Gift of Hope teams with WGN-TV to boost donor registrations

Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network has launched a year-long media partnership with WGN-TV to expand awareness of organ and tissue donation across Illinois and Northwest Indiana. The campaign is designed to reach millions of households and drive more donor registrations at a time when more than 109,000 people nationally are waiting for a transplant.

Why it matters: - The partnership aims to convert media reach into more organ and tissue donor registrations across Illinois and Northwest Indiana. - National demand remains urgent, with more than 109,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. - Nearly 6,000 people in Illinois and Indiana are on the waiting list. - The vast majority of patients waiting are seeking a kidney transplant. - Nearly 60% of people on the national waiting list come from multicultural communities. - Another person is added to the national list every eight minutes. - Thirteen people die every day while waiting for an organ transplant.

What happened: - Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network announced a year-long media partnership with WGN-TV on June 17, 2026. - The alliance is built to expand awareness of organ and tissue donation and encourage new donor registrations. - The initiative covers Illinois and Northwest Indiana. - The campaign has the potential to reach about 3.75 million greater Chicagoland households through television. - WGN-TV’s digital, streaming and social platforms expand the reach to millions more.

The details: - Gift of Hope will place messaging in WGN-TV programming. - The campaign will include televised segments, homepage takeovers, digital ads, social media amplification and targeted email campaigns. - Each activation will include calls to action to drive audience engagement and measure donor registration activity. - The partnership launched during National Donate Life Month in April with a WGN-produced segment highlighting Gift of Hope’s clinical and laboratory work. - The campaign will continue throughout the year with programming and outreach tied to key calendar moments. - Planned coverage includes the Gift of Hope Community Foundation Golf Outing. - Planned coverage also includes the Celebration of Donation 5K Run, Walk & Roll. - The campaign will support awareness efforts for National Minority Donor Awareness Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. - Gift of Hope is the nonprofit organ procurement organization serving Illinois and northwest Indiana. - Gift of Hope partners with 180 hospitals and serves more than 12 million people. - Since 1986, Gift of Hope says its work has saved more than 30,000 organ transplant recipients and improved hundreds of thousands more through tissue donation. - WGN-TV is owned and operated by Nexstar Media Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, Inc. - WGN News says it airs more local news than any other Chicago TV station. - WGN-TV content is available on television, the WGN+ streaming app, WGNTV.com/Live, the WGN News mobile app, WGNTV.com/Weather and the WGN Weather mobile app. - Gift of Hope’s social media links include LinkedIn and Facebook.

Between the lines: - The partnership pairs a transplant network with one of Chicago’s most visible local media brands. - The campaign is structured to build trust, not just awareness, which matters in a category where donor registration depends on public confidence and understanding. - The focus on multicultural communities suggests an effort to address disparities in donation awareness and participation. - The mix of broadcast, streaming, social and email channels points to a campaign designed for repeated exposure rather than a one-time announcement.

What's next: - Gift of Hope and WGN-TV will keep the campaign running through the year. - Future coverage will align with major events and awareness months to keep donor-registration messaging in view. - The partnership will continue measuring engagement and registration activity through campaign calls to action. - Gift of Hope expects the visibility to help more people understand donation and act on that awareness.