Put your chapter’s leadership skills to work for a lifesaving cause. Through the Collegiate DECA × American Red Cross Community Impact Program, chapters can organize campus blood drives, engage their communities and pursue potential $1,000 scholarship opportunities.
Hosting a blood drive gives members hands-on experience in marketing, project management, communication and teamwork while helping support patients who depend on donated blood.
Five Challenges to Inspire Your Chapter
The program proposes five scholarship categories, each potentially eligible for a $1,000 award:
- First to Host: The first campus to host a qualifying blood drive.
- Most Drives: The campus hosting the greatest number of blood drives.
- Top Collector: The top collector in a single blood drive.
- Sickle Cell Initiative: The most blood units collected from Black/African American donors.
- Type O Initiative: The most blood units collected from Latino donors.
Scholarship categories and awards remain proposed until formally approved and published. Awards are subject to final approval, eligibility, verification and published rules.
How to Get Started
Connect with the Red Cross. Complete the Collegiate DECA Blood Drive Interest Form to explore hosting a drive. Begin planning at least 12 weeks before your preferred date to discuss location, campus approvals and event requirements.
Build your team. Identify a student lead and assign members to donor recruitment, promotion and volunteer coordination. Partner with campus organizations, faculty and student services to expand your reach.
Promote, host and celebrate. Use Red Cross recruitment resources, personal invitations, email and social media to encourage appointments. Your chapter coordinates campus engagement, while the Red Cross provides trained staff, equipment and confidential donor screening and collection services. Afterward, request official results from your Red Cross contact and review scholarship requirements.
Ready to lead, serve and make an impact? Submit your chapter’s interest form to take the first step. For program questions, contact Bryana Renner at Bryana.Renner@redcross.org.
