The Salvation Army Lowers Holiday Guilt With New Donation Methods

With consumers shifting their shopping online and their in-store purchasing from cash to plastic, The Salvation Army’s familiar red kettle campaign isn’t the reliable source of donations it once was for the nonprofit.

Local Salvation Army chapters, which on average raise between 40 to 50 percent of their annual budgets during the holiday season, are facing mounting challenges in bringing in enough donations to meet growing needs.

The volunteers ringing bells outside businesses have historically brought in most of that crucial holiday fundraising.

But the kettles are harder to fill when 80 percent of consumers use debit cards for everyday purchases like gas and groceries, according to the nonprofit organization American Consumer Credit Counseling.