Fundraising

The  styles  below look like they were ripped from the pages of a high-end fashion magazine…

But would you believe the models featured are all wearing clothes that were donated to The Salvation Army?

In Argentina, the local Salvation Army teamed up with ad agency JWT Argentina and five of the country’s top fashion designers to put together these stunning outfits compiled from donated items, blowing away conventional ideas of thrift store style!

The goal of The Salvation Army Argentina’s “Sr. Amor” campaign is to raise awareness of the importance of recycling clothes through donation and resale, which benefits both people in need and the environment.

The pieces pictured above were auctioned off earlier this month with the funds raised going to support The Salvation Army.

Now don’t let Argentina have all the fun. Visit our site www.satruck.org to learn more about donating clothes and other items to The Salvation Army. Your generous gifts donated to our Family Thrift Stores will support the work of our Adult Rehabilitation Centers. You could even look around stores to see if you find some new inspiring treasures for yourself!

For more information about The Salvation Army’s diverse work in communities across the United States, visit our website www.salvationarmyusa.org. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Today is the LAST day to help The Salvation Army win a free full page, full color ad in USA TODAY!

The charity with the most tweets wins, so don’t forget, log into your Twitter account and tweet the following message:

“#AmericaWants The #SalvationArmy to get a full-page ad in USA TODAY.”

For more information, read the USA TODAY article here or check out our original blog post.

And while you’re on Twitter, stop by and visit us at www.twitter.com/salvationarmyus .

According to USA TODAY article “Poll: More donated to Haiti than to Chile after quakes,” a recent USA TODAY/Gallup poll found that nearly half (45%) of respondents donated money to Haiti earthquake relief efforts, whereas less than one third (28%) of respondents donated to Chile aid work for the earthquake that struck the South American nation just more than a month later.

The article discusses several possible reasons for the disparity, but according to those who directly donated to Haiti efforts, 87% of them said they gave based on the amount of the country’s damage, and 73% gave based on the island nation’s dire economic state.

What factors affect you when considering donating to disaster relief? Did you donate to efforts in Haiti or Chile, and why or why not? What do you think about the poll’s direct and implied findings?

The Salvation Army is actively working in the earthquake devastated communities of both Haiti and Chile, serving human need without discrimination. We have been present in Haiti since 1950, operating schools, clinics, hospital, feeding programs, children’s homes and church-related activities across the country. The Salvation Army has also been present and active in Chile since 1909, offering educational outreach, childcare programs, skills training, and anti-drug programs.

Espwa means “hope” in Creole, the native language of Haiti. This idea of hope  has been a general theme and desire for both citizens and aid workers who are joining together to rebuild Haiti after January’s disastrous earthquake.

From this shared goal has formed the Espwa Project,  a labor of love and an endeavor to bring hope to Haiti by wearing hope. When you give to The Salvation Army’s Espwa Project, a way to support our ongoing relief efforts in Haiti, you will receive a specially designed t-shirt with this inspiring message.

As the Espwa website points out, “Hope, like laughter, is contagious. Each time you wear your [espwa] t-shirt, you spread its message of hope.”

Visit The Salvation Army Haiti Division’s Espwa Project wesbite for information.

This week we released The Salvation Army’s record-breaking Red Kettle Campaign results, made possible by your generous donations! (Thank you!)

Today The Washington Times featured a story about this entitled, “Green Yule for virtual Salvation Army – Cyber kettle shows its mettle,” focusing on the new and unique “virtual” Red Kettle presence, including an iPhone application and the online game Coin Catch. This online presence helps us reach a larger audience  and provides more opportunities for people to give back to the community.

The Salvation Army Coin Catch game, inspired by an anonymous donor in Detroit, is entertaining, free to play, and generates donations for The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division where state residents are struggling with the highest unemployment rates in the nation. For people who want to support a good cause but don’t have the extra funds, this program is perfect!

The goal is to catch as many falling coins as possible in a red kettle while avoiding “bad things” like mousetraps and spiders. For every coin you catch, the anonymous donor gives one penny to The Salvation Army. As you catch more money, the game will quickly pause to tell you what a positive impact your funds will have on someone in Detroit (for example, $.33 cents will buy someone a meal, and $.66 provides a baby of bottle formula for a day).

If you haven’t tried our Coin Catch Game yet, visit www.salarmycoincatch.com to test your skill and help someone in need in the process.  Thank you again for your support of The Salvation Army and helping make this a record-breaking year!

The numbers are in, and U.S. donors contributed a record-breaking $139 million in nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars to The Salvation Army’s iconic Christmas Red Kettle Campaign this year! The results are encouraging because the generous public not only helped us reach it despite a difficult economy, but the funds are especially needed as demand for social services has skyrocketed.

“Our local Corps units are reporting demand for social services that is more than 400 percent above normal in some cases,” said Commissioner Israel L. Gaither, National Commander of The Salvation Army. “We needed help this year and Americans, as well as corporate partners responded in a big way.”

These are a few ways our corporate partners helped make a big impact for a great cause:

• Walmart and Sam’s Club:

Red Kettles located at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores accounted for as much as 29 percent of the total given. The Walmart Foundation also made a direct donation of $1.25 million.

• Kroger:

Kroger stores hosted Salvation Army Red Kettles at nearly 2,000 stores. Those donations raised approx. $11.3 million, or 8% of the campaign’s physical Red Kettle total.

• Target:

Target donated more than $1.25 million in cash and in-kind donations.  They also collaborated with Hasbro, Inc.  to give 5% of the purchase price of  Hasbro toys bought at Target  to The Salvation Army.

• JCPenney:

JCPenney and The Salvation Army launched the first-ever Online Angel Giving Tree Program. People could “adopt” Salvation Army “Angels” and deliver gifts via the Internet. Tens of thousands of children and seniors in need were adopted.

• The Weather Channel:

The Weather Channel promoted a compilation CD featuring a Salvation Army-themed single entitled, “Please Don’t Forget,” performed by Grammy Award winner Aaron Neville.

The Salvation Army also used some tech saavy methods to raise money, from a new Apple iPhone application, to Facebook and Twitter, and  the Online Red Kettle.

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.

Thank you, America, for your generous support and making it possible for our continued service to  those in need! For more information, read our press release here or refer to a chart breakdown here.

An Ebay bidder is a proud new owner of Kathie Lee Gifford's signed football auctioned to help Haiti relief!

The Ebay auction for Kathie Lee Gifford’s celebrity-signed Super Bowl football closed today, earning an amazing $5,100! The Today Show host will donate the money to The Salvation Army’s Haiti relief efforts. Signatures on the ball included those of Kathie Lee, her football Hall of Fame husband Frank Gifford, and the ever-popular Regis Philbin.

I don’t know who the lucky winner is, but hopefully they are doing a great endzone dance right now in front of their computer!

If you didn’t win the football but would like to donate to The Salvation Army’s ongoing relief efforts in Haiti, you can contribute through :

•     Online Credit Card Contributions or PayPal
•    Text ‘HAITI’ to 52000
•    Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY
•    Mail a check or money order to:
The Salvation Army World Service Office
International Disaster Relief Fund
PO Box 630728
Baltimore, MD 21263-0728
*Please note that your donation is for Haiti Earthquake relief*

You can also stay updated on our efforts in Haiti and the local community by visiting our national website at www.salvationarmyusa.org or following us on Facebook and Twitter.

Kathie Lee Gifford and Regis Philbin pose with an autographed football that is up for bid on Ebay, the proceeds from which will benefit The Salvation Army's relief efforts in Haiti.

While you were at home on the couch enjoying the Super Bowl with friends earlier this month, so was Kathie Lee Gifford. Who says celebrities aren’t just like normal, everyday people? Sounds pretty average to me. Well…almost.

Her party-goers are probably a little more famous than yours and mine, and their autographs would earn a pretty penny more than my John Hancock could ever go for. Or at least that’s what I can tell from the signed football they’re auctioning on E-Bay.

While enjoying the great Sunday match-up, Kathie Lee made sure to make the event count. She autographed a Wilson Super Bowl XLIV football and had her football Hall of Famer husband Frank Gifford and TV icon Regis Philbin also sign the pigskin. The football is now up for bid on Ebay, with proceeds going to benefit The Salvation Army’s relief efforts in Haiti.

With the auction ending February 19, there are almost 3 days left to make a bid on the ball, which is already up to $2,026.00! If you’re interested in staking your claim AND helping Haiti, check out the bidding war here.

Kathie Lee discusses her football for bid at approximately 4 minutes into this Today Show clip.

To stay updated on The Salvation Army’s efforts in Haiti or within your local community, visit our national website at www.salvationarmyusa.org or follow us on  Facebook and Twitter.

Don’t Forget! Valentine’s Day is coming up, and that means you have only 2 days left to support The Salvation Army as your charity of choice through Target’s ‘Super Love Sender’ campaign (visit www.facebook.com/Target)!

The campaign, which began January 31st and will run through February 14, combines football and love just in time for Super Bowl XLIV and Valentine’s Day.  Participants can choose how five national charities will receive a portion of $1 million from Target to fund educational programming.  The five charities are: The Salvation Army, Kids in Need Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, United Through Reading Military Program, and United Way.

If you want to support The Salvation Army and our education programs, all YOU have to do is designate our organization after you create your own personalized, quirky video card (or cards - you can send up to 10 per day) and send it to someone special!  You’ll be supporting a good cause AND making the day of a friend or loved one.

The three types video cards you can choose from include:

Dance Theme – Football Cupid is accompanied by backup dancers, who perform an end zone celebration dance, which culminates in the reveal of the fan-chosen charity.  To customize these cards, participants can select from a list of dance moves for Football Cupid to perform, including the Huddle Cuddle, the Robo Ref, the Grid Iron Love Gallop and the Angry Shoulder Pads.

Poetry-Inspired - Football Cupid reads “You’re My Instant Replay,” a football-inspired love poem.  Think “roses are red” meets snap, scramble, sack.

Love Song – Football Cupid and his NFL-sized “Pips” take recipients on a musical Motown journey to celebrate love and giving, by performing “Super Love Song.”

These video cards are creative and even made me laugh at loud at times. Try one, and vote for The Salvation Army! Visit Target’s ‘Super Love Sender’ and let us know which design you chose!