Improvements in immunosuppression, organ preservation, surgical technique, and recipient management have led to the widespread adoption of transplantation as a viable therapeutic option for end-stage organ disease. Consequently, more patients than ever are benefiting from organ transplantation. Unfortunately, the rate of organ donation has not kept pace with the increase in the number of recipients awaiting transplantation. The relative shortage of organs has necessitated an increasing reliance on creative strategies aimed at broadening or expanding the limits of the donor pool. For instance, organs now are frequently obtained from so-called extended-criteria donors (i.e., donors who are elderly or who have significant comorbid conditions) or from non-heart-beating donors. A particularly important strategy for alleviating the organ shortage has been the broader application of living donor transplantation. The authors outline the current state of organ procurement from both cadaveric and living donors, including donor evaluation, perioperative management, and the various donor procedures. This review contains 14 figures, 1 table, and 63 references.