Listen to this article
In 2023, The Salvation Army’s red kettles raised more than $104 million in the U.S.
The fundraising effort is critical to furthering The Salvation Army’s mission and sharing its story. And carrying it out takes just that—effort. Locations have to be secured, along with bellringers—volunteer and paid, in some instances. And it all happens in weeks filled with Christmas distributions and other services.
This year, leaders approved Register to Ring as a tool for The Salvation Army to use at its kettles across the U.S. In the Western U.S., its adoption spans 13 Western states, Guam and Micronesia.
The Register to Ring website aims to streamline a key aspect of kettles: volunteering. By making it easier to recruit and engage volunteer bellringers, the West aims to boost involvement. Plus, volunteer bell ringers typically net more donations than their paid counterparts.
“It is the hope of the Western Territory, that by utilizing Register to Ring, we will be able to connect more volunteers with opportunities in their local communities to join with The Salvation Army this Red Kettle season,” said Western Territorial Commander Commissioner Douglas Riley. “Every year, our volunteers raise critical funds that support our year-round operations.”
Last year, The Salvation Army provided more than 9 million meals, 3 million nights of lodging and 2 million vouchers for needs, including groceries, clothing and utility assistance in the Western Territory. The funds raised at the kettle support these services in the community in which they were raised.
Register to Ring replaces kettle web, and has functions to make the signup and onboarding process simpler for individuals and groups, along with including options for administrators to send volunteers thank you emails and generate reports on income and bellringers, among other things.
Last year, it was piloted in locations in the Northwest, Southwest, Southern California and Intermountain divisions.
“After piloting the Register to Ring platform in several locations last Christmas season, we are confident that it simplifies the registration process for individuals, producing more volunteers, which then results in an increase to the funds raised to continue our work,” Riley said. “We anticipate an increase in volunteer hours and funds raised this year and we look forward to what we can do together.”
“If somebody’s willing to ring the bell for you and stand out in the cold, that’s the best donor possible. They’re giving their time, which is their most precious resource.”
Northwest Divisional Commander Lt. Colonel Cindy Foley
Northwest Divisional Commander Lt. Colonel Cindy Foley first used Register to Ring when she was Divisional Commander of the Golden State Division nine years ago. When she was appointed to lead the Northwest Division, she knew she wanted to incorporate the tool into the division’s kettle strategy, which she said is a year-round effort.
“I’ve been involved in five red kettle campaigns using Register to Ring, and it’s been highly successful every year,” she said.
Last year, during the pilot, the Northwest Division had a 12 percent net increase in kettle income over the prior year. And volunteering was up, too, both in number of hours (about a 170 percent increase) and number of volunteers (about a 283 percent increase).
“Register to Ring is part of the success story,” she said. “It’s the usability of the tool, the features that Register to Ring has that we didn’t have before…that communication piece, the finance piece, the fact that it’s less steps to sign up and you can do it from an app.”
Another feature? Support from Summit Marketing, the creators of Register to Ring, when help is needed.
Foley said it’s the “volunteer army” that makes the red kettle campaign possible, especially with increases in minimum wage. In King County, Washington, where the Northwest Division is headquartered, minimum wage is set to reach $20.29 an hour in 2025.
“We can’t afford to pay minimum wage. It just takes too much out of it,” she said.
That’s where Register to Ring comes in as a recruitment tool. Foley said in the Northwest Division, volunteers are encouraged to sign up throughout the year.
In Lewiston, Idaho, Foley said an advisory board member went to a pair of local coffee companies and convinced them to include a Register to Ring volunteer QR code sticker on every beverage cup for two weeks across nine store locations.
The effort contributed to the Lewiston Corps’ 737 percent increase in the number of volunteer bellringers in 2023.
According to Foley, the future of kettles is volunteers—and not just for the kettle income.
“If somebody’s willing to ring the bell for you and stand out in the cold, that’s the best donor possible,” she said. “They’re giving their time, which is their most precious resource.”
She said for many volunteers, bell ringing is the entry into further engagement.
“If that person is going to ring a bell, you know that they’re going to come and sort toys or sort food,” she said. “We need their help.”
Do Good:
- It’s because of people like you The Salvation Army can serve more than 24 million Americans in need each year. Your gift helps fight for good all year in your community. It’s an effort to build well-being for all of us, so together we rise—and that good starts with you. Give to spread hope with a donation of funds, goods or time today.
Download this page as a PDF
