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Sponsoring A Blood Drive

Help save lives in our community! Consider hosting a blood drive where you work, worship or play. Inova Blood Donor Services offers a number of convenient and comfortable ways to sponsor a blood drive. Please read this information to help plan a successful blood drive.  Inova Blood Donor Services is seeking new blood drive sponsors.  If your organization has more than 250 or more employees or adult members, please complete our blood drive contact form.

How many donors do I need to have a blood drive?
Inova Blood Donor Services needs to collect a minimum of 40 donations from a blood drive. To do this, at least 50 "committed" donors are needed because usually 12-25 percent of donors will not qualify. We need to collect 200 donations each day to meet patient needs and having "committed" donors helps to ensure that a blood drive will be successful.

I have at least 50 committed donors or I have more questions.
Please call or e-mail Brenda Tingen, our Field Recruitment Manager, at 571-434-3650 or brenda.tingen@inova.org. You may also complete our blood drive contact form. We look forward to working with you to hold successful blood drives. Thank you for helping save lives in our community!

What is a "committed" donor?
Someone who has signed up on the Donor Commitment Form stating that they will donate at your blood drive. Our experience shows that prospective donors who sign up in advance will be more committed to giving at your blood drive. Their phone number and e-mail address will help to schedule them once a date is set.

When can I schedule a date for a drive?
Blood drives are usually scheduled three months to one year in advance, but we may have an earlier opening in our schedule. You may schedule a blood drive for any day of the week, for three to six hours of donor appointments. When you have a commitment of at least 50 donors, please call or e-mail Brenda Tingen, our field recruitment manager, at 571-434-3650 or brenda.tingen@inova.org to discuss scheduling a blood drive. You may also complete our blood drive contact form.

Why do I have to get advance commitments from donors before I schedule a date?
Through our experience, we have learned that obtaining advance commitments from donors usually ensures that they will participate. Advance commitments help you, your donors and Inova Blood Donor Services. Because we are a not-for-profit organization committed to providing patients and donors with high quality service, advance commitments help us ensure an adequate supply of blood for patients in your community and make the most efficient use of limited resources.

What are the options for scheduling blood drives?
We offer several convenient blood drive options:

• Inside your facility. Holding a blood drive inside your facility requires a sizeable space. The space must be readily accessible, free of excess furniture, well lit and adequately air-conditioned/heated. You will also need: six to 10 tables; two to three dozen chairs; restroom access; and parking accommodations for the delivery truck and four to eight staff vehicles. Inova Blood Donor Service provides six to 16 comfortable, contoured donor lounges.
• In a bloodmobile. Two modern, self-contained bloodmobiles are available to bring Inova Blood Donor Services to your facility. The bloodmobiles accommodate eight to 12 donors per hour in a comfortable, pleasant, professional environment. You will need 55 feet of level, hard-surface parking area near a building entrance; a small space inside your building for donor reception and registration; and restroom access.
• At Inova Donor Centers or Community Blood Drives. You may schedule individual or group donations at any Inova Blood Donor Services donor center or community blood drive. Blood drives occur daily and many are open to the public. The Community Blood Drive calendar is available online.

How do I get people to sign up?
Don't be shy; ask them. The main reason people don't donate blood is that they have not been asked. Another option is to form a committee and have each person recruit a certain number of donors. Tell potential donors that each donation can save as many as three lives. Also, if this drive takes place at work, make sure that you have the support from upper management so that your donors may give on company time. We will also work with you to give you more suggestions on how to recruit donors.

How long does it take to donate?
Our goal is to have donors spend less than an hour donating, from time of walking in the door to walking out. The actual donation of one pint of blood only takes about seven to 10 minutes.

“I have been associated with Inova Blood Donor Services since 1985. It is a very well run organization with people who are extremely professional, very friendly, and always there to answer the many questions my donors have in regarding to donating blood. I always have the materials I need to run my blood drive and I'm also offered volunteers to register people if I find I am short staffed for the drive. It is a great pleasure to work with them and I look forward to each drive.”

- Neely Willett Veridian,
Information Solutions Division

“We have worked successfully with Inova Blood donor Services for a number of years. We provide thm the space, and they do the rest. This is a cause that our employees really care about, and this is the most convenient way to do it.”

- Mark Flickinger
Raytheon