For Donors
To become a Michigan Blood Collection Donor, you will go through our pre-screening process to establish collection options and timing. Your privacy is always our priority and a deidentified code will be generated representing your samples once all necessary documentation has been completed.
Your donation helps researchers find treatments and cures for diseases.
We are focused on two types of collections. First, individuals who have been diagnosed with a disease or medical condition that has yet to have a reliable treatment discovered. Second, ‘Normal’ donations are often used as a control in research. Both collections are used for in vitro medical research by research scientists, pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and academic institutions in the service of furthering scientific discovery. “In vitro” means these research tools are used only in pre-clinical testing or testing done in a dish or tube.
How it Works: The Donation Process in 4 Easy Steps!
1. Contact Us Online
Fill out our appointment scheduling form to get started. Our Donor Coordinator will reach out within 48 hours for a pre-screening phone call.
3. Finalize an Appointment Time
Finalize an appointment for a time that is convenient for you. Depending on your donation type we may send our mobile donation unit to you or have you join a collection event.
2. Pre-Screening Phone Call
Our team will call you within 48 hours to confirm eligibility for donation, explain what to expect, and answer any questions you may have.
4. With our Thanks
Upon completion, we thank our donors with a gift card in appreciation of their time and effort. Be sure to check out the Donor FAQs for more info!
Becoming a Michigan Blood Collection Donor
Michigan Blood Collection will collect a blood sample and potentially additional medical information dependent on the type of donation being made. To donate, you will either be given a list of events to visit or be visited in your home to give a blood sample.
For disease-state donations, the process is like the type of blood draw you might have performed at your doctor’s office. The phlebotomist will draw four small tubes of blood, about 40mL or 3 Tablespoons in total. The collection process takes around five minutes from start to finish. To ensure the best data is available for scientists, your medical release consent will allow validation of your condition and match it with your medical records to ensure that researchers know of any treatments present in the sample. In appreciation of your time, a $25 gift card will be sent to you directly within one week of your collection.
For normal donations, the process is slightly different and takes a touch longer. In these instances, an entire unit will be collected and will take approximately fifteen minutes to complete. These draws are done in a centralized location where an observation table with light snacks will be made available to ensure no adverse reactions as a result of the collection. Because it does take longer, this time commitment is recognized with a $50 gift card.
The blood that is collected, as well as any related data, will be used only for research purposes. There are no costs to you for participation.
When you schedule an appointment, you will be asked to sign our standard consent form. If donating a disease-state sample, you will also be asked to sign a medical records release form which will allow us to access relevant clinical data. We recommend that you download and read through these documents prior to your appointment so that you are familiar with the process. These documents will be reviewed with you one-on-one so to address any questions before collection begins.
Donor participation is held strictly confidential and voluntary. A code is used to de-identify stored samples and data. Because donor participation is entirely voluntary, consent can be withdrawn at any time. For more information, please refer to our Withdrawal of Consent Form.
It is our hope and goal that together we will advance science and the understanding of health and disease.