Tapping into Those Varsity Veins

Caryna WildingCommunity Development Coordinator

Best Practices for College/University Recruitment

Relationship Building =

Donor Loyalty

Partnership: A Win-Win

1. Partners for Life

2. Student Peer Recruitment Groups

3. Blood 101: Students Saving Lives

• National program that encourages businesses and community organizations to save lives as a team

• Set a yearly goal for blood donation and choose program champion to help publicize donation opportunites

• Feature PFL on national web site, local certificate and recognition

For College/University Environment

• Approach local clubs, faculties, staff groups

• Work with group in choosing program champion (student lead) to establish goal

• Clinic sponsorship: block off appointment spots for groups and give them sign up sheets

• Provide them with education materials to ensure eligibility

• Week before clinic get sign-up sheets back and release any spots not filled

• Have greeter meet student group, provide signage at clinic, ensure PFL membership forms are signed

• Follow up with your group and book next donation experience

• Your goal – group donating every 56 days

For College/University Environment

Student Peer Recruitment Groups

• Peers are more effective recruiters than we are – they know their audience – they have connections– they have more open

access to campus facilities

• This enables you to do more high-level planning and less of the “nitty-gritty”

Building your Student Peer Recruitment Team

• Goal: To have one leader, one leader-in-training, and 10 - 20 volunteers

• Sales pitch: Being a student peer recruitment leader differentiates you from your peers in that you have actual leadership experience

Where to Find Student Leaders?

• High school student leaders who are now attending college/university

• Current donors (advertise at your blood donor clinic)

• Internet job boards as a volunteer opportunity

• Volunteer Fairs• Talk to current student

refreshment volunteers

How To Keep them Motivated

• Work with them to build a framework for recruitment initiatives for the year (SMART goals)

• Initiate further skill-developing opportunities• Guide student-initiated challenges

• 23 colleges/universities participated this year • Individual recruiters established goals based on number

of events/ established quotas• Winning school was the school who collected the highest

percentage of established goal which made the challenge fair

• Winning school received the Blood 101 trophy, bragging rights and a draw was held for a Sony Reader from participants

Blood 101 Goals

• Provides framework for publicity and events

• Leads to lots of free media opportunities

• Lends credibility to your peer recruiters when meeting faculty and staff and asking for assistance

• 2010 goal was to collect 5,000 units of blood during the challenge from the participating schools and to have over 7,200 students attending our clinics

Blood 101 Results

• 7526 students attended clinics across the country on behalf of 23 schools and 5867 units were collected

• 50% of schools achieved 100% of their goal or better

• Many media hits and many of the student recruitment groups formed will continue on with the challenge for the following year

Peer Recruitment Tools and Tricks

• Always, always book appointments!!• What’s Your Type/OneMatch

recruitment events• TV spots and advertisements

produced by students• Roving recruitment• Powerpoint slides in classrooms• Movie theatre advertisements• Facebook, Twitter, emailers• Student newspaper articles

Questions??