Blood Assurance Offers Up to $40 Gift Cards
The Chattanooga-area supplier is running donor incentives through November 13 as it reports critically low blood and platelet supplies.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Philanthropy
Live Poll
Would you donate blood this month to help fill local hospital shortages?
Blood Assurance is offering donors up to $40 in e-gift cards for platelet or double red cell donations through November 13, with $25 cards for other eligible donations. The supplier reports less than a day's supply of O-negative blood and critically low platelet supplies.
Why it matters
Blood Assurance is the blood supplier for all Chattanooga-area hospitals, including Erlanger, and requests from those hospitals have increased while donor turnout remains below need. Donations typically drop during the holidays as schools close and families travel.
Blood Assurance needs more than 600 donors every day to meet hospital demand, and it has less than a day's supply of O-negative blood on hand. Platelets, which have a five-day shelf life, are reported as critically low, but the extraction does not give current inventory totals.
The players
Blood Assurance
A nonprofit blood supplier founded in 1972 that serves 70 healthcare facilities across Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky and North Carolina.
Erlanger
A major hospital in Chattanooga that receives blood from Blood Assurance as part of the supplier's coverage of all area hospitals.
The details
Donors giving platelets or double red cells receive a $40 e-gift card, and other eligible donors receive $25, both through November 13. Type O donors who give double red cells once or whole blood twice by December 31 can earn an extra $50 e-gift card by registering for the Hero Club, and platelet donors who give at least four times between October 1 and December 31 can earn an additional $100 through the Heart of Gold Club, which requires no registration.
Timeline
October 31: Game Changers T-shirt offer ends
November 1-30: Friends-themed long-sleeve shirt offer runs
November 13: Up to $40 e-gift card promotion ends
December 31: Hero Club and Heart of Gold deadlines
Season Trajectory
The holiday shortfall is a recurring pattern for blood suppliers, and Blood Assurance's Hero Club and Heart of Gold Club rewards run through December 31 to counter it. The current e-gift card tiers add time-limited incentives on top of those standing programs.
Chattanooga-area residents who donate can earn up to $40 in e-gift cards before November 13, plus additional Hero Club or Heart of Gold rewards through December 31. Those who give regularly during the holidays help keep hospital supplies stocked when turnout typically drops.
The takeaway
Blood supplies are most strained during the holidays, so scheduling a donation before the year-end deadlines can directly help local hospitals. Eligible donors can check the incentive terms before giving to maximize rewards.
What happens next
Blood Assurance's Hero Club and Heart of Gold Club deadlines fall on December 31, and the Game Changers and Friends-themed shirt offers run through October 31 and November 1-30 respectively.
Further reading
Explore more local giving stories in Chattanooga Philanthropy.
More information
Schedule a donation or find drive locations through Blood Assurance donor scheduling.
Live Poll
Would you donate blood this month to help fill local hospital shortages?
