Building a Healthier Future Through Inclusive Blood Donations
Your Donation Matters to Every Community
Every patient deserves the best possible match when they need blood. A diverse donor base helps ensure lifesaving transfusions are available for patients in communities across the country. By engaging a wide range of people, including younger donors and those from diverse populations, we can help improve patient outcomes and strengthen the health of our communities.
Diversifying The Blood Supply
Learn more about the different communities that help make our blood supply stronger and more inclusive - because diversity in donors means better matches and better care for patients everywhere.
Black Blood Donors
Patients with sickle cell disease often require blood that closely matches their own, and donors who are Black or African American are far more likely to provide these critical matches.
LGBTQ+ Donors
New FDA guidelines now allow more LGBTQ+ individuals to donate, helping strengthen the blood supply. Your donation ensures lifesaving blood is available for all who need it.
Rare Blood Type Donors
Some patients need blood with uncommon antigens found in rare blood types. If you have a rare type, your donation can make the difference for someone with very limited options.
Just The Facts
Hover over each card to reveal key facts about why a diverse blood supply matters and how different communities play a vital role in saving lives.
Blood type, like eye color, is an inherited trait passed down from parents.
In addition to the basic A, B, O and AB blood types, there are over 300 known blood antigens, and some are unique to specific racial and ethnic groups.
Black or African American blood donors are nearly 3 times more likely than donors of other races or ethnicities to provide the blood most commonly needed by patients with sickle cell disease.
Type O blood can help nearly every patient regardless of their blood type and is the most requested by hospitals. Type O blood is more common among Latino (57%) and African American (51%) donors than Caucasian donors (45%).
Healthy Donors. Stronger Communities.
Donating blood is more than a compassionate act for patients—it’s a step toward better community health. Blood donors receive critical health-related information that can support their own health and well-being, including:
- Blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin checks.
- Access to private health charts to help monitor trends over time.
- Additional screenings, including A1C testing and sickle cell trait testing, for certain donors or during select timeframes.
How You Can Help
When you support blood donation, you become part of a nationwide force for good. Whether you choose to get involved by donating, hosting a drive or inspiring someone else to give, you are making a lifesaving difference for patients and communities nationwide. Make an Appointment»