Our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and reconciliation

Canadian Blood Services is committed to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples across all areas of our organization and in every aspect of our operations. This commitment is essential to our success in fulfilling our mission and achieving our vision.

As we engage and partner with diverse communities across the country, we seek to build and sustain meaningful relationships grounded in respect, fairness and trust. In particular, we’re working to remove barriers to inclusion for donors and registrants — which in turn will help ensure that patients of all backgrounds and identities receive the best possible treatment and care

At the same time, within our organization we’re focused on fostering an equitable and inclusive culture in which employees, as well as our volunteers and community partners, feel they can safely bring their true selves to the work we do together, with everyone contributing meaningfully to Canada’s Lifeline. We strive to attract diverse talent and empower every employee to achieve their potential. At the same time, we’re resolved to address systemic racism and all other forms of discrimination and exclusion. This collective commitment, led by the board of directors and driven forward by our executive management team, is guided by policies and practices that will continue to evolve in the years ahead.

Advancing DEI and reconciliation is a key priority within our strategic commitment to sustainability. In addressing the social dimension of our environmental, social and governance impacts, we have a responsibility to continue building an equitable, inclusive organization that reflects and serves the diversity of Canada.

Fostering diversity among our donors and registrants

Canada’s Lifeline is sustained by individuals and communities across Canada who generously donate blood and blood products, and who sign up for our stem cell registry. We’re therefore constantly evolving every aspect of the donor and registrant experience — from the features on our mobile app to the design of our donor centres — as we strive to meet and exceed the expectations of these vital supporters. To ensure our donor and registrant base reflects Canadian society, especially in racial and ethnic diversity, we’re working together to address barriers and co-create equity-centred approaches to recruiting and engagement.

Another longstanding priority is building and strengthening relationships with diverse communities across the country to ensure Canadian Blood Services remains well positioned to serve them. In particular, we recognize the needs of patients whose complex health challenges require specially matched blood products that often come from donors of similar ethnic backgrounds or ancestry. Greater diversity in the blood system increases the likelihood that we can continue to maintain a reliable, accessible and sustainable system providing life essentials for transfusion and transplantation.

We engage and partner with underrepresented and equity-deserving communities to build trust, foster reciprocity and develop more inclusive strategies for recruiting and retaining donors and registrants. And as testing and research continue to advance, we regularly review our eligibility criteria to maximize inclusion and remove barriers to donation when the safety of both donors and recipients is assured.