In spite of having the greatest number of licensed drivers in the country, California also has the lowest percentage of registered organ donors. This is particularly strange since 95% of Americans support the idea of organ donation, but less than half actually register to receive the “pink dot” on their driver’s license to indicate that they’re a donor. To get more people to become registered organ donors, we had to find a way to make the selfless act of registering felt on a personal level since most donors never receive a thank- you from their transplant recipients.

People who are registered as organ donors are giving someone a second chance to live, so we wanted to give them a second chance when they screwed up. Police officers stopped drivers who committed infractions and moving violations and the drivers who were registered as organ donors got a second chance. Instead of a fine, they got just a Second Chance ticket, a warning, and a thank you for being a donor.

Our strategy was to transform one of the most stressful situations a driver can face — getting pulled over by the police — into a rewarding experience. Everyone dreads this situation, but — through Second Chances — traffic stops are turned into surprisingly positive experiences. Case in point: Imagine you are a driver — fidgeting as the police officer slowly walks up to your car knowing you’re probably about to get slapped with a $200 fine, and — instead — you get a smile and a personal thank-you for being an organ donor. These experiences are anything but forgettable, and—as these interactions gather steam—they serve as a larger community engagement program that creates closer ties between police departments and their local communities. Ultimately, the issue of registering to become an organ donor becomes less of an abstract issue, and more of a relevant part of everyday life.

The activation took place during the first days of April, to kick-off organ donation month in two cities in Orange County, California. It also extended to Calgary in Canada.

- In the month the campaign launched, California registered 110,609 new donors— a 38% increase from the year prior.

- More than 3,000,000 free impressions.

- Other police departments adopted the program for their own use. As of today, Beverly Hills, Anaheim, and New York State are taking steps to join the original pilot cities and make this an annually reoccurring program.