Al L. Smith, III is the Relationships Manager at Donate Life America, where he designs and leads innovative programs to strengthen partnerships, expand multicultural engagement, and enhance public education across the national donation and transplantation community. With nearly a decade of experience and a proven record of impact, Smith is the creative force behind numerous national initiatives, including programs designed to increase trust, transparency, and registration rates within African American and multicultural communities. He plays a lead role in developing storytelling campaigns and outreach strategies that honor donor families, amplify recipient voices, and reinforce the lifesaving impact of donation.
He was nominated for The Alliance 40 Under 40 by Jocelyn Reed, Project Manager at Donate Life America. “Al is an idea man,” Reed wrote. “He’s created several initiatives that have been adopted across the Donate Life community, including state and national programs that connect meaningfully with underserved audiences.”
Among Smith’s signature accomplishments is the “Clock Initiative,” a creative effort to promote donation at DMV offices through compelling visual installations that boost registration and awareness. He also developed and launched the Donation Champion Funeral Home Program, which recognizes and partners with funeral service professionals who support organ and tissue donation. Smith has played a central role in shaping the work of Donate Life America’s DMV State Registry Initiatives Committee and Funeral Services Committee, strengthening industry engagement and cross-sector collaboration.
Previously, during his tenure at Washington Regional Transplant Community (now Infinite Legacy), Smith led the creation of Washington, D.C.’s first Organ, Eye, and Tissue Donation Murals and designed an innovative 10-minute clock tool used to prompt donor registration conversations. He is also the co-developer and project manager for the first National Donate Life America DMV Module Training, scheduled to launch in 2025, which will provide standardized education for DMV personnel across the country.
In addition to his organizational leadership, Smith serves on the Advisory Council of the Association of Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT), where he contributes to national strategies aimed at improving equity in donation and transplant outcomes.
Through bold creativity, strategic foresight, and an unwavering commitment to community, Al L. Smith, III is helping reshape the future of organ donation, making it more accessible, representative, and responsive to the people it serves.
