Getting started

Steps to a successful blood drive

Expand all Collapse all

• Contact Memorial Blood Centers

  

  At least 10-12 weeks prior to when you would like to schedule your blood drive, Contact us and let us help you right from the start. We can walk you through each step of the process: setting a date, selecting a location, and establishing a blood drive committee that involves others in your organization who can help you with promotion, blood donor recruitment, and other activities associated with the event.

  Helpful Tip:  Make it an organization-wide effort. The more people involved the better!

  At this early stage, your first task will be to survey your organization using the Blood Drive Pledge Form that will assess the level of participation you might expect in your upcoming blood drive. These results will help determine the type of blood drive (e.g., on-site or bloodmobile) that would be most appropriate.

• Meet with your Donor Recruitment representative

  

  Approximately 8-10 weeks prior to your blood drive, set up your first planning meeting with your Memorial Blood Centers representative. During this initial session, together you will review the results from your Pledge Survey and determine the type of blood drive set up that best fits your needs. You also will discuss blood drive goals, the scheduling donation process, a date for your drive, times and a location that will work best, promotion and advertising opportunities, and the support materials you will need to effectively spread the word about the event.

  Helpful Tip: Have a few dates and locations in mind before you meet with your Memorial Blood Centers representative.

• Finalize plans with your Donor Recruitment representative

  

   

  Five to eight weeks prior to the blood drive, your Memorial Blood Centers representative will deliver promotion materials, including posters and flyers and other marketing items you need to successfully publicize the drive. At this time, you will finalize details regarding the day of the blood drive, including reserved parking, unloading areas, or other equipment needs such as tables and chairs.

  During this time, we encourage you to stay in touch with your designated representative if you have questions, are looking for advice, or would like to discuss promotional ideas to improve your donor recruitment efforts.

   

• Promote and advertise your blood drive

  

  Beginning four weeks prior to the drive, display posters and flyers in as many high-traffic areas as possible, and as allowed: break rooms and lunch rooms, conference rooms and rest rooms, lobbies and elevators. Send out one or several employee email blasts with details regarding your blood drive to help recruit blood donors. Announce the blood drive and put out a call for blood donors in your organization’s newsletter or bulletin, on your company’s intranet, etc. Create a friendly competition among departments or units of the company to heighten awareness of the drive and generate interest and participation.

  Helpful Tip: Find a key person within your organization—your executive director, CEO, or other senior-level executive—to support the blood drive with a personal email, staff announcement, or in some other public way encourage everyone who is eligible to donate.

  Learn more
  Blood Drive Coordinator Toolkit
  Top 10 Tips for a Successful Drive

  See examples
  Luther Automotive posted a YouTube video to generate interest in an upcoming blood drive with Memorial Blood Centers.
  Watch Video

• Host a successful blood drive!

  

  A day or two before the drive, send emails, make reminder announcements or calls to those scheduled to donate. Obtain “Blood Drive Today” posters from your Memorial Blood Centers representative and post them throughout the organization on the day of the drive.

  Helpful Tip: Be sure to thank all donors, coordinators, and volunteers who helped make your drive a success!

• Celebrate your hard work and lives saved

  

  Your Memorial Blood Centers representative will follow-up with you within a week of your blood drive to share results and solicit your feedback on what went well and how we might improve to create even more success with your next drive. Our goal is to provide the best customer service and donor experience possible, and we value greatly your honest and open feedback.

  Helpful Tip:  Share the success of your drive with the entire organization: send out an email or memo, place an article in your newsletter or bulletin, host a company-wide event to acknowledge the department or unit that donated the most blood, etc. Acknowledging the volunteers who participated throughout the blood drive process will help generate continued interest in blood donation that will bring back a growing cadre of loyal donors to your next blood drive with Memorial Blood Centers.

• Set a date for your next blood drive

  

  Contact your Memorial Blood Centers representative to schedule your next blood drive. Whole blood can be donated every 56 days, and we will be happy to plan a series of blood drives with your organization. Consider hosting one per season or one per quarter.