care centers and homes across the country, approximately 104,748 American citizens await an organ transplant, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Unfortunately, the list doesn't necessarily grow every year because of the turnover--in 2008, the Foundation reports that over 6,600 people died waiting for a donation. Encourage people to test their donor qualifications and sign donor pledges by creating an organ donation poster.

  1. Cute Characters

    • Avoid the fear mongering sometimes associated with organ donation (such as urban legends about organ harvesters and hapless tourists waking up in bathtubs full of ice) by creating a character poster about the organs donor services are seeking. Make each organ into a cartoon-type character for a friendly way to both teach about organ donation and humanize the human body. Catch names such as "Larry Liver," "Patty Pancreas," "Cornelius Cornea," "Kathy Kidney" and "Harry Heart" may be accompanied by simple sketches with big eyes and smiling faces. Create a little backstory to go with each organ, such as "I'm Kathy Kidney, and if you donate me, I can help people who have problems such as diabetes, polycystic kidney disease and high blood pressure. I help people avoid dialysis."

    Just the Facts, Ma'am

    • Sometimes, putting plain, short facts out in the open is the best way to catch attention and drive a point home. Instead of filling a poster with large amounts of small text passersby will have to read up close, consider designing organ donation posters in large, clear, bold type with just a couple of facts or statements about the donation process. Nonprofit organizations such as the National Kidney Foundation put out statistics and dispel myths about donation for free on their websites. One line of text such as "18 people die every day waiting for an organ transplant" or "12,000 people who qualify for organ donation die every day, but only half actually donate," can capture attention and emotion far greater than long lists of statistics.

    Fiscal Focus

    • Whether the economy is in an upswing or downscale, people passing by the poster will probably have finances on their minds. Questions such as "How much does donation cost?" or "How much does donation pay?" may be ideally answered with a few short statements on the poster. According to Donate Life America, organ donation costs the donor and/or family absolutely nothing, so the process is not a burden. It may also be beneficial to add information that organ donation is voluntary, but unlike giving blood and plasma, it does not pay. There is no remuneration for organ donation, financially or tax-wise. It is considered an act of charity.

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