Kudos To Salvation Army
Here’s just a plain old "good news" post.
The Salvation Army has done a terrific job of remaining relevant and vital in changing times. A great case study in organizational renewal, particularly as nonprofits begin to think more and more about competition from "fresh faces" in the sector.
So, as reported in Philanthropy Journal, it’s gratifying to see that donations to their 2009 Red Kettle Campaign went up smartly to $139 million, a 7% increase over 2008 in a down economy.
Incidentally, in a sign of the times, $9.6 million (7%) of the total was donated online.
Well done Salvation Army donors, volunteers and staff!
Tom
2 responses to “Kudos To Salvation Army”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Great question! Here’s how behavioral science can help unpack what might be happening: Pain of Paying: Even a small extra charge can make giving feel more transactional than emotional, potentially reducing generosity. Fairness Concerns: Some donors might perceive donor cover as a surcharge rather than a contribution to the cause. If they feel the charity […]
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The choice between “Your gift CAN…” and “Your gift WILL…” taps into the psychological framing of certainty vs. possibility. Currently, there is no academic research directly comparing these two framings in charitable appeals. However, I suspect no framing is universally better—the outcome likely depends on your target audience and the campaign’s goal. Here are some thoughts: Certainty Framing – […]
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Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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This is actually NOT good news. The Salvation Army is recognized as a religious institution, and as such, fails to file a 990. Therefore, there is little accountability on how they spend donated funds — compared to other non-profit organizations.
I stopped giving to them a couple of years ago, when I realized this, and recently heard a similar complaint from a fundraising professional who left a local Salvation Army organization (where he was emplyoed) when he found out how poor their accounting practices were.
The international branch of the Army does file a 990, and it indicates such low incomes for its lead staff that it is difficult to imagine how they recruit and retain qualified staff to do the diffcult jobs of managing quality programs and stewarding funds at an acceptable level.
Unfortunately, too many people do not perform adeqaute research when deciding which organizations to support. The Salvation Army MAY do good works — but they do not have what I consider adequate documentation of their donated funds to prove how well they steward or manage donations.
Donor beware!
Due to the presence of its on-the-street red kettle collection effort, the Salvation Army has tremendous visibility. The public is prone to interpret this visibility as credibility. Anita, you are right that the public does not perform due diligence before donating.
Your desire for accountability is a growing trend that has been becoming all the more acute in the wake of the financial scandals. It remains to be seen how “retail fundraisers” such as the Salvation Arm, which solicit small amounts from large quantities of donors, will be impacted by this trend.
Certainly, a call for more accountability and a realistic expectation of where money goes is necessary.
I wrote about this very top in my blog post titled “How Much is This Dollar Worth?” and offer alternative measures for evaluating nonprofits.
http://blog.redroostergroup.com/2009/10/01/fundraising-how-much-is-this-dollar-worth/