Prior to undertaking a campaign to increase organ donation, demographic patterns of kidney recipients and donors were examined for our transplant center--the city and state in which it is located (Detroit and Michigan respectively). From 1984 to 1986 there were 964 kidney recipients in Michigan; 28% were black and 69% were white, whereas only 13% of the population in Michigan is black. As has been shown elsewhere in the United States, blacks have more end-stage renal disease than whites and thus require renal transplantation more often. There were 413 kidney donors from Michigan during the same period, 13% were black and 85% were white. In contrast to studies from other parts of the United States, our data show that blacks and whites in Michigan donate kidneys at a similar rate--i.e., 1.5 per 100,000 population. Data such as these should be obtained for areas where campaigns are to be conducted to increase organ donation. This information can be used to educate the public about the needs of the community.