Make a list of potential donors to be solicited and estimate the participation level. Identify exact potential donors from a population-based on their health status (recent disease/epidemic victims), high-risk people, and younger population below the eligible age to donate, women and elderly. This will give you an idea about possible donations. This is the most critical part of a 'drive plan' as you have to work out logistics based on this plan.

If you have done a blood drive in past, obtain donors list, mobile and residence phone numbers. You can call them and leave blood drive message. Call in advance and give them sufficient time to make an appointment. Send a reminder message or call on drive date again. Tour the site to check traffic flow, space requirement, restroom access and ventilation. Talk to concerned personnel on the site about specific arrangements for the drive: i.e. special parking requirements and building access permission, publicity material display norms etc.

Develop appropriate campaign material as per the permission access you get from the premise owner. Use posters, flyers, bulletin inserts, pledge cards, news releases, display stands, and needed supplies from Studio/campaign office of blood centre. You can also use email and SMS service to motivate donors through message broadcast. The donor consultants will help you to get this material. Arrange for audio system. Good music will please the donors and also they get relaxed while donating.

Notify organization members and donors of the upcoming drive and ask for their support.

Recruit coordinators/ volunteers to publicize the drive and recruit donors. There should be one coordinator/volunteer for every 25 donors. You can do pre-drive registration where the donors are given the registration forms to fill in advance and walk in to donate. Decorate the site well in advance. Donors get attracted to well decorated site. It gives them pleasure to donate at a well decked up drive site as it is a moment of joy for a donor. The joy of saving someone's life. Hence the site should be well light up and encouraging. Dull sites put of the donors and he/she may postpone donation.

During the drive volunteers could take up responsibility of donor motivation, refreshment, donor registration, etc. Call a small meeting of all volunteers and assign individual tasks before the drive. Volunteers can also do spot campaign to motivate donors around the drive premise.

Hand out list of potential donors to each coordinator. They would ensure the donor turnout at donation site.

Keep enough sign posts directing the donor to donation site. Many times the drive site could be remotely located. In such case, there should be enough display material to direct the donor to drive site.

Coordinators should remind donors of their appointments. This is the last reminder to the members and donors. Provide 5-6 tables and 30 chairs. Check the working condition for the Blood Center equipments and other equipments before drive time.

The coordinators should be at the site about 60 minutes before the first donor walks in for donation and to handle any last-minute enquiries.

Assign someone to make reminder calls to donors who are not present at their scheduled time. Notify building management when the last appointment is finished and your plan to pack up.

If the organizer request to wait for some more time, respect his request.

Where to organise a blood drive:

Organising a blood donoation drive is the most desirable social service. You can save so many lives by organising a blood drive. But you may be wondering where to organise and who will donate blood voluntarily. We have listed few segments where you can organise blood drive. You may be having a friend, relative, family member associated with any of the following segments. Approach them and request them to help you organise a blood drive.

1. Corporate Office
   
2. Educational Institutes
   
3. Housing Societies
   
4. Friend's group
   
5. Government offices
   
6. Social groups
   
7. Villages.
   
8. Reglious groups

In addition to above, you can organise blood drives through out the year on various occassions.

Special Blood Drives:

• Birthdays of family members
  
• Death anniversary of loved one
  
• Foundation day of business establishment
  
• Marriage ceremony
  
• Marriage anniversary
  
• Birth anniversary of spiritual leaders
  
• Festivals
  
• Group gatherings.

If you are a corporate employee, your organisation can anounce "BLOOD DONOR DAY" in you organisation on a particular day every year. On this day every employee will come forward to motivate or donate blood voluntarily. Blood donors are recognised by the management for their voluntary effort and honor them in a get together. Decorating the entire office and distributing sweets is good idea. You can contact Prathama Donor Consultant to assist you in planning and organising a drive.
In case you want to know more contact Donor Care Coordinator at Prathama. You will get complete help in planning and organising a blood drive.

Personally ask people to donate. Inform them how important it is to donate. Many donors hesitate to donate. Such donors readily agree to donate if your request them.

You may get as creative as you like. Some offer mementos for the team that has put the best show. Some companies have prizes for the employee who encouraged and convinced most people to donate.

Remember that you can only request - the rest is up to the individual. There will always be those who do not wish to commit and will choose to donate when it suits best for them personally. Some donors get upset when they deferred. Spend some time with them and boost their self-esteem.

• Ensure good word of mouth publicity.
  
• Recruit volunteers/coordinators who have time and desire to participate.
  
• Confirm site arrangements and check that the drive team has easy access to the building.
  
• Hold meetings to distribute materials and educate volunteers on the process
  
• Make best use of available resources.
  
• Recruit donors personally and provide periodic progress reports to blood bank.
  
• Plan who will be donating at your camp and make arrangements for their needs.
  
• Provide baby-sitters and face, painters/face masks, balloons to entertain children so parents of young children can donate easily.
  
• If possible offer pick-up and drop service so that elderly and disabled can participate along with donors.
  
• Be creative and wrap your drive around a theme or concept.
  
• Schedule donors in an efficient way to control lower rate of "walk-ins" and "no-shows"
  
• Staffing for your blood drive is based on the number of expected donors.
  
• Send reminder calls and cards to scheduled donors.
  
• Encourage donors to donate regularly. Post / view your donation on website, participate the discussion forum, post / view technical reports & articles or research papers on clinical areas, etc...
• Say "Thank-you" to coordinators and organizer and to all donors. Offer volunteer gifts/souvenirs.
  Send thank you letters, posters to them.
  
• Send certificates, mementos and other discount/gift vouchers if you commit.
  

Important Days to Organise Blood Donation Drives