Who Benefits From Donor Scheduling?

It is in everyone’s best interest to incorporate appointment scheduling at blood drives. Donors, sponsors, chairpersons, and donor services staff all benefit from a smooth flow of donors to make the blood drive experience the best for everyone. Here are a few of the ways it can benefit each:

Benefits for donors:

• Donors begin to treat their appointment just as they would any other appointment.
• Donors feel a commitment to donate which results in a lower no show rate.
• Donor flow is more predictable and more manageable.
• Donors get through the process in an hour or less.

 Benefits to chairpersons:

• The chairperson learns what percentage of their group is participating.
• The chairperson is better able to predict and manage their own success.
• 72 Hour “Sign Up” call-ins to recruiter in many cases can provide additional staff to help process donors.
• The chairperson is better able to state with confidence that the donation process will take an hour or less.
• The chairperson is associated with a positive experience.
• The chairperson and recruiter can more accurately predict resources and projections for the next drive. Success breeds more success!
• Chairpersons can schedule their drives for the entire year so donors can always schedule their appointment for the next drive.

 Benefits to donor services:

• More effective use of resources.
• Increased organization at the drive enables better service to sponsors and donors. .
• Staff breaks can be planned around lulls in the schedule.

Benefits of a Recruitment Committee

The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center strongly recommends Recruitment Committees for each blood drive. This is the single most effective practice that helps ensure ongoing success of your blood drives..

A recruitment committee consists of recruiters from within your organization who ask people to donate blood face-to-face, starting two or three weeks before your blood drive. The best recruiters are those people who have been regular blood donors. Your professional donor recruitment consultant can help train them to overcome the possible objections they may receive.

The number one reason people give for not donating blood is that, “NO ONE ASKED ME!” The most effective ratio is one recruiter for every seven to ten donors you want to sign up.

Benefits:

• People will only donate for certain if they are personally asked to donate and asked to make a commitment at a specific time.
• Recruitment committees involve more people in your blood drive, which makes it more fun, more exciting, and more successful with less effort.
• A recruitment committee makes you the manager of the blood drive plan, as opposed to the worker of the blood drive.
• Sign ups, which are a commitment from a person to donate and add their name to the list, is the only true way of being in control of your blood drive’s destiny and success.
• This is a much more effective use of your time; you KNOW your efforts and valuable time are bearing the fruit of lifesaving sign ups and donations!
• If your sign ups total more than your Sign Up Target (your blood drive projection plus 20%), please notify your donor recruitment consultant at least 72 hours in advance of your blood drive. We can usually organize more staff to properly service your donors, your organization, and you. Providing our staff where we know the donors will be enables us to better serve hospital patients.
• As the blood drive chairperson, all of the above makes you look good because it makes your blood drive an organized and professional process.
• A recruitment committee ensures back-up, in case you are not immediately available before and during your blood drive.

Key Steps to a Successful Blood Drive

8 weeks before the drive

• Confirm drive date, hours, projection and location with your STBTC recruiter.
• Investigate all organizational functions that could interfere with the blood drive.
• Schedule a face-to-face planning meeting with your STBTC recruiter.
• Confirm CEO/Organizational head support and involvement.
• Identify area for drive (room or mobile unit). Assess area with Donor Services

6 weeks before the drive

• Identify key members of your blood drive recruitment committee.
• Identify a co-chair who can assist you in the blood drive planning and organization.
• Set recruitment meeting date agenda. Invite key leadership to kick off.
• Develop list of all recruitment activities and responsibilities.
• Secure a blood recipient within your organization to attend recruitment meeting.

4 weeks before the drive

• Meet with recruiters. Educate and motivate them.
• Teach face to face recruiting.
• Assign recruiting goal to each recruiter.
• Explain blood usage and necessity to obtain 100% of projection.

2 weeks before the drive

• Verify number of sign-ups vs. recruitment target for each of your recruiters.
• Does the schedule have even distribution of appointments?
• Are there open slots for last minute donors?
• Reaffirm logistics; parking of bus.

1 week before the drive

• Total appointment count compared to projection.
• Discuss with your STBTC recruiter additional ways to sign up more donors.
• Verify who will make reminder calls and when they will make them.

3 days before the drive

• Final count of donor sign-ups to STBTC recruiter.
• Remind all donors of their commitment to save lives and of their appointment time.
• Fax donor schedule to STBTC recruiter.
• Confirm “day of” drive coverage.
• Contact any contingency donors as needed.