Our Mission:
DNA Doe Project partners with law enforcement to provide investigative genetic genealogy to solve cases of Jane and John Doe unidentified remains.
Investigative Genetic Genealogy is the process of using DNA and genealogy to identify an unknown person through research into their biological relatives. It’s a complex and technical process requiring expensive scientific lab work and significant expertise in DNA analysis and genealogy with no guarantee of success. Every case requires a financial investment as well as the investment of potentially hundreds of hours of volunteer research time as well as support services and online systems we use to do this work. Every member of our organization is committed to the work and to successfully returning our Jane and John Does to their families and communities.
Why is the DNA Doe Project a non-profit?
DDP doesn’t turn away cases if they are a challenge and will take many hours – because the cost for 10 hours vs 1000 hours of DDP volunteer genealogy research is zero. That levels the playing field in terms of ALL cases having a shot at identification – not just ones that an agency feels are affordable or those that have garnered a lot of media attention. As a non-profit, we can accept tax-deductible donations from our supporters to offset the costs of working these cases, often resulting in the partner agency paying nothing to use our services.
But our non-profit model relies on donors to help cover the other costs of working our cases. Lab fees to extract DNA from bone, tissue, blood or hair, along with the costs of whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics to create a file that can be uploaded to GEDmatch Pro can run more than $5,000 per case. Many agencies don’t have the funding to attempt investigative genetic genealogy, and many more are unable to devote the time and resources to address the backlog of unidentified cases on their books, some going back decades.
Donations to the DNA Doe Project make it possible for detectives and medical examiners to bring their Does to us. Your generosity helps bring unidentified people back to their families and communities. With your help, we can give them back their names.
Ways to give
Gifts to our General Fund provide the most impact for our work. They allow us to allocate resources to the cases that need them for lab processes, and to grow our organization so we can take on even more cases.
Give to our General Fund through PayPal:
Give to our General Fund through Cash.app:
Doe-Nate buttons direct your gift toward the costs of a specific case:
The Doe-Nate Cases page shows you all the cases needing support today. Your gift will be pooled with those of other donors and used toward the expenses for the case you choose. Donations in excess of the goal for Doe-Nate cases will be used to fund other cases.
All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The DNA Doe Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
To give by check, please mail to:
DNA Doe Project
200 S Main ST
Suite 130-114
Sebastopol CA 95472
Increase your gift’s impact with employer matching programs
Many employers have programs to match employee giving with a corporate donation. Check with your corporation to learn how to designate the DNA Doe Project to receive matching funds.
Shop with a Smile
If you’re doing your shopping at Amazon, be sure to sign up for the Amazon Smile program and shop for the same products at the same prices through the special link. Amazon will donate a portion of all Smile sales to your designated non-profit. Be sure to designate the DNA Doe Project to receive your smiles!
Amplify our mission and your support on your social media platforms
Liking, Following, Re-tweeting, and Sharing our social media content helps us reach the broadest audience possible. Many platforms also offer you the ability to host a digital fundraiser to support our non-profit organization.
Major Giving, Foundations, and Legacies
If you are a donor who is able to support the DNA Doe Project with a transformative gift please contact us to talk about how to make the most impact with your support.
