March/April 2023 Philanthropy Update
Financial gifts support blood donors that give the gift of life to patients like Ella and Kamila, who need regular blood transfusions to stay healthy.
Dear Friend,
This Spring brings a new member to our amazing Financial Development team! I am happy to introduce our new Development Manager, Susan Josephson, who brings with her over 20 years of nonprofit experience. Susan began her nonprofit career as a volunteer and event participant for the event, AIDS Rides Across America, where she rode a bicycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles three times raising funds and awareness for patient service programs for AIDS patients. Susan has held positions with the American Cancer Society, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, March of Dimes, and the American Red Cross.
As part of her role at SDBB, Susan will help build our Corporate Giving Program, an opportunity for businesses of all sizes to fuel SDBB’s mission by providing patients with access to a robust, safe blood supply. As with other types of giving, corporate philanthropy also enables us to provide leading-edge healthcare, community wellness initiatives, and regenerative research improving prognosis for disease. Welcome to the FD team, Susan!
We are looking forward to our 39th Annual County of San Diego blood drive which take place throughout the month of April. This annual, month-long drive provides convenient opportunities for San Diego residents and County of San Diego employees to make a difference for people in need of lifesaving blood.
Last, but not least, we are thrilled to announce the completion of our Solar Project! Many thanks to our financial donors who supported our efforts to go green and save on electricity costs. Your financial support made this a reality—many thanks!
On behalf of San Diego Blood Bank, we wish you a wonderful spring.
With thanks and warm regards,
Cherryl Castro-Lector
Director of Development
(619) 400-8214
cclector@sdbb.org
Save Lives in April at the 39th Annual County of San Diego Blood Drive
This annual, month-long drive provides convenient opportunities for San Diego residents and County of SD employees to make a difference for people in need. Thanks to community partners like the County of San Diego, mobile blood drives contribute up to 50% of the blood collected each year—ensuring a safe blood supply for people in our region.
When you donate blood, your donation makes a big community impact that will help provide lifesaving blood to patients in local hospitals. Gather friends, family, and colleagues to join in on this regional effort to save lives.
To be eligible to donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 114 pounds, and be in general good health. Click here for more on blood donor requirements and FAQs.
For more information, visit Save Lives in April for the 39th Annual County of San Diego Blood Drive | San Diego Blood Bank.
Walk-ins are welcome and appointments are encouraged. Thank you for joining us in saving lives!
sdbb’s SOLAR-PLUS-STORAGE PROJECT is Complete!
SDBB’s solar-plus-storage project which includes rooftop solar with battery storage, two new bloodmobiles that have been outfitted with batteries and solar panels that have made it possible to replace the two diesel power generators needed to operate the lights, AC, and equipment on these new buses, and two electric blood delivery vehicles, one of which was generously funded by the Walter J. and Betty C. Zable Foundation.
The energy storage system, rooftop, and carport solar system will provide shade and 100% renewable energy to help charge the batteries on SDBB’s two new bloodmobiles. The system is expected to generate 1,500,000 kWh annually of renewable energy and allow SDBB to generate and store that energy to use when electricity costs are highest. This will help reduce the organization’s energy spend and enable the Blood Bank to focus its resources on the critical supply of blood to hospitals.
“By switching to Solar power, we are not only more environmentally friendly, but also benefiting from significant cost savings,” said San Diego Blood Bank CEO Doug Morton. “Furthermore, our donors will have a more pleasant experience during mobile drives as there will be no generator fumes or noise surrounding the two new bloodmobiles while they wait for their appointments.”
Meet development manager Susan Josephson
Susan grew up, went to college and worked the majority of her professional life in Los Angeles. She moved to San Diego in 2016 to be closer to family. She is loving living here and excited to become part of the San Diego Blood Bank family.
Susan completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication from California State University Northridge, CSUN and, also holds a certificate in Project Management. She began her career in nonprofit as a volunteer and event participant for the AIDS Rides Across America where she rode a bicycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles three times raising funds and awareness for patient service programs for AIDS patients. Susan went on from there to work for Pallotta Teamworks the creator of the AIDS Rides Across America and Breast Cancer 3-Day Walks. She has also held positions with the American Cancer Society, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, March of Dimes, and the American Red Cross.
As part of her role at SDBB, Susan will help build our Corporate Giving Program, an opportunity for businesses of all sizes to fuel SDBB’s mission by providing patients with access to a robust, safe blood supply. As with other types of giving, corporate philanthropy also enables us to provide leading-edge healthcare, community wellness initiatives, and regenerative research improving prognosis for disease.
To learn about our Corporate Giving Program, please reach out to Susan at sjosephson@sdbb.org.
March is national nutrition month
National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.
This year's theme is "Fuel for the Future." Eating with sustainability in mind is a tasty way to nourish ourselves during every phase of life and protect the environment. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can help you create healthy habits that are sustainable and celebrate your unique needs.
During National Nutrition Month and beyond, choose nutrient-rich foods that represent the five basic food groups. Use these tips to get started: Food Groups (eatright.org)
Planning ahead may help relieve mealtime stress. Follow these steps to plan for and prepare nutritious and delicious meals that fit your preferences and lifestyle: Planning (eatright.org)
Knowing culinary techniques can help you bring out the flavor of foods without needing to add a lot of extra ingredients or calories! Learn the basics of common cooking techniques to navigate recipes and get healthy meals on the table:Food Preparation (eatright.org)
Eating healthfully doesn't have to be complicated! Choose nutritious foods that have vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients. Click HERE for more tips.
*Source: https://www.eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month
vital sustaining support
Join San Diego Blood Bank’s
monthly Giving Program
SDBB’s monthly giving program, the Visionary Circle, is a great way to support our ongoing blood collection and research efforts.
SDBB donor centers and our mobile blood collection program help to make blood donation convenient no matter where you are in San Diego County. To accommodate hundreds of donors each month, the centers and bloodmobiles require constant restocking of supplies and equipment.
As a monthly donor, your support will help provide consistent and reliable funding for the ongoing needs of our blood collection program that provides our hospital partners with blood for patients in need.
With your help, we can ensure a steady blood supply to our community and continue to save thousands of lives every year.
For more information about the Visionary Circle program, please contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development, at (619) 400-8214 or cclector@sdbb.org.
April is global volunteer month
Global Volunteer Month brings awareness to the contributions of volunteers and encourages others to donate their time to worthy causes. Global Volunteer Month is organized and promoted by Points of Light at Points of Light | Creating a Global Culture of Civic Engagement.
All year long, SDBB relies on the generosity of volunteers to help us coordinate donors at mobile drives, attend to donors in our canteens, assist us at special events, and provide support wherever needed.
We could not do what we do without volunteers and thank them for their time and talents!
For information about volunteering at San Diego Blood Bank, visit www.sandiegobloodbank.org/volunteers.
Meet team survivor Raenique
During an annual physical exam, Raenique “Rae” was rushed to the hospital due to dangerously low hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout your body. If this number is low, it means your red blood cell count is low. The doctors needed to know why.
Rounds of testing found she had a blood disorder and other health concerns. She had one blood transfusion and two surgeries to save her life. The recovery was rough, but Rae is back to shining bright. Her gratitude has deepened for those who donate blood.
“You hope to never need a transfusion, and in those desperate moments, donors matter most,” said Rae.
Thanks to donors, Rae was able to go home to her husband and baby girl. She feels lucky to have the chance to watch her daughter grow.
Special Thanks
We are grateful to The County of San Diego Board of Supervisors for their recent gifts totaling $90,000 toward the purchase of a new bloodmobile. Bloodmobiles are out in the community every day collecting approximately 50% of our annual blood collection, saving thousands of lives every year.
Their commitment to SDBB helps fuel our mission of connecting diverse communities to save and improve lives through blood and biotherapies.
Thank you for supporting San Diego Blood Bank and helping to save lives in our community!
2021/2022 Impact Report
We are pleased to share San Diego Blood Bank’s 2021/2022 Impact Report that highlights the impact of our blood collection and research services. Your support of our mission makes it possible for us to save lives and advance health in our community, and we are grateful for your partnership as a financial donor.
In addition to expanding our Blood Collection Program with two new donor sites, over the past year we launched new programs to reward blood donors and to collaborate with community partners on a larger scale to inspire people to donate blood. We also invested in innovative blood genotyping technology to more closely match blood types to help prevent complications in blood recipients.
SDBB’s mission remains steadfast, and we appreciate your investment in helping ensure patients suffering from illness, injury or a life-threatening condition or disease receive lifesaving blood.
If you have any questions or would like more information about the impact of your support, please contact Cherryl Castro-Lector at 619-400-8214 or cclector@sandiegobloodbank.org.
donate your unwanted vehicle
to san Diego Blood Bank
San Diego Blood Bank is partnering with Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise owned by a nonprofit and supporting only nonprofits through vehicle donations. CARS takes care of everything, from the pick-up and sale, to sending you the donation receipt and necessary tax documents. CARS is committed to treating every vehicle donor with gratitude and great service while delivering the highest possible returns to our partners. To date, CARS has returned more than $300 million to their nonprofit partners because of vehicles donors.
Simply click HERE to complete the form, and CARS will reach out to you to arrange the pick-up of your vehicle donation, at no cost to you. You will make a difference in the lives of patients needing lifesaving blood and your generous gift could earn you a tax deduction.
CauseNetwork Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, founded National Car Donation Month to bring awareness to vehicle donations.
Photo: cna.org
Health and Wellness
To stay connected to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention latest COVID-19 health updates click HERE.
Other Ways to Support SDBB
Gifts of Stock are a great way to make a lifesaving impact
San Diego Blood Bank’s Financial Development Department accepts appreciated gifts of stock with tax benefits for the donor.
Donating stock is a great way to ensure you maximize your impact, with the added advantage of a tax deduction and removal of future capital gains.
For more information on how to donate your stock, please contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development, at (619) 400-8214 or cclector@sdbb.org.
Shop. Donate. Save lives!
While shopping for gifts or everyday essentials, you can also support San Diego Blood Bank! Here are a few sites you can use to find those perfect gifts while donating to SDBB to support our life-saving efforts.
Register and choose San Diego Blood Bank as your charity of choice. Then use their search engine to find what you’re looking for and click through to a retailer's site to make your purchase, part of which will go to SDBB.
iGive: This works almost the same way, but you use a button on various retailers' websites. Go through the iGive.com easy registration process and choose San Diego Blood Bank. Your favorite retailers will start supporting SDBB.
Ways to Make a Financial Gift
MONTHLY GIVING — Join our Visionary Circle by making a monthly gift to help sustain SDBB’s mission. Monthly gifts fund SDBB’s annual greatest need.
GIFTS OF STOCK — Did you know San Diego Blood Bank accepts appreciated gifts of stock with tax benefits for the donor? For more information on how to donate your stock, please contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development, at (619) 400-8214 or cclector@sdbb.org.
MATCHING GIFTS — Ask your employer if your company has an employee matching program. Double your impact and encourage corporate giving to local nonprofits like SDBB.
COMMUNITY AND DIY FUNDRAISING — Partner with SDBB and fundraise with your company or team or for your birthday with a Facebook fundraiser! Contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development, at 619-400-8214 or cclector@sdbb.org.
CHANGEUP — Sign up on changeupforcharity.com, choose San Diego Blood Bank and Changeup will round up your purchases and donate the spare change to SDBB.
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THANK YOU TO OUR TOP SPONSORS
