Mental Floss

Looking To Make Some Extra Cash? You Could Earn Up to $1500 per Month for Donating Your Poop

Not the crappiest way to earn a few extra bucks.
Not the crappiest way to earn a few extra bucks. | Srinrat Wuttichaikitcharoen, EyeEm Collection, Getty Images

While you might not think of your daily bowel movements as a potential source of extra income, it turns out that you could be flushing good money down the drain right now.

That’s because Seres Therapeutics, a biotechnology company and research facility, is offering up to $1500 per month for stool donations through its GoodNature Program.

The company aims to study stool samples from healthy adults between the ages of 18 to 50 to advance therapies for C. difficile infections. This bacterium can cause hard-to-treat gastrointestinal issues that may lead to diarrhea and colitis (inflammation of the colon), and that could be potentially fatal for some if left untreated. Up to 30,000 Americans die from chronic C. difficile infections every year.

Essentially, this program is one of the few instances where sitting on the toilet could actually help save lives. But the criteria are selective. The GoodNature Program wants only the best of the best poop from eligible donors who fit the following requirements, as listed below:

  • Between the ages of 18 to 50
  • Have regular bowel movements
  • Fall in the range of normal weight and body mass index (BMI) for your age and height
  • Don’t smoke
  • Have no history of gastrointestinal disease, alcohol, or drug abuse
  • Aren’t pregnant (although the GoodNature Program encourages future donations)
  • Can donate three to four times per week
  • Live near one of the donation centers (located in Los Angeles, Boston, or Phoenix metro areas)

If you think you’ve got what it takes to donate, just fill out this online survey and the people at the GoodNature Program will contact you if you’re eligible. It pays between $25 to $75 per visit (depending on which area you go to), for up to $1500 per month. You could even get a bonus for donating more than three days per week.

Samples are dropped off onsite (in a restroom) at one of the research facilities. Unlike past programs (like this one at the University of California, San Diego), mail-in donations are not accepted. Along with stool samples, the GoodNature Program may also draw blood from you once every two to six weeks. All in all, it’s not exactly the crappiest way to make a few extra bucks.

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