In the course of an interesting and worthwhile proposal regarding the establishment of tissue trustee infrastructures, Ashburn et al1 raise the question of compensation for tissue donation. They cite a decision by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to decline the exchange of money for tissue.1 It appears that a long-lived family wanted a huge sum of money in exchange for tissue that could be studied genetically.2 Ashburn and colleagues describe several objections to this kind of compensation. In doing so, they want to allay public mistrust and promote tissue donation. In fact, compensation, not the lack of it, could help achieve these goals.