Suncoast Blood Centers CEO Scott Bush noted in a news release that the blood bank inventory is at its lowest level in a decade. "Only 3% of the eligible donor population are coming in to give the gift of life, which makes the shortage of product a real concern,” he added. That response rate may not even prove to be the nadir for the nonprofit but it does reflect a troubling trend. Decline in donor population Twenty years ago, Leonard said, roughly 15% of the population donated blood. The most recent decline can be traced to mid-March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down businesses and schools — where blood bank mobile units could routinely visit for connect with willing donors.