Surveys of Rotary's influence on blood donation

District 5790, USA, is working with TCU's Schieffer School of Journalism to measure the involvement of Rotary in the global blood donation. Interim data imply that Rotary brings 817,000 units per year to the world's blood supply.

Surveys of Rotary's influence on global blood supply

August 1, 2006

Interim Report compiled by Chuck Kurtzman, PDG, District 5790, and President for Global Network for Blood Donation, Rotarian Action  Group  info@ourblooddrive.org .  

District 5790, USA, is working with TCU's Schieffer School of Journalism, Fort Worth, Texas, to measure the involvement of Rotary in the global blood supply.

After meeting with Rotarians and Carter BloodCare staff (the community blood center serving north Texas), Dr. Gerald L. Grotta's spring class 2006 of 15 graduating seniors undertook the task of helping us gauge the worldwide interest in blood drives and technological support for community blood centers amongst the Rotary Districts of the world. The surveys also identified the leaders of blood donation efforts within the districts and helped us estimate the effect of our efforts on the blood supplies around the world.

Survey questians were sent to those District Governors, Governors-Elect, and Immediate Past District Governors who read or speak English (1020 outbound requests).

By August 2006 208 responses were received from 160 districts -50% of the 320 districts to which the surveys were sent. (There are 529 Districts altogether.) Analysis follows below.

Translations into other Rotary languages were made, but time constraints caused those surveys to be delayed until late summer.

Grotta and his class were delighted to work on a project that had the real potential to help save lives. Ironically, during the semester his wife required blood transfusions, which really brought the project home. He invited us to devise a follow-on project for his summer class.

The second survey was conducted among the blood drive leaders identified in the first. Here we presented samples of materials (newsletter and handbook) and data collection and reporting techniques that we are using locally to find out how these might be useful to others. We also measured the interest in working in concert, to each support our local blood centers.

We received 60 responses to 142 requests. Analysis follows below.

Now, for the first time, we are building a picture of a huge number of individual relationships amongst Rotary Clubs and their local community blood centers. We will use this information to model a network of like-minded individuals, clubs, and districts that can share ideas and inspirations. That can use the "best practices" from around the globe to help reduce blood shortages and help save lives.

Our survey of 1020 English reading DG's, DGE's, and IPDG's revealed the following:2

1. 60% of Districts report that some of their Clubs conduct blood drives

1. 40% of Districts report that the District promotes blood drives

1. 15% of Districts report that Clubs or District is involved in helping local blood centers acquire technology, equipment or training.

1. 150 local blood donation leaders with valid e-mails were identified within the districts.

1. These interim data imply that Rotary brings 817,000 units per year to the world's blood supply