Tips for Recruiting Donors
Thank you for your interest in supporting the Scott & White Blood Center. By hosting a blood drive, your organization will help ensure a sufficient blood supply and adopt an excellent community service project benefiting the patients in our community.
We want your blood drive to be as successful as possible. We have a few tips which may help you reach your donor goal. Please feel free to call us at 254-724-HERO or 877-724-HERO is you have any questions. Again, on behalf of the patients whose lives will benefit from this blood drive, we express our sincerest thanks!
What You Can Do to Make Your Blood Drive a Success
- Choose a volunteer to coordinate and promote the drive. Better yet, form a team of two or more people to help reach the greatest number of potential donors!
- Sign up donors for a specific time to give blood. If people don't sign up, they don't usually donate. We'll also have preprinted donor cards for any donor who signs up in advance and has previously donated blood with us.
- Encourage members of your local community to participate in the blood drive.
- Take advantage of all opportunities to publicize the drive – local newspapers, radio stations, area businesses, newsletters, flyers, table tents, bulletin boards, emails, memos, overhead announcements, etc.
- Use one-on-one recruitment when possible. Face-to-face recruitment is the most successful because it's easier for a donors to say yes to a person than a poster!
- Motivate your donors through education about the community blood supply. If you'd like a speaker to make a presentation, we'd be happy to help!
- Create an organization-wide challenge. Set up competitions among groups or departments.
- Familiarize yourself and your donors with the medical guidelines to ensure eligibility.
- Make your blood drive a social event. Develop a theme and provide entertainment for your donors – music, food, decorations, etc.
- Get donations from local businesses for food or a grand prize just for your blood drive. All donors love prizes!
What We'll Do to Make Your Blood Drive a Success
- Clearly explain the drive process to you and your team.
- Provide educational materials, a sign-up list, and flyers to help you get started promoting.
- Offer creative recruitment ideas and tactics.
- Coordinate the collections staff for the day of the drive.
- Provide refreshments for the canteen area.
- Select an alternate date and time in the event of low response.
- Provide monthly giveaways, such as a t-shirt and squeezie.
- Recognize outstanding donors at the annual donor banquet.