2025 Red Kettle Christmas Season
Red Kettles are more than a century-long tradition of generosity
Please use this link to watch the step-by-step training video on how to request space outside Walmart: here. Please monitor for updates from @Claire Randall on this process. Walmart is allowing Christmas in July, ringing from July 18–31, 2025, but you must use the space tool for approval.
Give With Joy Christmas Webpage
New web page coming soon — NHQ has alerted us that Love Beyond will be replaced by a new marketing slogan for Christmas 2025.
The Red Kettle Playbook is constantly updated. Please check back often.
Kettle Sign Information
Order Materials from Greenman's Printing
Dates & Guidelines
Find the 2025 Kettle Agreements
Watch the 2025 Divisional Red Kettle Christmas Marketing Meeting
Coming soon
Find the 2025 Kettle Agreements here.
Find Divisional Marketing Materials here.
Important Dates and Details
- Mid Michigan Red Kettle Kick off at Bronner's: 11/7/25
- Tallest Red Kettle Installation: 11/7/25
- Number of ringing days: 11/7/25
- Muskegon Red Kettle Kick Off: 11/10/25 -11/14/25
- Kalamazoo Red Kettle Kick Off: 11/13/25
- Ribbon Cutting at Royal Park Hotel: 11/13/25
- First day of Metro Detroit Kettles: 11/14/25
- Grand Rapids Red Kettle Kick Off: 11/15/25
- Metro Detroit Red Kettle Kick Off: 11/21/25
- Thanksgiving Day Parade: 11/27/25
- National Red Kettle Kick Off: 11/27/25
- Giving Tuesday: 12/2/25
- Celebrity Bell Ringing Weekend: 12/5/25 - 12/8/25
- Celebrity Bell Ringing Day: 12/6/25
- Metro Detroit Consortium of Hope Matching Campaign: 12/12/25 - 12/31/25
Bell Ringing Dates
- Busch's: TBD
- Walmart: TBD
- Sam's Club: TBD
- Kroger: TBD
- Bass Pro Shop: TBD
- Dillards: TBD
- Emagine Theaters: TBD
- Blain's Farm & Fleet: TBD
- Buddy's Pizza: TBD
- Hobby Lobby: TBD
- Hollywood Markets: TBD
- JC Penney: TBD
- Spartan Nash: TBD
- Big Lot's: TBD
- Walgreens and Rite Aid: TBD
- Lefty's Cheesesteaks Countertop Kettles: TBD
- Chillbox: TBD
- Jackson Crossing Mall: TBD
- Woodland Mall: TBD
- Mardel: TBD
Angel Tree Program
- Walmart (online): TBD
- Walmart (In-Store): TBD
- Sam’s Club (online): TBD
- Sam’s Club (In-Store): TBD
Removing registries: Salvation Army units must set their registries to private by Date to be determined
Kettle Bonuses
- Division-wide plan.
- Any request for an alternate bonus plan must be submitted to DFB by the end of October.
- Alternate plans must be equitable.
Most recent Kettle Bonus Update
Find the Kettle Bonus information here.
GLD 2025 Optional Kettle Bonus System
Deadlines
Donor Data Deadlines
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All donor data must be entered into Salesforce no later than Friday, January 23, 2026.
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All Kettle data must be entered into Register to Ring no later than Friday, January 9, 2026.
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All in kind donations and kettle revenue must be input into Register to Ring by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, January 9, 2026
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For any support regarding Register to Ring: RTRSupport@summitmarketing.com
Social Services Deadlines
- All Christmas assistance information collected electronically using Wufoo or other online tools for 2025 must be in SIMS no later than Date TBD. It is the Territorial preference that the data go directly into SIMS when possible. However, if a unit decides to collect the data electronically outside of SIMS, the unit is responsible for getting the data manually entered into SIMS.
- Custom Data Imports into SIMS may be explored. If desired, the division will be responsible for the costs associated with developing and implementing it.
- Use of Wufoo, TSAMM, or another online tool for collecting information is permitted, but only information publicly available (names, addresses, birthdates, etc.) is collected. Income data and other specifics, if required, must be collected manually rather than on the web tool.
- All client data must be entered into SIMS, reviewed for accuracy and completeness by Date TBD, so that the data transfer can be completed.
Start and end dates for Walmart Angel Trees:
- Online (Registry for Good): TBD
- In-Store: TBD
- All client data must be reviewed for accuracy and completeness by (date TBD), so that the data transfer can be completed on time for NSS reporting.
Tap to Give Program Protocol and Guidelines
- Each corps will create its campaigns within Tap to Give
- Donations received under the corps' campaigns will be assigned the corps Revenue Location Code
- A disbursement spreadsheet will be generated by THQ Business Operations and Processes Team and shared with THQ Finance for disbursement
A) The Campaign Name should follow this naming convention: “DIV-Area Command/Corps-2025” and then can include any additional information as desired by the team
For example: “WUM-Oshkosh-2024-Red Kettle” or “GLD-Detroit Area Command-2024-Red Kettle”
B) If there are area commands participating where corps will be receiving exactly what was raised within their geographic boundaries, each kettle tag will need to indicate the specific corps the funds should be allocated to.
For example: Campaign Name = “IND-Indianapolis Area Command-2025-Red Kettle” and the kettle tag’s Area/Location = “Harbor Light Corps R1 Kroger 116th”