Developing and Sustaining Minority Donors Relationships

1. Developing and Sustaining Minority Donors Relationships Association of Donor Recruitment Professionals 2009 Annual ADRP Conference St. Pete Beach, Florida

2. FEATURED SPEAKERS Mario Sedlock, Director American Red Cross Blood Services, Southern Region Cynthia A. Smith, Regional Manager Diversity Outreach & Minority Recruitment American Red Cross Blood Services, Southern Region

3. WHO WE ARE: Southern Region of the American Red Cross Blood Services is headquartered in Douglasville, GA. Collect blood in GA, SC, and FL The Blood Processing Center in Douglasville is the largest in the world. Southern Region collects more than 300,000 whole blood units and 36,000 single donor platelets annually. Serve the needs of 120 hospitals in Georgia.

4. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Population in Georgia approximately 8.5 million. African-Americans comprise 28% of the population or 2.4 million residents. Only 13.7% of all blood collected comes from African-Americans. Hospital demand exceeds supply by almost 45,000 units. Type-O collections are 51.6% and demand is closer to 53-54%.

5. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS……… Cont. More than 50% of the population of Georgia resides in Metro Atlanta. To achieve necessary growth in African-American Collections we must concentrate on Metro Atlanta.

6. DEVELOPING A PLAN: Gain support of Senior Management before moving forward. Analyze all available data and determine growth objectives. Select personnel and begin strategic planning. Perform a resource analysis (people, time, costs, etc…). Put plans into action.

7. WHAT IS AN ADVISORY BOARD?: An Advisory Board is a collection of individuals who bring unique knowledge and skills whichcomplement the knowledge and skills of the formal Board members in order to more effectivelygovern the organization.

8. ELECTING OFFICERS: Chair-Shall preside at all meetings of the board shall see that orders and resolutions of the board are carried out . Co- Chair-The Co- Chair shall act in the place of the Chair in the event of his absence, inability or refusal to act, and shall exercise and discharge such other duties as may be required of him by the board Secretary - Secretary shall record the votes and keep minutes of all meetings and proceedings of the Board and of the members; keep the corporate seal of the Association and affix it on all papers requiring the seal of the Association; serve notice of meetings of the Board and of the members; keep appropriate current records showing the members of the Association together with their addresses, and shall perform such other duties required by the Board.

9. 6 TIPS ON BUILDING YOUR OWN ADVISORY BOARD: Where To Look - Start with who you know and trust. Three's Not Always A Crowd– Odd numbers will help with swing votes or key decisions. Find A Big Name Or Two - The greatest asset an adviser lends is credibility . "Advisers are people who open doors." Balance Is Best - Smart advisers are good, but you also want a spread of perspectives and skills that complement your own. What To Pay– Volunteers Only Shelf Life- Set an adviser term limit from 12 to 24 months so that you don't have to deal with sudden, awkward dismissals. You may only hold meetings a handful of times a year, but check in more often than that by e-mail communication

10. WELCOME LETTERS: Mrs. Cheryl Bobbitt President AT&T Affinity Group Dear Cheryl, Would you please consider joining the community leadership and national public awareness campaign entitled “The Power Is In You” as an Advisory Board Member. Your community contacts and ongoing support will be a tremendous help to our effort to create awareness and increase blood donors. The board responsibilities are enclosed along with collateral material that will provide you with information relevant to this campaign. “The Power Is In You” campaign will create awareness of the need to increase blood donations from those in the African-American community. This strategy includes action plans directed towards targeting historically black colleges and universities (HBCU’s) black churches (and other faith-based organizations), as well as civic and social organizations. As the Minority Recruitment Manager for the American Red Cross, Southern Region, I work with Jennifer Philips, the Minority Recruitment Representative, and the Advisory Board, to implement and evaluate new and innovative strategies for recruiting African-American donors. Ms. Bobbitt, the assignment would starts on February 28, 2008, after the Minority Recruitment Luncheon. Ms. Bobbitt, thank you for your time and consideration of this matter, I will contact you soon to follow-up on this correspondence. Feel free to contact me at 770-852-4320, or e-mail me at smithcyn@usa.redcross.org Sincerely, Cynthia A. Smith Regional Manger of Diversity Outreach / Minority Recruitment American Red Cross Blood Services, Southern Region

11. THANK YOU LETTER: Dear Mrs. Bobbitt, President AT&T Affinity Group Thank you for joining the community leadership and national public awareness campaign entitled "The Power Is In You" as an Advisory Board Member. Your community contacts and expertise will be a tremendous help to our effort to create awareness on the need for increasing blood donations from those in the African-American community. As the Minority Recruitment Manager for the American Red Cross, Southern Region, my job is to create, implement and evaluate new and innovative strategies to maximize our chances for success by hosting successful blood drives in various communities. We are very excited about this important educational and blood recruitment program. We look forward to your involvement and a growing partnership. I will contact you in the near future with the time and date of the next meeting. At this meeting we will provide you with an overview of the campaign and discuss future actions to meet organizational goals. Sincerely, Cynthia A. Smith Regional Manager of Diversity Outreach/ Minority Recruitment American Red Cross Blood Services, Southern Region

12. MISSION STATEMENT: Serve as an advocate, ambassador and public relations representative for the campaign The Power Is In You. Network in the minority communities on behalf of the American Red Cross. Build positive relationships for the Southern Region Blood Services. Utilize community and professional resources and contacts for potential sponsor groups. Provide advice and support for future recruitment of sponsor groups and donors. Recommendstrategic methods to improve campaign effectiveness. Increase minority blood donations in the Southern Region.

13. ROLES OF THE ADVISORY BOARD: The Advisory Board has many responsibilities. In general, the board is to: Determine goals, objectives and the campaign's mission statement Select officers from among the board members. Provide campaign leadership and direction; evaluate campaign successes, strengths and weaknesses. Establish policies and other general guidelines to improve campaign effectiveness Encourage Black / minority communities "ownership" of campaign Endorse the campaign by hosting at least one blood drive a year at your company , church , or give a lead that results into a blood drive

14. ROLES OF THE ADVISORY BOARD: …..cont. Utilize community and professional resources and contacts to help reach campaign goals; share time, talent and influence Network within the community on behalf of the campaign to help build positive relationships for the Blood Center Set up sub-committees, as necessary, to execute tasks and divide the work of the board; along with getting a Speakers Bureau organize Establish a quarterly meeting schedule or more frequent meetings as campaign activities warrant; Attend at least 4 of the 6 meetings per year Present a quarterly campaign progress report to the Blood Services Board No Board Member is to host a drive with a competitor

15. CREATE LOCAL MARKETING MATERIAL: Use local individuals “if possible” for testimonial in print and Speakers Bureau Become a partner with the local Sickle Cell Hospital or foundation, it will help with the above bullet Partner with your regional / divisional marketing department to assure that you’re part of the decision making in relation to change Create Updated Promotional Material Promotional material should tell a story One sizes doesn’t fit all Stay with trend of all age group, all can be a donor

16. 1stANNUAL MINORITY RECRUITMENT LUNCHEON: Management Approval Meeting with all parties involved, including communications Will you fund the luncheon by having a sponsor? How will you pay? Location ? Guest Speaker ? Who will you invite ? Where should you go to get names of influential people? What’s the message for the first luncheon? Will you have a Testimonial Speaker? Invitations created, along with a letter from SVP, CEO outlining the purpose of the 1st Annual Luncheon Will you have information folders for the guests? Will you give all guest a gift? Timeline with what needs to be done, who’s responsible for doing it , date completed.

17. TARGET SPECIFIC SPONSORS: Local Colleges and Universities Corporate Affinity Groups Local and National Civic Organizations Fraternities and Sororities National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 100 Black Men 100 Black Women • Federal, State and Local Government • Established Entrepreneurs • Educators and Students • Civic Leaders • Corporate • Community Affairs Specialist • Medical Leaders/Public Health Partners • Religious Leaders

18. HAVE WE MADE A DIFFERENCE OVER THE LAST 8 YEAR? Yes! How?

19. CONTACT INFORMATION: Mario Sedlock SedlockM@usa.redcross.org Cynthia A. Smith Smithcyn@usa.redcross.org