*Purpose: Few studies have explored potential kidney living donors’ motivations to donate, particularly their spirituality, and assessed whether these motivations vary by race/ethnicity.

*Methods: 2576 potential donors [48% White, 16% Black, 21% Hispanic, 9% Asian] from five transplant centers, with no clear medical contraindications to donation, were surveyed.

*Results: Potential donors were 60% female; Mean age: 44 years (SD, 13), 23% with a high school education or less. 16% had previously donated blood or platelets and 7% had completed military service. Potential living donors reported that helping their recipient live longer (92%), making their life better (89%), and benefiting the recipient’s entire family (82%) were extremely important, with no differences by race/ethnicity found (Table 1). Forty-five percent reported that religion/ spirituality was very important in their lives, with 52% of the total sample reporting that their spirituality/ personal beliefs were very important to their donation decision; Blacks more commonly reported this than Whites (60% vs 38%). In addition, friends and acquaintances of the recipient were more likely to report that their spirituality/personal beliefs motivated them to be tested than did those pursuing donations for immediate family members (56% vs. 49%). Non-white potential donors were more likely to report that donation would make them feel proud of themselves [Black (43%), Hispanic (39%), Asian (39%) vs. White (20%)].

*Conclusions: While most potential donors want to improve the quality and longevity of their intended recipient’s life, variation in motivation is present by race/ethnicity and depending on the person in need of a transplant. Tailoring messages about donation may increase the number of donors of different races/ethnicities.

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