WGN Partners with NonProfit to Expand Awareness of Organ Donations

By Paul Greeley

WGN, Nexstar’s CW affiliate in Chicago, is partnering with Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, in a year-long media partnership to expand awareness of organ and tissue donation and encourage new donor registrations across Illinois and Northwest Indiana.

Through this multi-platform initiative, Gift of Hope has the potential to reach approximately 3.75 million greater Chicagoland households via television, along with millions more through WGN-TV’s digital, streaming, and social platforms.

The partnership supports Gift of Hope’s ongoing mission to increase donor registrations by not only educating the audience on the importance of donation, but also building their trust in the system.

The need for organ donation is great. Nationally more than 109,000 people are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, including nearly 6,000 in Illinois and Indiana. The vast majority are waiting for a kidney transplant. Nearly 60% of those on the national waiting list are from multicultural communities. Another person is added to the national list every eight minutes and every day 13 people die while waiting for an organ transplant.

“Working closely with WGN-TV, allows both partners to create a meaningful dialogue to inspire hope, save lives and honor the legacy of donation,” said Dr. Harry Wilkins, President and CEO at Gift of Hope. “This partnership completely redefines how we engage our communities, the same communities served by WGN-TV.”

The partnership is designed to increase reach, engagement, and impact of the importance of organ and tissue donation through a highly integrated approach.

Gift of Hope messaging will be featured in WGN-TV programming, supported by televised segments, website homepage takeovers, digital advertising, social media amplification, and targeted email campaigns. Each activation will include Call to Actions to encourage audience engagement and measure donor registration activity.

“At WGN-TV, our most important role is connecting with and serving our community every single day. With Gift of Hope we see a shared mission of real people making a real impact,” said Ric Harris, General Manager and Vice President at WGN-TV. “This is more than a collaboration for us, but rather a true passion partnership, and we’re honored to help bring even greater awareness to such meaningful work.”

The initiative launched during National Donate Life Month in April with a WGN-produced television segment showcasing Gift of Hope’s clinical and laboratory excellence. From there, the campaign continues throughout the year with programming and outreach efforts that align with key moments on the calendar.

This includes on-location coverage of signature events such as the Gift of Hope Community Foundation Golf Outing and Celebration of Donation 5K Run, Walk & Roll, as well as storytelling and awareness campaigns tied to National Minority Donor Awareness Month and Hispanic Heritage Month.

“By working with one of the region’s most trusted media organizations, Gift of Hope deepens community understanding of organ and tissue donation and ensure the conversation remains visible and relevant,” said Marion Shuck, Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Government Relations at Gift of Hope. “This partnership allows us to meet people where they are—on air, online and in their communities by building a culture where donation turns into a shared value and a powerful way to give hope to others.”

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