When I am at work a very common question that I usually am asked on the phones at Incept by prospective blood donors is, “Do I get paid for my blood donation?” I can’t help but to think back to my days of plasma donating every time I hear that question.
Granted, time is money. But when it comes to giving a literal part of yourself, such as a blood component, who is really benefiting when you donate plasma? The fact of the matter is this: while some plasma donations are used to treat hemophiliacs, burn victims, and other certain types of medical conditions, many plasma donations go to research facilities where different types of testing can be done and not always directly to those in need. Once you donate your plasma, you really do not have any control where it goes to or how it is used.
How Donor Loyalty Programs Help You As A Donor And Those In Need
It is always refreshing when I am speaking with a blood donor who has a lifetime donation count of twenty, thirty, or fifty donations! I’ve even talked with a handful of donors that have donated blood their whole lives and have one hundred lifetime donations or more, believe it or not! Many times, these folks do not need to be given an incentive to donate blood, they just understand the importance and the healing power and positivity that a single donation can bring to someone’s life.
But since we are on the topic of being paid for certain types of donations, what better thing to bring up than donor loyalty programs? While you may be a blood donor who isn’t in it for the reward – other than saving a few lives – donor loyalty programs can be a nice way for blood banks and blood centers to give back to their donor base and build gentle encouragement toward continuous giving.
A few non-profit organizations that really hit the mark with their donor loyalty programs are LifeSource and Central Blood Bank with Brighten Life (BL Rewards).
It’s quite simple, actually. You show up and donate and get points per donation! Depending on the type of donation you do, you can get more points to spend in their online store. They have gift cards including Olive Garden, Kohls, The Home Depot, and Mobil Gas, as well as many more to choose. The best thing is even if you do not want to spend those points on yourself, you can donate those points to the Lukemia and Lymphoma Society in the form of $15 and $25 donations!
Many blood banks and blood centers have donor loyalty programs, so take the initiate to see what your local center has to offer you. Above everything else you can rest assured that your blood donation is going directly to those who need it!
What type of donor loyalty program do you participate in?