Leaders Save Lives Scholarship Program

Scholarship Sponsored by American Red Cross

Overview

The American Red Cross Leaders Save Lives Program requires student Blood Program Leaders to organize qualifying blood drives that meet specific timing, site, collection, and administrative rules. The program sets clear site eligibility and collection minimums and requires internal designation of each drive in the Red Cross system of record. Rewards and recognition are tied to a single, qualifying drive and are not split among multiple leaders. Details below explain enrollment eligibility, allowable sites and schedules, collection thresholds, and system-level requirements.

Description: The Program recognizes student leaders who host designated Leaders Save Lives blood drives in the United States between May 26 and the Program’s September deadline.

• Student-led program focused on single, qualifying blood drives.
• Drives must occur within the specified program window.
• Administrative designation in Red Cross systems is required.

Eligibility

Participation is limited to students who are actively enrolled in an educational program. The Program accepts enrollment from a variety of educational institutions, ensuring a broad pool of student leaders. Enrollment status must be current at the time of the qualifying blood drive. Other eligibility factors are tied to the conduct and designation of the blood drive rather than personal attributes.

Eligibility: Must be currently enrolled in high school, college, university, technical school, trade school, or community college.

• Active student enrollment is mandatory.
• Open to secondary and postsecondary students and trade/technical students.
• Enrollment must be current when the drive is held.

Drive Site and Scheduling Requirements

Blood drives must be hosted in the United States and scheduled within the Program’s specified window. Students may not adopt an existing non-Leaders Save Lives drive, although adopting a Leaders Save Lives drive transitioned from a prior student leader is permitted. Certain site types and regularly scheduled operations are ineligible unless specific conditions are met. Drives cannot be combined with other Red Cross scholarship or community club programs.

Drive Requirements: Host an American Red Cross blood drive in the United States scheduled between May 26 and the Program’s September deadline; do not adopt an existing drive unless it is a transitioned Leaders Save Lives drive.

• Donor centers are ineligible unless the drive occurs outside normal operating hours.
• Regularly scheduled mobile operations are not eligible.
• Schools may be used as sites only when the school is out of session.
• Program drives cannot be combined with other Red Cross scholarship or community club programs.

Collection Requirements

Each qualifying drive must meet a minimum productive collection threshold to be eligible for Program recognition. The minimum is calculated from a single blood drive operation, and results from multiple operations cannot be combined to meet the threshold. This ensures that recognition reflects a single, successful event organized by the student leader. Collection totals counted for this Program do not apply toward other Red Cross scholarship programs.

Collection Requirements: The blood drive must collect at least 25 productive pints, with results calculated from one operation only.

• Minimum of 25 productive pints required per qualifying drive.
• Only one blood drive operation may be used to meet the minimum.
• Pints from these drives will not count toward other Red Cross scholarship programs.

Administrative Requirements

Administrative designation in the Red Cross system of record is required for each Leaders Save Lives blood drive. A Red Cross representative must internally mark the drive as a Leaders Save Lives event at the drive level. Only one Blood Program Leader may be credited per drive; rewards are not split among multiple leaders. The student Blood Program Leader must be listed as the primary contact in the Red Cross system of record.

Administrative Requirements: Each Leaders Save Lives Blood Drive must be designated in the Red Cross system of record and list the student as the primary contact.

• Drive must be internally distinguished as a Leaders Save Lives event by a Red Cross representative.
• Only one Blood Program Leader can be credited for a drive.
• Student leader must be listed as the primary contact in the system of record.