Become a Sperm Donor

How to Qualify ~ Finder's Fee ~ Donor Screening ~ Benefits ~ Legal Issues ~ Anonymity and the Identity-Release® Program


Please review all of the following information before completing our online application.

How to Qualify

We welcome men of all ethnicities and backgrounds as donors. You are eligible to start the donor screening process if you meet the following requirements:

between the ages of 18 and 40

be at least 5 feet 7 inches

must live or work within 25 miles of our downtown Berkeley office

must be a high school graduate

must be able to legally work in the US

can visit our downtown Berkeley office, at least once a week, during lab hours, Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to 3:00pm and Friday, 8:00am to 2:00pm

are able to make a one-year commitment to the program (two semesters for students)

are able to provide medical information about both sides of your genetic family

have no chronic health problems

In order to comply with tissue bank licensing regulations, we cannot accept donor applicants who have been exposed to or infected with HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HTLV, syphilis, genital herpes, or genital warts.

Finder's Fee

Refer a friend and if he is accepted as a donor, we'll give you a $750 finder's fee once he has been in the program for six months. Tell him to visit our website (click on the link below). Make sure he tells us you sent him!

Donor Screening

Application: In order to become a donor, you will need to complete the screening steps. First, complete our online application by following the link at the end of this page. We will contact you to let you know whether your application is accepted or not.

Set up an appointment: If your application is accepted, you will get an email from us saying that you should call us to set up your first appointment. (If you don't get an email response within 3 business days of your application, give us a call to make sure we received it).

Test Samples: When you call, we will set up an appointment for you to visit our laboratory and provide a semen sample. This sample is the first of two test samples that will determine if you are eligible to be a sperm donor. At your first visit, you will make an appointment with our lab to provide a second test sample.

When you visit our lab, you will provide a semen sample by masturbating alone in a comfortable, private room. To have the best chance of providing a usable (high sperm count) sample, you need to abstain from ejaculating for 48 hours before providing each sample. You'll get the best results by abstaining for at least 2 days. (Click here to take a virtual tour of our offices, including the private rooms.)

Testing: If your first 2 samples are usable (high sperm count), we will proceed with the screening process, which involves testing for STDs and genetic diseases, interviews with our healthworkers, and a medical examination. You are not paid during screening, but if you are accepted as a donor, you will be paid retroactively for all samples we are able to save from the screening period.

If you are approved, you will sign a contract that commits you to our program for a period of six months to one year (although this is somewhat flexible). You will also commit to visiting the sperm bank at least once a week. You may come in more often if your schedule permits. When you sign a contract, we will pay you for usable samples provided during the screening period. After that, you will be paid monthly for your usable samples. Once you are approved as a donor, you will have quarterly blood draws and biannual physical exams, all of which are paid for by TSBC.

Benefits of Becoming a Donor

You receive free ongoing health screening throughout your participation in the donor program.

You learn about your fertility and genetic history.

You are paid $100 for every ejaculate that meets our minimum sperm count.

You are paid $500 when you complete the exit blood test, which is required six months after you retire from the program.

You help someone have the family they always wanted.

Legal Issues

California Family Code states that sperm donors are not considered the legal fathers of any children conceived from their sperm. You have no legal or financial responsibilities for any offspring born from your sperm, nor do you have any parental rights. Furthermore, when you are approved as a donor, you will sign a contract that explicitly protects your privacy.

Anonymity and the Identity-Release® Program

At TSBC, you can choose to remain anonymous or to participate in our Identity-Release® Program. All donors go through the same screening process as described above and TSBC maintains the same level of privacy protections for donors in both programs. At no time will TSBC release a donor’s identity to donor sperm recipients or the parents of children conceived using TSBC donor sperm. The difference between the programs is outlined below and relates to whether or not you are comfortable releasing your identity to adults conceived using your genetic material.

Donors in our Anonymous Program agree to donate samples for sale but do not wish to have their identifying information disclosed to adult offspring. We keep the identity of our anonymous donors confidential and do not release this information to offspring. However, with the advent of the internet and scientific breakthroughs in genetics now and in the future, other avenues can be used to find individuals.

Identity-Release® Program donors agree that TSBC may release their identity at the request of their adult offspring (at least 18 years old). This program is designed to give adults conceived through donor insemination the option of learning their donor's identity in case they have unanswered questions about their genetic background. It is not designed to create parental or family relationships between donors and their offspring. Our research has found that offspring are simply curious about what the donor is like, as well as wanting to learn more about their donors as a way of exploring their own identity. Others also want additional medical information. Choosing to participate in the Identity-Release® Program does not obligate you to meet offspring. This program provides offspring with an option to obtain their donor’s identity through a structured process and could decrease the likelihood of offspring using independent methods to locate their donor.
Click here to read more about our Identity-Release® Program.

Click here to go to our
online application.