State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks & Chief Dep. Treasurer Jeff Guilfoyle receive Gift of Life Michigan award
Eubanks and Guilfoyle’s advocacy led to Michigan being first in nation to allow taxpayers to say “yes” to the organ donor registry on a state tax form.
GIFT OF LIFE MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A ground-breaking idea to add a donor registration question to Michigan’s income tax forms needed support from the Michigan Department of Treasury.
Thanks to the advocacy of State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks and Chief Deputy Treasurer Jeff Guilfoyle, Michigan is now the first in the nation to allow taxpayers to check “yes” to the donation registry as they complete their MI state tax forms. For their efforts, Gift of Life is recognizing them with the Check Your Heart award.
Rachael and Jeff’s hard work came to fruition in July 2023 when Governor Whitmer signed the Check Your Heart Act into law. This tax season marks the first time Michigan residents will have a new and easy way to add themselves to the organ donor registry.
Eubanks and Guilfoyle are just two of 23 people or organizations in the state that were recognized in the April 4 ceremony for extraordinary efforts to promote organ and tissue donation in their communities or to help make it happen in their hospitals. Their work is considered lifesaving.
Michiganders have long been able to join the registry when renewing their drivers’ licenses, and this year, we are first in the nation to allow people to register when filing their individual income taxes. The new process is easy, secure, and leverages tax forms that people file each year.
“While we won’t have the final numbers for this tax season for several more weeks, we do know that through March, there were more than 6,100 new Gift of Life registrations from the new Check the Box option on the Individual Income Tax form,” Jeff said.
“This is worth celebrating! And while we appreciate the recognition and this celebration, getting legislation enacted is a team effort. We want to acknowledge Rachel Kuntzsch and Patrick Wells O’Brien for bringing this idea to us and Reps. Neeley, Brabec and Price for sponsoring the legislation. They were all fabulous to work with and instrumental in making this happen.”
Gift of Life has been shining a light on the best of the best of its community partners and hospital and transplant professionals since 2018. Without them, the organization’s work to fulfill the decisions of donors and their families would be difficult or impossible, said Dorrie Dils, president and CEO of the state’s organ and tissue donation program.
“Rachael and Jeff not only found a new way to help us grow the organ donor registry, they made Michigan a leader in the nation,” Dils added. “The Check Your Heart Act would not have passed without their advocacy. We cannot thank them enough for their impact on Gift of Life and the lives that might be saved due to this opportunity.”
For more information or to register as a donor, visit golm.org/register or call 866.500.5801.
# # # #
About Gift of Life Michigan
Gift of Life Michigan is a federally designated organ procurement organization that serves the state of Michigan as the intermediary between donors, their families and hospital staff. In collaboration with Eversight, Gift of Life provides all services necessary for organ, eye and tissue donation.
— Original press release via Gift of Life Michigan
