A Summer Recruitment Program

• Encourages students to get involved in the recruitment of blood donors.

• Participants need to recruit a minimum of 25 blood donors (new, regular and lapsed) over the summer months to qualify for a chance to win a post-secondary educational bursary

• Number of bursaries depends on the dollar amount of sponsorship $$’s donated.

• Bursary winners are selected by random draw

How does ASL work?• Students in High Schools (Grades 11 and 12),

Colleges, and Universities recruit friends, family, and community to sign up to attend a blood donor clinic in the specified province

• Participants that recruit a minimum of 25 people to attend a clinic will qualify for a bursary.

• The winning students will be selected by random draw.

• Bursaries are in $1,000 and $500 denominations

• The student who recruits the most donors overall automatically receives $1,000

• The student who recruits the most first time donors automatically receives $1,000

Contest runs July and August

Implementation

• Program developed in Sudbury Ontario in Summer 2005

• Expanded to Manitoba in Summer of 2007

• Saskatchewan adopted program Summer 2008

• Being offered Nationally for Summer of 2009

Goals and Objectives Goal Attract prospective new donors to help meet the demand for blood during

the summer months and increase donation activity from existing and lapsed donors

Objective #1Attract $$ in bursary sponsorship from provincial companies

Objective #2Attract X student participants to the Assignment Saving Lives program

Objective #3Motivate at least X student recruiters to qualify for a bursary by recruiting a minimum of 25 donors

Objective #4Enable student recruiters to recruit X regular donors and more specifically X new donors to summer clinics

Objective #5Attract enough interest in the program so we meet collection goals in July and August

Rules and Regulations• Student recruiters are not required to donate blood

• To be eligible to participant in the draw for a bursary, students must meet recruitment commitment (25 donors)

• Only one student can be credited for recruiting a donor

• Student recruiters must have potential donors on pledge list to be counted.

• Individuals signed up must register at a blood donor clinic in order to qualify towards the Volunteer Student Recruiter’s total.

• Volunteer Student Recruiters are not required to be in attendance when their donors are attending a blood donor clinic.

• The bursaries will be payable directly to a recognized Post Secondary Institution, and will be held in trust for the student until he or she graduates from High School.

• Should the student decide to not pursue higher education, the sponsor will be contacted and the monies may be returned.

BudgetProgram Costs

•Promo materials (posters, flyers)

•Direct Mail to potential recruiters

•Ads in local papers

•Banner

•Summer student

•Recognition Event

Sponsorship• Sponsorship Packages Developed• Four Sponsorship Levels

– Elite ($5,000)– Gold ($1,000)– Silver ($500)– Bronze ($250 – combined with

another $250 bursary)

• Approached CBS Partner Organizations and other Community Organizations for financial support

• Received good responses in both provinces

Promotion• Mail packages were sent to: High

Schools, Universities, Colleges, youth groups

• Media – Media Release, local cable appearances, radio blogs, newspaper stories

• On-line-University student associations, CBS website

• Partners – emails and letters, especially those hosting clinics during that time frame

• External Events – What’s Your Type Events, Clinics, Summer Student Orientation packages

• Internal – email to employees

Orientation to be a CBS/ASL Volunteer• In person Orientation Sessions

for urban participants • Phone Sessions for rural participants • Volunteer Package – pledge sheets,

clinic information, eligibility information, phone script, rules and regulations, flyers, volunteer application forms

Student Recruitment Activities

• Information table at local grocery store

• Facebook• Donor Parties/ Blood

BBQ’s• Life Bus • Local Radio Station• Blogs• Door Knocking

Tracking

• Students filled out pledge forms with donors names

• Submitted forms to CBS fordata entry

• Pledge lists were checked once a week to see how many donors attended

• Students received weekly updates on their progress

Sample Pledge Sheet

Recognition Event

• All students participants and sponsors invited

• Top two prizes awarded to students who recruited most donors and new donors

• Random draw for other participants who qualified for a bursary

• Included students bios for award winners

• Not every student received a bursary

Recognition Event

• 2 weeks after program ends

• Partner put on event for free (Manitoba)

• Media attended• Drew for the names of

bursary winners

Summary of Results

Saskatchewan Manitoba

# Students Registered 61 48

# Students Participated 21 25

# Students reached goal of 25

8 11

Total Donors from program 476 501

Lapsed Donors 80 61

New Donors 187 201

Total Cost of New Donor $8.53/ new donor $7.41/ new donor

Both provinces exceeded collection targets in July/ August!

Challenges

• Need an online tracking device• Geographic• Human Resources• Maintaining Timely Communication• Gathering Signatures • Too many sponsors wanting to participate

Student Evaluation of Program

• Overall positive experience• Student Feedback

– 90% of recruiters felt our goal was attainable (25 donors)

– 72% said they would participate again next year– 100% said this is a great program for students– 71% did not find being in a rural area put them at a

disadvantage– 58% said they would tell their friends

Lessons Learned

• Program supported local collections during summer

• Rural Students were successful even though they had fewer local clinics to recruit to

• Program was attractive to sponsors (helping youth and patients in need of blood)

• Web Component is important • Find the leaders and enable them to excel

Lasting Benefits• Lasting student involvement in CBS volunteer

programs• What’s Your Type Curriculum Speakers• Clinic Volunteers• Summer Students• Workplace Champions• University Youth Councils• Special Event Speakers (Partners for Life Breakfast)

• 2nd and 3rd time donations• Positive public perception for CBS and Sponsors• Better educated individuals spreading the word

to the public