How Do I Get Started?

It's easy. The first step, of course, is to contact your local American Red Cross Blood Services Region by calling 1-800-GIVELIFE. When you call, you will be put in touch with a Blood Drive Representative, who will contact you right away to discuss your blood drive opportunity.

Once you and your representative have set a date, time and goal for your blood drive, your people skills will be called into action. You'll need to appoint a coordinator for your blood drive, and together, you and your coordinator will assemble a recruitment team. The recruitment team will be responsible for approaching individuals in your organization, and requesting their participation in the blood drive. A good recruitment team is the single biggest factor in hosting a successful blood drive; after all, who knows your group's members better than you!

Your representative will provide you with a planning guide, suggested timelines, and all the tools necessary to make your blood drive successful, including posters, suggested e-mail messages, suggested letter copy, etc. You'll be in frequent contact as the drive date gets closer; commitments to hospitals were based on your mutually-established blood drive goal, so it's extremely important that your drive goal be reached.

On the day of the drive, we'll ask that you and/or your organization's leadership be available for last minute details and arrangements. Demonstrating your commitment to your organization's blood drive goal by being the first to sign up, and the first to donate also helps to encourage greater participation.

To get started organizing a blood drive, call 1-800-GIVELIFE today. On behalf of patients and their families who are depending on the generosity of people like you, we thank you.