Young man smiling while donating blood in a hospital campaign, with medical staff and other donors blurred in the background

Blood donation must be a national priority.

Altruistic, volunteer blood donors remain irreplaceable in supporting a safe and available blood supply. Blood cannot be artificially made in a laboratory, making the impact of blood donations on patient care especially profound, yet only 3% of Americans donate blood each year despite 65% of Americans being eligible.

The Problem

  • An increase in remote work has caused disruptions to traditional blood drive schedules with the business community, which is responsible for as much as 30% of the blood supply each year and a core place of donation for individuals aged 25-60.
  • The percentage of young adults donating blood between the ages of 16 and has decreased by more than 10 percent in recent years. Donations from younger generations is critical to the long-term stability of the U.S. blood supply.
  • Roughly 12% of all blood donations come from communities of color, despite the critical need for a diverse pool of blood donors is critical to patient care. Many conditions such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia disproportionately impact minority populations and demand that ongoing blood transfusions are matched beyond just blood type, often from a donor of the same ethnic background.

Take Action

America’s Blood Centers is working with the Administration, Congress, and our industry stakeholders to promote the value of blood and strengthen and diversify our nation’s donor base.

Add your voice to these efforts by sending customizable, prewritten messages to your Members of Congress - it takes only minutes but could have a lasting impact.

Make Your Voice Heard

Latest Developments

Inclusion of Blood on Essential Medicines List & Blood Reimbursement Reform Urged

June 14, 2024
Posted in
February 10 / 10:07 am

America’s Blood Centers (ABC), the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB), and the American Red Cross have asked the Centers for Medicare…

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Eligible Individuals Encouraged to Donate Blood to Help Boost Blood Supply

August 5, 2024
Posted in
February 10 / 10:07 am

The nation’s blood supply is currently strained and eligible individuals are asked to donate blood or platelets to ensure an adequate supply is available to…

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Blood Community Unites to Thank America’s Volunteer Blood Donors Ahead of National Blood Donor Month in January

December 18, 2024
Posted in
February 10 / 10:07 am

Eligible individuals are encouraged to make an appointment to donate Washington, DC – America’s Blood Centers, the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies…

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Resources

Promoting Awareness of New Eligibility Criteria

Learn about two significant changes to donor eligibility requirements recently made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as ABC’s work asking Congress to provide targeted federal funding that can be used locally by blood centers to amplify their education and awareness efforts.

Giving=Living Campaign

The Department of Health and Human Services' Giving = Living was created to increase awareness of the importance of donating blood and to encourage Americans to donate regularly.

Giving=Living Campaign Report to Congress

This report provides a summary of campaign activities to date, from formative research, to implementation, to evaluation.

Advisory Committee on Blood & Tissue Safety & Availability Recommendations

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue Safety and Availability (ACBTSA) released recent recommendations related to the sustainability of the blood supply.

National Blood Collection & Utilization Survey

Since 1997, the biennial National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey (NBCUS) has been the primary method of gathering blood collection and utilization data in the United States.

ADRP: The Association for Blood Donor Professionals

Access educational resources including a members-only online resource library, your go-to hub for the latest toolkits, trends, and best practices in the world of professional development.