If you were wealthy, you’d be happy to fund a hospital wing or two. But short of that, what can you give that doesn’t cost money but is beyond priceless? You don’t need to go volunteer a lung just yet; there are plenty of other ways to help. Here’s what you can donate to save lives now.

Giving During Your Lifetime

Blood

All different types are needed: A, B, AB, and O. The donation takes about an hour to complete, from beginning to end, and you can donate blood every 56 days.

Platelets

These cell fragments can actually be donated without giving blood. You can give platelets every four weeks.

Bone Marrow

The tissue inside your bones is rich with blood cells that can be removed to extract stem cells.

Cord Blood Stem Cells

In the minute or two after giving birth, mothers can save the blood and tissue from the umbilical cord. They’re a source of young, pure stem cells that you can pay to store for your own child or donate to a public bank.

Organs

If you’ve had a loved one on a transplant waitlist, you know that family members often step forward with organs that are a likely match for the patient. You can donate a kidney, lung, or a portion of your intestine, lung, or pancreas.

Giving After Death

When you agree to be a donor after you pass, there are many more ways you can donate to save lives. You can directly impact the length of up to eight lives and enhance another 75. As of now, all these things can help a patient in need:

• Corneas
• Heart valves
• Skin
• Bone
• Tendons
• The middle ear
• Veins
• Cartilage
• Ligaments

These gifts can help heal burns, repair hearts, rebuild damaged connective tissue, and restore sight. It’s one of the most profound ways you can feel as though you live on even after you’ve passed.