Donating blood and platelets doesn’t only benefit patients, it also benefits YOU! Your generosity deserves something special. That’s why every person who completes a donation at the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center receives a thank you gift (see below for details).

Note: All donations are made strictly on a volunteer basis. There is never any monetary reimbursement for a blood donation at UCLA.

Join the Fight
Every Bruin Donation Makes a Real Difference

We Give Blood drive - August 27 - December 5

This year UCLA and the UCLA Health Blood & Platelet Center is proud to participate in Year 2 of the We Give Blood drive sponsored by Abbott and Big Ten® - a friendly competition among all 18 Big Ten universities to see which school can inspire the most blood donations. The school with the most donations will receive $1 million from Abbott to advance student or community health.
Beginning August 27, 2025 through December 5, 2025, you have the opportunity to donate blood or platelets to make UCLA #1!  
Additionally, Abbott will be providing an exclusive Big Ten® UCLA Homefield® vintage T-shirt (available while supplies last) when you donate blood or platelets to show school pride while supporting a lifesaving cause. 
How to Get Your T-Shirt in 5 Steps
• Present to donate blood at any blood drive or blood center until Dec. 5.
• Upload your proof of donation online or text DONATE to 222688 (ABBOTT).
• Watch your inbox like it's game day. Abbott will send you the play-by-play to claim your shirt.
• Redeem and get ready! Enter your shipping address and let the magic happen.
• Rock your shirt with pride. Because this season, you don't just cheer for your team — you bleed for it

Platelet Donors

Choose a $25 Gift Card to Amazon.com, Starbucks or Chipotle OR Three Movie Tickets AND Blood Time for Eligible UCLA employees per UCLA Policy.

Blood Donors

Choose a $10 Gift Card to Amazon, Starbucks or Chipotle OR One Movie Ticket OR Blood Time for Eligible UCLA Employees per UCLA Policy.

ALL donor thank you gifts are subject to availability and cannot be exchanged once issued.

The Gallon Milestone Pin

Donation Pins

Every eight blood or platelet donations marks a gallon milestone! Come back 7 more times and you’ll receive a free gallon milestone pin to acknowledge this achievement.

We Need You!

Donating blood takes just one hour of your time, but the impact lasts a lifetime. As you consider donating, remember the reasons WHY:

  • Every day in the United States, blood is needed in hospitals and emergency treatment facilities to care for patients with cancer and other diseases, for organ transplant recipients and to help save the lives of accident and trauma victims.
  • Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
  • More than 38,000 blood donations are needed each day.
  • 62.6% percent of the U.S. population is eligible to give, but only 4.8% of those eligible do. [TRANSFUSION Magazine, 2020;60;206–215]

Donate blood. Save a life. Be a hero.

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