Types of Donation
Donating blood is easy. Learn more about the different types of donation and who they help.
- Get a good night’s sleep.
- Eat a healthy meal at least one hour before donating.
- Be well hydrated before your donation.
- Make sure you bring verification of your identity — a driver’s license, donor ID card or government-issued ID card — showing your name and birthdate.
- Sign in and have your identification ready!
- A donor specialist will get you started on a questionnaire on a tablet related to your health, travel and other risk factors. (If you’d like more information about some of the questions, visit the eligibility section.)
- The donor specialist will ask follow-up questions regarding your answers to the questionnaire to ensure that donating is right for you and safe for patients. Your answers are confidential.
- A donor specialist will conduct a “mini physical,” checking your blood pressure, temperature and pulse.
- He or she will also take a small drop of blood from your finger to test your blood iron count.
- If you meet all the requirements, you’ll be escorted to a bed in the donor room.
- The donor specialist will clean your arm and use a sterile blood donation kit to draw blood from a vein in your arm.
- Approximately 1 pint of blood is drawn, which takes approximately 10 minutes.
- After the donation, the donor specialist will remove the needle and ask you to apply pressure and raise your arm to prevent clotting.
- When you are ready, you will be escorted to our donor cafe for a bit of rest and rehydration.
- Have a seat and let our volunteer or staff bring you your choice of water, juice, cookies and other snacks.
- It’s a good idea to relax for at least 10 minutes so your body has time to begin replacing your donated fluids.
- Enjoy your day — you’ve earned it!
- Drink more fluids than usual in the next few hours, but avoid alcohol.
- Eat a nutritious meal soon after you donate.
- Keep your bandage on for about 3 hours.
- You may resume normal daily activities, but avoid strenuous exercise.
- If you’re feeling funny or light-headed, lay down for a little bit and drink more fluids.
While about 38% of the population is eligible to donate blood, fewer than 5% do. It’s easy to verify that you are eligible. If you have additional questions about blood donation, please check our Blood Donation FAQs.
Help save lives in your community. Become a voluntary blood donor today! Schedule your blood donation.
Whole Blood Donation
Volunteer to donate blood at a blood donation center near you. Find out how often you can donate blood and make an appointment to donate today.
Double Red Cells Donation
Volunteer to donate double red cells at a blood donation center near you. Learn more about donating red blood cells and make an appointment to donate today.
Platelet Donation
Volunteer to donate platelets at a blood and platelets donation center near you. Find out how to donate platelets and make an appointment to donate today.
Plasma Donation
Volunteer to donate plasma at a blood and plasma donation center near you. Find out how often you can donate plasma and make an appointment to donate today.
Blood Donation Locations
Find a Versiti blood donation center and search for a blood drive near you. Make an appointment to donate blood today.
Host A Blood Drive
Blood drive organizations save lives. Learn how to host a blood drive in your community with Versiti.
Importance of Diverse Donors
Diverse blood donations improve blood transfusion outcomes for sickle cell patients and diverse blood recipients. Make an appointment to donate blood.
Whole blood, apheresis (platelets, plasma, red blood cells) and autologous.
Donating a component is very much like donating blood. The primary difference is that during a component donation, blood flows from a tube in your arm to a sterile chamber within an automation machine that separates the blood into various components. The needed components are collected, the remaining blood is returned to your body.
Red blood cells may be used to help accident victims, surgical patients and people with anemia. Platelets may be used to treat leukemia and other cancer patients. Plasma is often necessary in the treatment of patients suffering from burns or shock.
Become an Organ and Tissue Donor
Learn more about how to sign up as an organ, tissue and eye donor and how organ donation saves and enhances lives in our communities.
Funding Research
Versiti Blood Research Institute Foundation accepts financial and philanthropic gifts from donors, which helps to propel lifesaving research.
Volunteering with Versiti
Versiti volunteers provide an invaluable service to our lifesaving mission. Learn more about Versiti’s volunteer services and how you can serve your community.