NUTS & BOLTS • blood drive success
starting with the basics

build a strong recruitment team

Your high school may be sponsoring the blood drive, but a strong recruitment committee will make the blood drive a success. The number one reason why people don’t donate is because they weren’t asked to. Be sure to involve student government leaders, faculty members, and club representatives to help inform and recruit potential blood donors. Also, include sophomores and freshmen - some might be too young to donate, but the experience of helping recruit blood donors will be beneficial to future high school blood drives.

generate publicity

Ask for announcements in the school newspaper and on the PA system. Give five-minute speeches in classrooms to inform students about the up and coming blood drive and ask for support. Hang posters, send e-mails and set-up a blood drive sign-up table in the school cafeteria or other gathering area. Ask a Blood Bank of Alaska Community Coordinator about scheduling the Bloodhound or Buddy the Blood Drop mascot for a future assembly or presentation.

create excitement

Promote a FUN day for recruiting - maybe all who have pledged to donate could wear red. Encourage competition such as boys vs. girls, band vs. chorus, etc. Create a large thermometer poster, place it in a visible location and then continue to color it in as you make progress toward your goal when people sign-up to donate blood. Hang banners in the gym, halls, or parking lot.

inform potential donors

Arrange to show the My Blood, Your Blood video or a Blood Bank of Alaska commercial in classrooms or at an assembly. Set-up information tables and give out Blood Bank of Alaska literature in frequent gathering areas. Work with the librarian to prepare a display or exhibit in the library or in hallway display cases. Be sure to inform faculty by placing posters in teacher lounges and offices.

follow up

Make sure the recruitment committee and the blood drive are included in the school yearbook. Ask the school newspaper to run pictures from the blood drive along with the results. Ask the principal if he or she would be willing to write a thank-you letter to include in the school newspaper for everyone who donated blood. Thank everyone involved, using PA announcements, newspaper stories, thank-you notes, awards, certificates, etc.