January/February 2025 Philanthropy Update
Center Manager, Rayan, stands in front of a newly finished mural by Hanna Daly in the lobby of San Diego Blood Bank’s newest permanent in Clairemont Mesa.
Dear Friend,
Happy New Year! This year marks San Diego Blood Bank’s 75th anniversary as a mission-driven nonprofit aimed to serving the community and providing a safety net for blood needs. I am deeply grateful to begin 2025 with you, our esteemed financial supporters, who play a crucial role in providing life-saving blood products to patients-in-need. Philanthropy serves as the cornerstone of our mission, and we extend our heartfelt appreciation for your continued support.
Thanks to the generosity of over 300 financial donors, we have successfully met and exceeded the $100,000 match for the Bloodmobile Campaign! We extend our sincere gratitude to San Diego Self Storage and Managing Partner, Anthony R. Carr for presenting us with the challenge, once again, to raise essential funds for a new bloodmobile.With only $43,640 left to raise, we grateful to all our supporters who brought us to this point and encourage those who have not yet made a gift, to support us in this final stretch to our goal of $750,000!
We also express our gratitude to our dedicated financial donors for their support. Your contributions have made a significant impact, and we cannot thank you enough.
If you made a total financial contribution of $250 or more in 2024, or you are a monthly donor, your end-of-year tax summary letter will be sent through the U.S. mail. If you gave less than $250 and would still like a letter or email, or you do not receive your letter, please do not hesitate to contact me at (619) 400-8214 or cclector@sdbb.org.
Together, through our partnership, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients in need.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Cherryl Castro-Lector
Director of Development
(619) 400-8214
cclector@sdbb.org
BLOODMOBILE campaign almost complete
Generous individual, corporate and foundation donors helped us meet the $100,000 matching gift challenge from San Diego Self Storage and Managing Partner, Anthony R. Carr. To date, we have raised $706,360 raised toward our goal of $750,000 to purchase a new bloodmobile.
We're so close to our goal! There's still time to make a charitable donation to support our fundraising campaign. Every day, San Diego Blood Bank is ensuring that life-saving blood is available for patients in need. To reach more communities and save more lives, we need your help to fund a new bloodmobile.
Together, we can fund this new bloodmobile to create more opportunities for community blood drives, more convenience for donors, and ultimately, more lives saved. Together, we save lives.
For corporate partnership opportunities and other ways to gives, please contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development, at (619) 400-8214 or cclector@sdbb.org.
FY23-24 Impact Report
how your support helped our community last year
Philanthropy impacts every aspect of the mission of San Diego Blood Bank. Our generous financial and blood donors support life-saving blood services and medical research to advance health and wellness.
CLICK HERE to view the digital Impact Report
Clairemont mesa grand opening
Staff and special guests celebrate the grand opening of the new Clairemont Mesa location with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
We are thrilled to announce the grand opening of our new San Diego Blood Bank location in Clairemont Mesa! This is now our second-largest fixed-site in San Diego and is adorned with a beautiful mural completed by Hanna Daly sharing an important message, “Keep Life Flowing...Give Blood. Save Lives."
On January 15, we gathered for an intimate ribbon-cutting ceremony. A special thank you to Councilwoman Dr. Jennifer Campbell of District 2 for presenting us with a commendation and Assemblyman Chris Ward’s office for a certificate of recognition. Center Manager, Rayan, proudly led the team in cutting the big red ribbon to cheers from the crowd.
Blood recipients and Team Survivor members Mason and Mercedes shared their stories of survival thanks to life-saving blood products to an audience of eager listeners made up of city officials, board members, staff, partners, and donors. We’re excited and honored to make a difference with the wonderful people in Clairemont.
Special thank you to the Walter J. and Betty C. Zable Foundation, The Hervey Family Fund, Sycuan Casino Resort, Maurice J. Masserini Charitable Trust, Barona Resort & Casino, Charles and Ruth Billingsley Foundation, and Antibody Design Laboratories, MyPoint Credit Union, and Platt/Whitelaw Architects, Inc., and individual financial supporters for your generous support of this new location that will save more lives.
To celebrate this amazing milestone, we're offering a special gift to blood donors who donate at Clairemont through the end of January. Your donation can help save lives in 2025 and beyond. Learn more on the blog!
featured partner
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to The Morrison & Foerster Foundation for their generous donation of $15,000 in support of our new bloodmobile. Their unwavering dedication to San Diego Blood Bank plays a vital role in advancing our mission and uniting diverse communities to save lives.
Many thanks to The Morrison & Foerster Foundation for their continued partnership and funding vital resources.
new minivan fundraising campaign
A San Diego Blood Bank Honda Odyssey is parked at Petco Park during the Padres Winter Blood Drive. Vans like this one are a critical resource to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable transport of collected blood products and equipment.
We are excited to announce the launch of a $100,000 fundraising campaign to acquire two new passenger vans. These vans will be utilized to transport collections staff, deliver blood components to our hospital partners, and facilitate the operations of mobile blood drives.
Contributions from individual, corporate and foundations are welcome to help us enhance our operational efficiency and continue to provide vital services to our community.
For more information about the campaign and the impact of your gift, please contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development, at (619) 400-8214 or cclector@sdbb.org.
MArK YOUR CALENDAR
Hoag Classic Teams Up with San Diego Blood Bank for Blood Donor Promotion
Southern California Blood Bank is thrilled to announce a new partnership with the Hoag Classic, Orange County’s only PGA TOUR Champions event, taking place from March 19th to 23rd. This collaboration will leverage the reach of the tournament to raise awareness about the urgent need for blood donations in our community.
Throughout February, Southern California Blood Bank donors in OC and LA will receive one (1) voucher for complimentary single-day ticket to the Hoag Classic (a $40 value, redeemable online) at Newport Beach County Club.
How to score your complimentary ticket to the Hoag Classic? Donate blood at the locations listed below:
So Cal Blood Bank Irvine Business District Donor Center from Feb 1 – 28, 2025
Any of the 25+ So Cal Blood Bank community blood drives in OC and LA Feb 1 – Mar 19, 2025.
Stay tuned for the list of participating blood drives and official dates.
If you are unable to donate blood, we encourage you to consider a financial donation to Southern California Blood Bank
special thanks
San Diego Blood Bank would like to thank the La Jolla Kiwanis Foundation for their recent $5,000 grant to fund a new bloodmobile. Their support will help to provide a robust blood supply to patients in need throughout the Southern California Region. Thank you for saving lives with us!
La Jolla Kiwanis Club member and dedicated SDBB blood donor, Randall Christison proudly displays his SDBB T-shirt while presenting the grant check to Diane Owens, SDBB Development Manager.
February is Heart HEALTH Month
February is Heart Health Month, a time when all people—especially women—are encouraged to focus on their cardiovascular health. Take a look at these facts and resources that anyone can use to raise awareness about the risks of heart disease and the importance of identifying and managing heart-related health conditions.
Did you know?
Heart disease is very common. In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups.
In 2022, 1 in every 5 deaths in the United States was caused by heart disease.
High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease. Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, which puts them at risk for heart disease and stroke. And just 1 in 4 people with high blood pressure has it under control.
Heart disease is costly. The cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity from heart disease amounted to $252.2 billion between 2019 and 2020.*
*For more heart disease facts and ways to care for your heart health, visit the heart disease facts page at the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Know your numbers — Get a FREE blood pressure screening at any SDBB donor center on February 14, 2025.
Blood donation is NOT required to receive BP screening on this day and is open to all guests in partnership with Love Your Heart!
Corporate Partnership Opportunities
As we welcome 2025, we are excited to celebrate San Diego Blood Bank’s 75th anniversary—a milestone made possible by the support of our blood and financial donors, volunteers, and community and corporate partners. This year, we invite you to deepen your connection with our mission and amplify your impact. There are countless ways to get involved: host a blood drive, purchase a tribute brick at our Main Donor Center and Headquarters, fund transportation vehicles, make in-kind donations, explore naming opportunities at our 10 donor centers, or volunteer your time.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our corporate partners, whose passion for saving lives drives meaningful change. Through hosting blood drives, volunteering, giving blood, and providing financial support, our partners have enabled us to meet critical needs such as bloodmobiles, lab equipment, blood collection supplies, and research advancements.
This is your moment to make a difference. By becoming a corporate sponsor, you can help us expand our reach, save more lives, and build a stronger, healthier community. Together, we can drive a future where every patient has access to the blood they need.
Give Hope. Inspire Action. Transform Lives. Be the Power Behind the Drive Today.
San Diego Blood Bank celebrates our corporate partners year-round through recognition in print, digital, and social channels, donor center displays, and on our bloodmobiles.
For more information about corporate partnerships, please contact Corporate Giving Manager, Christopher Tobin, a ctobin@sdbb.org or (619) 400-8235.
Planned Giving
Philanthropy is personal, and every donor has a unique “why” they give. There are many ways to make a planned gift such as stock, real estate, life insurance, will or living trust, charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, and charitable lead trust. San Diego Blood Bank also has an endowment at the San Diego Foundation, and we welcome gifts to fund # 4727 (please include the fund number on your check).
For more information about how to contribute to San Diego Blood Bank’s endowment or create your legacy through planned giving to San Diego Blood Bank, please contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development, at (619) 400-8214 or cclector@sdbb.org.
donate your unwanted vehicle
to san Diego Blood Bank
San Diego Blood Bank is proud to partner 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.
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 in support of our lifesaving mission.
GoodShop: 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 San Diego Blood Bank.
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 San Diego Blood Bank.
Ways to Make a Financial Gift
MONTHLY GIVING — Join our Visionary Circle by making a monthly gift to help sustain our mission. Monthly gifts fund San Diego Blood Bank’s greatest needs. To join the Visionary Circle, contact Development Manager Diane Owens at (619) 400-8336 or dowens@sdbb.org.
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 gift, 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 Contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development, at (619) 400-8214 or cclector@sdbb.org.
COMMUNITY AND DIY FUNDRAISING — Partner with us 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 back to us.
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THANK YOU TO OUR TOP SPONSORS
