The Red Cross asks blood and platelet donors to select their race and ethnicity at the time of donation to help meet the unique transfusion needs of a diverse patient population. By identifying a donor’s race and ethnicity, it helps the Red Cross better and more efficiently locate rare blood types to best meet the needs of all patients of all backgrounds. Certain blood characteristics are inherited making them more likely to be found within certain donor groups. These matched blood products provide a more compatible unit for transfusion to patients in need