Blood is the essence of life and to give selflessly can make you feel more connected to your community and to the world around you. It's a fulfilling, powerful and enriching experience to know that your donation could save lives. Unfortunately, fewer than 5% of people who are eligible to donate actually do. Imagine the lives that could be touched by your gift. It's a quick, simple and amazing way to give back to the community.
For more than 65 years, BloodCenter of Wisconsin has partnered with donors to meet the needs of people in our local communities. BloodCenter is the only supplier of blood products to more than 50 Wisconsin community hospitals. Your contribution as a blood donor helps enhance the lives of your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers.
To schedule your appointment, please create a login at myBCW. If you are a new donor, select the blue button to proceed with building your profile and scheduling your appointment. Or call us at 1-877-BE-A-HERO (1-877-232-4376) and we can assist you in scheduling your appointment or answering your questions. If you prefer to contact us online, please fill out our Contact Form.
Why becoming a blood donor matters
Your blood donation can help save lives. To meet the needs of patients throughout our state, BloodCenter of Wisconsin must see more than 800 donors a day.
Giving blood is a quick and enriching way to give back to your community. You will feel great knowing that you’ve helped give patients hope for better health. If you have additional questions about blood donation, please check our Blood Donation FAQs.
What to expect when I donate for the first timeIf you have never donated blood before, you are probably wondering what to expect. The donation process for blood is easy, safe and takes about an hour. For a complete list of how you can prepare to make sure that your first experience giving blood goes smoothly, check out the Donation Process section.
Making an appointment is quick and easy.
To schedule your first appointment online, please create a login at myBCW. If you are a new donor, select the blue button to proceed with building your profile and scheduling your appointment. After your first donation you’ll receive a letter with your Donor ID number. This will allow you to create your personal account on myBCW and track your donation history, eligibility and medical history.
You can also schedule an appointment by calling us at 1-877-BE-A-HERO (877-232-4376). You can view a list of donor centers or upcoming blood drives at
MyBCW.
Preparing for your blood donation appointment
It’s easy to share your good health through blood donation. These steps will help you prepare for your donation and ensure the best possible experience:
The entire donation process for blood is easy, safe and takes about an hour.
1. Registration
When you come to a Donor Center or a blood drive at your business or community organization, you’ll be asked for identification such as a blood donor card, driver’s license, government-issued ID or any other form of identification that shows your picture, birth date and address. You will be asked to provide basic personal information (name, address, phone). You will receive a list of health-related questions and asked to select “yes” or “no” for each. Some of the questions ask about travel to foreign countries or medications you may have recently taken. If you’d like more of an idea about some of the questions, go to the eligibility section to see a list. Like all other blood bank organizations, we are required to ask these questions to help ensure the safety of the blood supply.
2. Medical review
Next, you’ll meet privately with a donor specialist who will conduct a “mini physical.” Your blood pressure, temperature and pulse will be taken. He or she will also take a small drop of blood from your finger to test your blood count. The donor specialist will then review your answers to the health-related questions to make sure that donating is right for you and right for the patients who would be receiving your blood.
3. Donate blood
The actual donation itself takes approximately 10 minutes. The average adult has about 10 –11 pints of blood. During a whole blood donation, about one pint is drawn. You might feel a pinch at first, but then it’s gone, and all you have to do is gently squeeze a ball every few seconds until your blood donation is complete. Some people are afraid of this step, but donating blood really doesn’t hurt. And think of all the patients and families you’re helping.
4. Café time
Donors then head over to the café area for a bit of rest and a few goodies such as cookies and beverages. Your body will begin to replace the donated fluids right away.
5. After your donation
Enjoy your day, you’ve earned it! It’s important to drink lots of fluids the first 24 hours after you’ve donated and avoid strenuous physical activity or heavy lifting for a few hours. If you feel light-headed, lie down until you feel better. You will be able to donate again in 56 days. After your first donation, you’ll receive a letter with your donor ID number. Use your ID number to access your personal account on myBCW(Link: https://web.bcw.edu/bcw/login.php) which helps you keep track of when you last donated, your eligibility and your medical history. After your second donation, you’ll receive a donor ID card for added convenience on your subsequent donation visits.
If you have questions after your donation, please email us at donorservices@bcw.edu or use our Contact Form.
Questions?
Call us at 1-877-BE-A-HERO (1-877-232-4376) if you have any questions or would like your DONOR ID. If you prefer to contact us online, please fill out the Contact Form.
What to expect when you donate blood
Giving blood is easy. In about an hour, you can make a difference in several lives in your community. The donation process for blood components like plasma, platelets and red cells is nearly identical to the process of giving whole blood. The difference is that it takes slightly longer to donate blood components than it does to donate whole blood. Also, any blood components that are collected – but not intended for use by patients – are immediately returned to your body. (When donating whole blood, nothing is returned to your body, and your blood levels are restored naturally.) Read about the different types of donations and about how giving blood components can give you the opportunity to help even more people.
Before you make your blood donation appointment
Preparing for your blood donation appointment
It’s easy to share your good health through blood donation. These steps will help you prepare for your donation and ensure the best possible experience:
The entire donation process for blood is easy, safe and takes about an hour. These steps outline how simple and quick it is to give blood:
1. Registration
When you come to a donor center or a blood drive at your business or community organization, you’ll be asked for identification such as a blood donor card, driver’s license, government-issued ID or any other form of identification that shows your picture, birth date and address. You will be asked to provide basic personal information (name, address, phone). Then, in a private room, you will answer health-related questions. You will use a computer-based system and will be asked to select “yes” or “no” for each question. Some of the questions ask about travel to foreign countries or medications you may have recently taken. If you’d like to see some of the questions, go to the eligibility section. Like all other blood bank organizations, we are required to ask these questions to help ensure the safety of the blood supply.
2. Medical review
Next, you’ll meet privately with a donor specialist who will conduct a “mini physical.” Your blood pressure, temperature and pulse will be taken. He or she will also take a small drop of blood from your finger to test your blood count. The donor specialist will then review your answers to the health-related questions to ensure that donating is right for you and right for the patients who could receive your blood.
3. Donate blood
Your actual donation itself takes approximately 10 minutes, although the entire process takes about 1 hour. The average adult has about 10 to 11 pints of blood. During a whole blood donation, about one pint is drawn. You might feel a pinch at first, but then it’s gone. All you have to do is gently squeeze a ball every few seconds until your blood donation is complete. Some people are afraid of this step, but donating blood really doesn’t hurt. And think of the all the patients you’re helping.
4. Café time
Donors then head to the café area for a bit of rest and a few goodies such as cookies and beverages. Your body will begin to replace the donated fluids right away.
5. After your donation
Enjoy your day, you’ve earned it! It’s important to drink lots of fluids the first 24 hours after you’ve donated and avoid strenuous physical activity or heavy lifting for a few hours. If you feel light-headed, lie down until you feel better. You will be able to donate again in 56 days. After your first donation, you’ll receive a letter with your donor ID number. Use your ID number to access your personal account on myBCW which helps you keep track of when you last donated, your eligibility and your medical history. After your second donation, you’ll receive a donor ID card for added convenience on your subsequent donation visits.
If you have questions after your donation, please email us at donorservices@bcw.edu or use the Contact Form or call 1-877-BE-A-HERO.
Am I eligible to donate blood?While 60% of the population is eligible to donate blood, fewer than 5% do so. But you have the opportunity! It’s easy to check and ensure that you are eligible. If you have additional questions about blood donation, please check our Blood Donation FAQs.
Donor eligibility
All donors should be in good health on the day of donation. To be eligible, you must:
Donors age 16 to 18: please visit Information for Students for additional eligibility criteria.
Medications and health history
Most medications are acceptable. If you are on medication(s) and are unsure whether you can donate, please view the list of unacceptable medications which includes explanations of why certain medications are unacceptable.
Donors must be infection-free at the time of donation. If you are taking an antibiotic for an active infection, please wait until the infection has cleared before donating.
It is also important to know your health history. Be ready to discuss any past or present health conditions or surgeries. Your health history is confidential and will not be shared with anyone other than appropriate BloodCenter of Wisconsin staff members.
Common health history questions
Below are some common conditions/situations that potential donors frequently ask about:
BloodCenter of Wisconsin performs all blood donations using sterile, disposable equipment throughout the donation process. You cannot get AIDS or any other disease by donating blood.
Biggest eligibility myths
Myth: “I am taking medication so I can't donate.”
Fact: Most medications do not impact your ability to give blood. Persons on a variety of medications can safely donate. View a list of unacceptable medications and an explanation as to why they are unacceptable.
Myth: “Once I tried to give blood but my blood count was too low. That means I can't ever give blood.”
Fact: Just because your blood count was a little low at one point in time does not necessarily mean that you are chronically anemic and cannot give blood. A simple blood test will be performed at the time of your donation to determine if you can donate.
Myth: “I gave blood six months ago so I'm not eligible to give again for a while.”
Fact: Donors can donate whole blood every 8 weeks; platelets every 3 days (not more than twice a week or 24 times a year); plasma every 4 weeks; or a double red cell unit every 16 weeks.
Find a donation location near you
By donating blood you truly are helping to save other people’s lives. Find a Donor Center or blood drive near you.
Associated Files:● Parental consent form for 16-year-old blood donors
● Parental information on blood donation
● List of unacceptable medications
If you have additional questions about your eligibility, or questions after your donation, please email us at donorservices@bcw.edu or use our Contact Form.
What are the different types of donations?BloodCenter of Wisconsin donors can choose to donate whole blood or just specific blood components. Whichever you choose and are eligible for, your donation is greatly needed and appreciated by patients.
Your gift doesn’t have to stop at blood donation if you don’t want it to. To enhance or possibly save even more patients’ lives, consider the possibilities of marrow, organ and tissue donation. If you have additional questions about blood donation, please check our Blood Donation FAQs.
Whole blood donation
The main components that make up blood are:
When most people give blood, they give “whole blood” — that means they give a donation that contains all of these things. After a donation, the whole blood is tested then separated into plasma, red cells and platelets (white cells are rarely transfused) and provided to hospitals.
Apheresis donation
Making an apheresis donation means that you provide one particular type of blood component, such as red blood cells, plasma or platelets. As your blood is drawn, the needed components are separated and collected, and the remaining blood is returned to your body. Patients who need a particular blood component will commonly receive a concentrated dose of that component, rather than receiving whole blood. Donors of all blood types can help patients by donating blood components.
Donating a component is very much like donating blood. The primary difference is that during a component donation, blood flows from a tube in your arm to a sterile chamber within an automation machine, rather than immediately into a collection bag. The chamber “spins” your blood, separating the blood into various components. The component being collected (for example, platelets or plasma) then flows into a special bag. The remainder of your blood is returned to you via a sterile tube that is used only once. Component procedures take a little longer than whole blood donation, but they are safe for you and are an additional way of providing blood components for our patients.
Platelet apheresis donation
Plasma apheresis donation
Red blood cell apheresis donation
Patients needing red blood cells include:
Autologous blood donation
In rare instances, a physician may recommend that a patient scheduled for a complex surgical procedure donate his or her own blood to be reserved for the upcoming surgical procedure.
These decisions are made between individuals and their physicians. In these instances, BloodCenter of Wisconsin can draw and transfer blood to the hospital performing the surgery. If you think you may fall into this category, you are encouraged to discuss autologous blood donation with your physician. Blood draws for such purposes must be recommended and approved by your physician, and there is a charge for such draws that is generally paid for by insurance.
Because some blood types are so rare, your donation may be someone’s only hope for survival. Patients who need frequent transfusions because of these certain diseases are especially at risk. These patients depend on donors like you.
You can donate if your last donation was on or before:
You can donate if your last donation was on or before:
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