The Donor Sibling Registry's goal is to educate, connect, and support donor families. Learn about the DSR's history, mission, and future goals.

Watch the DSR's Intro Video to learn more about who we are, what we do, and why we do it.

The Donor Sibling Registry (DSR) was founded in 2000 to assist individuals conceived as a result of sperm, egg, or embryo donation who are seeking to make mutually desired contact with others with whom they share genetic ties. Without any outside support, the DSR has pioneered an international discussion about the donor conception industry and donor families, through research, media appearances, speaking engagements, and interviews. The DSR advocates for the right to honesty and transparency for donor-conceived people, promotes social acceptance and legal rights, and values the diversity of all families.

The DSR's core value is honesty, with the conviction that people have the fundamental right to information about their biological origins, identities, and relatives.

The donor conception industry is largely a for-profit enterprise, and after the “product” has been purchased, most doctors, clinics, egg donation agencies, and cryobanks do not engage in discussions or activities that acknowledge the humanity and rights of the donor-conceived. It is our mission to bring these concepts to the public arena for discussion, as has been done in many European countries, as well as New Zealand and Australia.

Since 2000, we have provided support and connection to families that have been developed via donor conception, advocated for the rights of the donor-conceived, and educated the general public through national media interviews and appearances about the issues, challenges, and rights of the donor-conceived community.

Parents are sometimes not prepared for their children's curiosity and desire to know more about their genetic background. In order to move out of the secrecy and shame that has for so long shrouded donor conception, the DSR will continue to educate parents and the general public on the importance of honoring and supporting children's natural drive to know more about their identity.

The DSR also ensures that donor-conceived people have a safe place to search for their biological identities and to make these connections with their half-siblings, and where possible, their donors as well. When matching on the DSR, make sure to ask a few pieces of information from the donor profile that have not been posted, and that only the donor or someone with the donor's profile would know.

Watch the video webinar we did for the Family Equality Council! Wendy talks about the DSR, who we are and why we do what we do, what we have learned over the years, moving the industry forward in a more ethical and responsible manner, and how to create healthy and happy families.

Watch the September 2022 interview with Wendy and Ryan, and Ryan's Half-Sister Jami!

We will continue to think and dialog deeply, rigorously, and critically about how to move this industry forward in a more ethical and responsible manner — considering the needs and rights of all stakeholders, but most importantly the needs and rights of donor-conceived people.