How would you procure new sponsors for blood drives?

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2nd Answer Example

The Red Cross partners with thousands of businesses across the United States to collect millions of blood unit donations each year through its blood drives. The Red Cross website is an excellent resource for detailed information about the process of applying to host a drive, the benefits of hosting a drive, and the resources the American Red Cross provides. Come prepared to the information armed with your knowledge of the Red Cross's blood drives.

Using your knowledge of the operations of blood drives and community/partner benefits, provide the interviewer with a brief pitch that would effectively excite a business about establishing a partnership. Be transparent about the expectations of the partner, who will provide volunteers, donors, and location for the blood drive. Then, detail what the Red Cross will provide in terms of logistical and supply support. Finally, share results from recent blood drives and the impact they will have on blood transfusion recipients.

"Any time I meet with a potential partner host for special events, I always come prepared with specifics regarding benefits for the partner and support the organization commits to providing. Based on what I learned about blood drive sponsorships reading through the Red Cross's website, I would share that the host partner provides volunteers, blood donors, and a location for the drive. In turn, The Red Cross assists with planning the event, and recruiting volunteers, provides the necessary equipment and supplies including snacks, and trains support staff to assist with the event itself. After the event, the Red Cross provides information about how many blood units were donated. Then, these donations are sent to our labs where they are processed and prepared for use in helping cancer patients, people suffering from sickle cell disease, burn and trauma victims, and more."

"The first step would be to identify potential new partners by researching companies in my chapter's area whose social responsibility efforts are focused on public health issues. After securing a meeting, I would present the benefits of partnering with the Red Cross and share results from past blood drives. I would carefully detail the pre-drive process, the operation of the drive itself, and what happens to the donations after they are collected. I would highlight how participants are left with a feeling of doing good and how participating in a blood drive can boost an organization's image in the community."