$130 Million Raised During 2008 National Fundraising Campaign
Alexandria, VA (March 17, 2009) - Donations
to The Salvation Army's iconic red kettles set a new national record of $130
million in 2008, surpassing the previous record of $118 million set in
2007. The $130 million raised represents
a 10 percent growth in donations year-over-year - the largest one-year jump
since 1997.
Geographically, the Army saw large
increases in donations to its kettles in the Eastern and Southern territories,
by 19 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, the Western and Central
territories experienced giving increases between 5 and 7 percent. The Army's
overall national growth in spite of the ongoing economic downturn is attributed
to the continuous generosity of the American people, a large breadth of
corporate partnerships and the greater application of innovative tech-based approach
to fundraising.
"We know that Americans always give more in
time of need, so we were confident that they would again respond to the call
with an outstanding show of generosity. We thank all the donors, volunteers and
corporate partners for their contributions and stand resolute in our Mission to
serve those who need it most," said Commissioner
Israel L. Gaither, National Commander of The Salvation Army. "The Red
Kettle campaign is stronger than ever as it must be during these challenging
times."
Notably, donations to red kettles at Walmart
and Sam's Club stores accounted for more than $34 million or 26 percent of the
total raised. Following a $1.25 million
grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation, Walmart
stores and Sam's Club locations hosted bell ringers and red kettles on November
8 for a pre-campaign "special day of giving" to give extra support to local
communities facing tough economic times.
"In
these tough economic times, we have set out to help address unmet, immediate
needs in the communities that we serve. Because of this commitment, our
partnership with The Salvation Army has become more important than ever," said Margaret McKenna, president of the Wal-Mart
Foundation. "We are committed to making charitable contributions that have an
impact, and are proud that our customers are willing to donate to the
Red Kettle campaign and help their neighbors make ends meet."
To
help spur donations in 2008, The Salvation Army offered new tech-savvy ways to
give. For donors who don't regularly carry money, the Army tested cashless red
kettles in Denver,
CO and Dallas,
TX, that made it possible to donate
via credit or debit card. Also, several locations piloted a text messaging
service that allowed cell phone users to contribute via their phone bills.
Internet giving, meanwhile, rose an impressive 28 percent this year for a total
of $10 million during Christmas.
"This year we reached a new generation of
donors we've never been able to reach before through the use of high-tech tools
like cashless kettles, the Online Red Kettle, and the iPhone," said
Commissioner Gaither. "We also started using social networking sites like
Facebook and Twitter, which allows friends and family of our supporters to donate
more easily than years past via the internet."
In addition, The Salvation Army worked with
several corporate partners, which hosted kettles at stores, ran Red Kettle
events, made direct donations, and/ or engaged in other promotional activities,
including:
- The Kroger
Company's well-known
grocery banners hosted kettles at store locations across the country,
raising $10.6 million, or 8 percent of the campaign total;
- Melodeo, a provider of digital
media, developed The Salvation Army Holiday Music application for the
iPhone, which played a variety of classic Christmas songs. The application
sold for $2.99, with $1 going to the Army;
- The National
Hockey League (NHL) hosted Online Red Kettles on team websites, which saw hockey fans to
donate to the Army's Online Red Kettle Campaign;
- Shell Oil raised $100,000
for The Salvation Army through the "Change is Good, Giving is Better"
promotion;
- Target made two separate $1
million donations to the Campaign and also sold
Salvation Army Christmas items, including ornaments and CDs in stores with
a percentage of the proceeds going to the Army.
Shell Lubricants Presents $100,000 Check to The Salvation Army
The
Salvation Army kicked off the 2008 Red Kettle Campaign with the Dallas
Cowboys and the chart-topping Jonas
Brothers band. The Jonas brothers (Kevin, Nick, and Joe) performed at the
12th annual Red Kettle Campaign in front of a nationally television audience at
halftime of the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game to support the Army. Jonas Brothers also hosted their own
Online Red Kettle and took part in various promotional activities. Nearly $1.2
billion has been raised in the 12 years the Army has worked alongside the
Dallas Cowboys.
From
its humble beginnings as a fundraiser started by a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco in 1891, the Red Kettle Campaign has grown
into one of the most recognizable and important charitable outreach efforts in
the United States.
As part of the drive, more than 25,000 Salvation Army volunteers fan out across
the country to ring bells and solicit spare change donations to the iconic red
kettles from holiday shoppers. The nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars (and
the occasional diamond ring or gold tooth) are all used to help those in the
communities where they were raised. Last year, the funds helped The Salvation
Army serve nearly 29 million Americans in need, including nearly 5 million who
received holiday assistance such as toys, coats, rent and utility aid, among other
services.
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About The Salvation Army
The
Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church
established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without
discrimination for 128 years in the United States. Nearly 29 million Americans
receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array
of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for
disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill,
clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged
children. About 83 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those
services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.