While many charities have changed with the times, The Salvation Army's evolution since its foundation by William Booth in 1878 has been rather less marked.
To this day, Salvationists, more affectionately known as members of the Sally Army, adhere rigidly to the principles laid down by its founder. Drinking and gambling are forbidden, as is smoking because Booth regarded tobacco as 'injurious to health, a waste of money and a disagreeable thing to inflict on others'.
But these values are failing to chime with the public. Even donations to The Salvation Army from its own members, which make up nearly a tenth of total revenues, declined by 12% between 2005 and 2006 to 拢20m, while legacy funds shrank by 6% to 拢35m. This has led the charity to address its fundraising issues; last month it hired Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw to handle its 拢6m direct marketing account.
The Salvation Army provides a wide range of social welfare services, spanning homelessness centres, drug rehabilitation programmes, medical facilities, schools and emergency relief for the victims of extraordinary events, such as the recent floods and the London bombings on 7 July 2005. Central to its work remains persuading people of all ages to become 'God's disciples'. But at a time when mainstream religious following is on the wane in the UK, the church and registered charity is finding it increasingly difficult to fill its coffers.
In recent years, The Salvation Army has managed to generate revenue through the widescale sale of property and grants for its social work. Indeed, last year the organisation enjoyed an increase in total income to 拢236m, up from 拢207m in 2005. According to the charity's 2005/06 annual report, the disposal of assets and 'other income' accounted for 20% of revenues, while a quarter was raised through social services. Just last month, The Salvation Army sold its citadel in Newark, Nottingham for 拢400,000, but continued reliance on this revenue stream is clearly unsustainable.
We asked The Team client partner Viv Wilcock, who has worked with charities including the British Red Cross and Shelter, and WDMP board director Gina Larter, whose clients have included the Royal British Legion, what The Salvation Army can do to get its donation boxes rattling again.
DIAGNOSIS 1 - VIV WILCOCK CLIENT PARTNER, THE TEAM
The good work of The Salvation Army is hidden behind layers of history and reams of archaic language which fails to deliver a clear and compelling proposition.
My lasting impression of the charity is of uniformed brass bands playing at Christmas. It is an almost impossible leap of faith for the uninitiated to see it as being, as it states, 'responsible for monitoring the safe storage and fair distribution of thousands of tonnes of ... foods for the whole of Southern Iraq'.
The motivation for Salvation Army members is the love of God, which no one would doubt is a great inspiration for those who believe. However, for the millions who don't, giving to The Salvation Army is inevitably motivated by a humanist belief in helping others.
The organisation's own salvation is dependent on its ability to convince donors to put their hands in their pockets, not make leaps of faith. Fundraising is a competitive and increasingly brand-savvy business. The Salvation Army must stand out if it wants to progress and avoid being left out in the cold.
REMEDY
- Refresh the look and feel for a wider and younger audience.
- Energise the mission statement so it brings to life what a donation to the charity will actually deliver.
- Change the name or qualify it with a descriptive or compelling strapline.
- Cut back the clutter and liven up the language on all websites.
- Visually express the dynamic work done by the charity around the world.
DIAGNOSIS 2 - GINA LARTER BOARD DIRECTOR, WDMP
The Salvation Army suffers from a very outdated perception, conjuring up images of elderly people rattling collection tins, brass bands at Christmas and soup kitchens. It has an unclear positioning which vastly under-represents the work it carries out in the community.
As 'the largest, most diverse provider of social services after the government', it is imperative that the charity creates a greater understanding of what it does and updates its image to appeal to potential donors, young and old alike.
In an increasingly atheist society, the organisation has an opportunity to broaden its appeal by building on the trend of becoming more socially responsible. The charity's wider offering of providing 'practical concerns for the needs of humanity' will therefore strike a chord with most people, and it should home in on this.
The Salvation Army needs to publicise its involvement in newsworthy emergencies, which people wouldn't necessarily associate it with, such as the recent floods across the country.
REMEDY
- Develop a relevant strapline that reveals the breadth of the charity's work.
- Step up the PR offensive to ensure publicity during high-profile emergencies.
- Focus on one big 'campaignable' idea that particularly gets the young to engage with, and re-appraise, the brand by showing that it offers long-term support as well as immediate aid to victims of emergencies.
- Reassess the brand's positioning in relation to today's secular society.