With less than 1% of Arizona’s Red Cross donors identifying as Latino, despite Latinos making up a significant portion of the population—and 57% of whom have type O blood, the most needed in trauma situations—this project aimed to address the critical barriers preventing blood donation within the Hispanic community. By building partnerships between the Red Cross and Hispanic organizations and sports teams, and managing focus groups to gather community insights, Nativa worked to educate and empower the Hispanic community to save lives through blood donation.

Nativa sought to understand and address the Hispanic community’s cultural considerations and awareness gaps regarding blood donation while establishing strategic partnerships to enhance the American Red Cross’ impact on community health.

Nativa was contracted by the American Red Cross to promote the Más Vida Scholarship Program for the 2024/25 academic year. This program aimed to nurture Latino student leaders through community service and philanthropy. Targeting Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), the project encouraged students to apply for scholarships that fostered leadership skills through hosting blood drives and exploring job opportunities within the American Red Cross.

Through proactive engagement and strategic networking, Nativa held over 20 meetings with sports teams, resulting in more than 10 planned blood drives and outreach to 45 teams. A notable partnership with Phoenix Rising FC offered two free tickets to donors who contributed to the American Red Cross blood drive. These tickets could be redeemed for any regular-season home game, providing an enticing reward for participation.

Nativa selected Rafael Amezcua, a native Spanish speaker and marketing expert with extensive experience in Hispanic consumer research, as the moderator for the focus groups.

Nativa facilitated collaboration between the American Red Cross and 19 leaders from 12 Hispanic organizations, gathering vital insights into cultural, logistical, and awareness barriers. This resulted in two virtual focus groups on May 15 and May 22, 2024, where decision-makers discussed strategies for engaging Hispanic donors and improving blood drives.

This initiative aims to address and overcome barriers to blood donation within the Hispanic community, ensuring a more inclusive and effective response to blood needs.