Why Donate
Blood donation helps people in need in your community. Donors, especially those who donate regularly, keep our nation's blood supply stable. Although many people donate blood after disasters, blood is needed every day of the year.
Be a Blood Donation Advocate
Not only is it important to donate regularly, but it's also important to advocate for blood donation to family, friends and coworkers.
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Ways to Start the Blood Donation Conversation
- Your group of friends and family is the perfect place to start. You already have a rapport and access to their time and attention. Start with sharing a 15-20 second video on social to tell them why you donate; it can be casual and simple! Here’s a sample video.
- Work for an organization or company? Talk to your organization’s leaders or send an email to the HR representative sharing the importance of blood donation and how your group can help local communities through blood drives.
- One of the most common reasons people give for not donating blood is, “No one ever asked me.” In our experience, nothing is more effective than face-to-face recruitment. An individual and personalized ask is often all it takes.
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Conversation Tips You Can Use
- Ask appropriately. You can’t make anyone donate but you can start a conversation. Understand how a potential donor feels and answer questions they may have.
- Educate the prospective donor about the importance of blood donation. Keep the focus on the local patients who need blood.
- Reduce the fear of the unknown by explaining the donation process. Educate new donors about what to expect.
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30-Second Advocacy Pitch
Use this elevator pitch to talk to anyone you know about the importance of blood donation:
Hi there! My name is {NAME}, can I have a couple of seconds of your time? You probably haven’t thought about the importance of blood donation – but let me tell you why you should. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood in some way. This makes it extremely important to keep a steady blood supply on the shelf. Every day, patients are counting on getting that blood – whether it’s to feel better or to save their lives. Can I show you how easy it is to schedule an appointment?
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Marketing Resources Toolkit
Our Marketing Toolkit provides images, talking points and more to share with your friends, family, coworkers, etc. to encourage them to donate.
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Drive Coordinator Resources
Are you a drive coordinator? We have resources just for you. Click the link below to learn more.
This Life Brought to You by Blood Donors
Blood is a product that has no substitute and must be donated from volunteers just like you. No matter the donation you make, you will be saving the life of a neighbor in need. Learn more about how you can impact a life below:
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Blood
Whole blood donations are the most common form of donation. In it, you will donate a pint of blood in a process that takes about an hour, in total. This donation can save up to three lives and can be repeated every 56 days.
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Platelets
What do you need to know about platelet donation? Platelets are tiny disk-shaped fragments of blood cells that are essential for normal blood clotting. Platelets are critically needed every day for some of the sickest patients, like those in cancer treatment or babies born without clotting factors.
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Plasma
Plasma is the liquid component of blood, which carries red blood cells and nutrients to the parts of the body that need it. Plasma is used to treat burn victims and those with trauma or clotting disorders.
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Blood Types
Each person has a specific blood type, based on the combination of factors included in their blood. This blood type allows medical facilities to give the right blood to the right patient, as well as helping blood centers find the best donation for your type.
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Power Red Donation
Become A Power Red Blood Donor!
How Donating Helps You, Too
Most importantly, donating blood will provide health and healing for local patients in need. But, donating blood has some nice additional perks, too!
- At each donation, you receive a mini health screening, including checks of your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- As a thank you for your donation, you’ll get a free t-shirt and snacks, as well as any partner giveaway we have at the time.
- For each donation, you’ll receive donor rewards points, which can be redeemed in our donor reward store at various times during the year.
Global Blood Fund
With each donation, you can forego your promotional t-shirt and instead choose to have the blood center make a financial donation to Global Blood Fund, a charitable organization that works to improve the availability and safety of blood in some of the world’s poorest nations.
Donor Benefit Plans
If you or a loved one needs blood, you can help pay your donation forward using a Donor Benefit Plan. These plans help offset some of the cost of needed blood products, which covers expenses associated with collecting, testing and processing the blood.