While the vast majority of blood donations are allogenic — meaning, donated anonymously to an unknown recipient — occasionally other types of donations may be required. Whether someone is donating blood for their own future use, to a specific patient, or to assist with their own healthcare journey and well-being, Stanford Blood Center offers customized support for rare circumstances.
Special Donations Information, Appointments, and Questions
Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-5:00 pm
Phone: 650-723-6667
Email Us
Autologous Donations
An autologous donation is a blood donation you give for your own surgery or medical needs. It requires an order from a physician who is completely familiar with your entire health history. You may download forms below.
Directed Donations
A directed donation is blood donated for a specific person. The patient’s provider (physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant) must give the order for donation. You may download forms here:
Directed donation information form (03-F09)
Therapeutic Donations
Therapeutic phlebotomy is a blood draw to treat certain conditions. It requires a physician’s order.
Special Donation FAQs
A: Yes, all Therapeutic donations are by appointment only. Please email specialdonations@stanford.edu to schedule an appointment. Therapeutic donors cannot walk-in to donate blood as the paperwork required will not be completed and the collections staff will be unable to draw the donor.
A: No, all Therapeutic patient units are discarded.
A: As of November 1, 2024, Therapeutic and Autologous donations no longer have an associated fee.
A: Please have your Doctor visit our website for the Autologous, Directed and Therapeutic donation forms: https://stanfordbloodcenter.org/donate-blood/special-donations.
A: Monday-Friday 7-4:30pm. Weekend appointments are not available.
A: The information is available on our website: https://stanfordbloodcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/03-F67-Form-Autologous-Blood-Donation-Information-v6.0.pdf
A: The information is available on our website: https://stanfordbloodcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/03-F09Form_DirectedDonationInfoSheet.pdf
A: The Special Donation team will reach out within 24 hours.