Anatomical Gift Donor Family Resources

Obtaining a Death Certificate

Stanford Anatomical Gift Program will file the death certificate for your loved one. After confirming the vital statistics, the death certificate will be submitted to the health department that is local to the donor’s place of death.

Please allow 5-6 weeks for the death certificate to be ready. Stanford Anatomical Gift Program only collects the information for the death certificate. We do not notify you when the certified copy of the death certificate is ready nor acquire the certified copy for you. The cost of the death certificate will vary depending on the county.

Please contact the local County Clerk-Recorder’s Office in the county of your loved one’s place of death for more information.

The contact information for your local County’s Clerk-Recorder’s Office can be found below:

Government and Military Agencies

Social Security Administration


US Department of Veteran Affairs

Veteran Burial and Memorial Benefits

Grief Support

We are deeply committed to expressing our sincere gratitude for the invaluable contributions made by each donor, which significantly advance education and research at Stanford University. We understand that the months and years following the loss of a loved one can be challenging, and we strive to offer the best possible support to the families of our donors.

Living with Grief & Loss by Helen Hsu

As a gesture of our commitment to caring for our donor families, we are offering three complimentary grief counseling sessions in collaboration with Curalinc Healthcare. These sessions are intended to provide you with a supportive space to process your emotions and navigate through this difficult period.

SupportLinc is available with emotional wellbeing and work-life balance resources to keep you at your best. Administered by CuraLinc Healthcare, the program offers guidance to help you address and resolve everyday issues at no cost to you or your family. Features include:

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