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Increased demand means that blood collection has become a considerable challenge for society and an important public health priority. The mismatch between positive social appreciation of blood donation and effective mobilization is substantial. According to the French blood donor organization Etablissement Français du Sang, only 4 percent of potential donors give blood. Grounded in a theoretical framework that combines gift exchange and value theory, this article aims to understand how individuals become and remain donors. To this end, it examines the different steps that precede the act of giving and the benefits derived from giving that make it more likely to be repeated. A qualitative study focused on donors and based on semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and visual material, allows us 1) to report on the individual and social processes that support the act of donation, 2) to highlight the benefits that donors derive from carrying out and repeating this practice, and 3) to provide operational recommendations to recruit and retain donors.