Nonprofit Leader: Tonia Teasley, Regional CEO, American Red Cross Minnesota and Dakotas Region
Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at 9:04AMArticle by Becky Fillinger
Tonia Teasley was recently appointed to CEO of the American Red Cross, Minnesota and Dakotas Region. It’s a large region, comprised of nine community chapters and five Blood Donation Centers, and serves more than 7.3 million people across Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. We spoke to Tonia about the priorities facing the organization and the many ways Mill District residents can get involved in their mission.
Q: Congratulations on your appointment to CEO of our regional Red Cross. Please tell us about your interest in the Red Cross and priorities for the coming year.
A: A year ago, I had the opportunity to drive through an area in Northern California that had been devastated by wildfires just a couple of days before I was there. Seeing the homes that were lost and talking to people who had no home to return to had a profound impact on me. The mission of the American Red Cross is to prevent and alleviate the human suffering that accompanies that kind of disaster. That’s a daunting and inspiring goal, and one I’m ready to take on.
My priority for the coming year is to continue to strengthen the relationship the Red Cross has with the volunteers and donors in this extraordinary community. For me, that means establishing personal relationships with as many of our incredible volunteers and donors as possible. I have so much to learn from them about seeing the need and doing whatever it takes to meet that need – something that our founder, Clara Barton, was so very committed to doing.
We work with our neighbors to make their community more prepared and more resilient in times of crisis. For example, training groups in lifesaving first aid, CPR/AED skills, sharing preparedness resources, such as our free Red Cross apps, and inspiring people to give blood.
The more people and organizations prepare themselves and help each other get ready for emergencies, the more the Red Cross and our partners can focus on those more at risk.
Q: What are your critical needs and how can we in the Mill District help?
A: Our critical needs, simply put, are time, blood and money. Donating time to help people after home fires, giving blood at our center at 1201 West River Parkway, or donating money so we can help communities who may not be as fortunate as our neighborhood, are all ways people can become involved.
Thankfully, recent studies show Minnesota ranks second in the country in volunteerism and third in philanthropic giving. Our state is also known for generously rolling up their sleeves to donate blood.
Many people are surprised to find out that more than 90% of our workforce is volunteers. Last year, more than 2,200 people served as Red Cross volunteers, donating in excess of 140,000 hours. One of my goals is to make those hours not just fulfilling, but fun.
In addition to volunteers, our generous financial donors provide the funds that fuel our mission. Our Minnesota and Dakotas region, headquartered in downtown Minneapolis, is a proud member of the Mill City neighborhood. But the Red Cross isn’t buildings – it’s the vehicle connecting the people who want to help with people who need the help – every community, every day.
We supply about 40% of the nation’s blood and we’re currently experiencing historically low blood supply levels, the lowest we’ve seen in over a decade. Compounding this issue, we’re facing the same staffing shortages other nonprofits and businesses across the country are experiencing. It’s a domino effect – staffing shortages mean fewer blood drives and less blood collected. I know that every two seconds someone in our country needs blood. We have a donor center in our Minneapolis building, right in the neighborhood, and encourage everyone who can, to donate blood or platelets.
To learn more and get involved, visit our web site at redcross.org/mndaks.
Q: I read that the Red Cross Donor App won Best Charitable Giving App in 2021. Please tell us some of the app's features.
A: The American Red Cross app was ranked Best for Blood Donors in 2021 among top platforms for donating money, time or resources to charity by BestApp.com, an in-depth guide for the latest mobile app reviews and technology trends.
The Red Cross Blood Donor App was selected for helping make giving blood convenient and easy with many special features for donors. Users of the app can start by learning about eligibility based on health, recent travel, etc., then search for blood drives nearby using a built-in map tool and schedule an appointment. Once users have a scheduled appointment, they can complete the RapidPass pre-screening questionnaire directly in the app to save time during their blood drive visit. Donors can also use the app to view donation history and results from health screenings, track which hospital their blood goes to, and learn about other ways to volunteer or contribute.
Q: Does the American Red Cross Tiffany Circle have a strong local presence?
A: The Tiffany Circle is a community of women leaders who advance the American Red Cross mission through a focused investment of time, talent and treasure by engaging and embracing women locally, nationally and internationally.
Since the Tiffany Circle was founded in 2007, its members have made a lifesaving impact in their local communities, across the country and around the world. More than 1,000 members strong, these women have collectively provided extraordinary support - more than $120 million - to fulfill the mission of the Red Cross. The Twin Cities Area Chapter was one of eight founding chapters. Our regional Tiffany Circle is honored to count 36 women leaders among its ranks, several of whom also sit on the national board.
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