General and Fundraising Questions

Accessing services, how do people apply, who is eligible and are there any fees?

Persons in need of assistance should contact their local Salvation Army centre or church.

As well as being on our website, they are listed in the phone books under the headings "Salvation Army - Community SupportServices" and "Salvation Army - Corps" (a corps is a Salvation Army church group).

The Salvation Army is committed to assisting all people without regard to nationality, race, belief, sexuality, ability, or judgement of behaviour. We give to people according to their need.

Fees may vary with each Salvation Army programme, but the services we offer are free to those who cannot pay.

In the case of accommodation, if a person is receiving a government allowance we charge a fee (e.g. $11 per night at Flagstaff homeless shelter, which includes meals and a bed) that is less than the allowance so people still have a discretionary income.

The hours of service may vary with each Salvation Army programme, but in general our services are available during normal business hours, while many services are available or contactable 24 hours.

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Administration - who is your parent body? How is The Salvation Army organised? What are the ranks or levels in the hierarchy?

The Salvation Army is a world-wide Christian church. The Salvation Army International Headquarters (IHQ) is based in London.

Our work in Australia is governed by two Territorial Headquarters (THQ) which report to London.

Click here for details about Salvation Army administration

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What are the aims, goals, values and mission statement?

The Salvation Army has two primary values: 

• To assist all people in need without regard to nationality, race, belief, sexuality, ability, or judgement of behaviour. Our philosophy is that we can best express our love for God by compassionately reaching out to help people. We follow the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you".
  
• To encourage people to spiritual wholeness through the teachings of Jesus.

International Mission Statement

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. 

Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by love for God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name without discrimination.

Mission Values of The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory

Our Vision - The Salvation Army - a growing, loving community of people dynamically living God's mission in a broken world.

Our Mission - The Salvation Army raised up by God for the work of:

Our Values - Recognising that God is always at work in the world we value:

Click here to view as a poster with more details

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How are these aims, goals and values achieved?

In each location where The Salvation Army has a presence, our officers (who are ordained ministers) and staff review the needs of the community and establish local objectives. 

This will include a spiritual dimension by providing worship, compassion and friendship opportunities.

This often gives rise to social programmes to help people in the community. Examples of such programmes include:

• Soup vans - delivering hot soup and bread to the hungry
• The Shed Youth Skating Park - giving kids something to do after school
• Burnt Toast Cyber Cafe - teaching disadvantaged people how to use computers and the internet
• Visionary Images - helping homeless youths get job skills in producing billboard, video and internet advertising
• Flying Padre - a Salvation Army officer who flies his plane to visit remote stations in the Northern Territory
• The Galaxy Project - a program to prevent and reduce the harms associated with drug use by young people
• Breathing Easy - a project to prevent and reduce chroming (inhalation of solvents, paints and glue)

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Donations: How are funds raised? What promotional tools do you use?

The Salvation Army uses many different tools to raise funds and promote awareness. These include:

• Doorknocking
• Internet website
• Street intersection collectors
• Wills and bequests
• Direct mail sent to people's homes
• Circulars dropped in mailboxes
• Corporate and business donations
• Newsletters to supporters
• Email messages to supporters
• TV commercials (free public service announcements)
• Cinema commercials (free public service announcements)
• Outdoor advertising on billboards, bus shelters, etc.
• Special events, such as motorcycle rallies or fundraising concerts
• Salvos Stores and Op Shops sell donated goods to raise funds
• Advertisements in newspapers and magazines (free public service announcements)
• Donations from special marketing promotions, such as Kmart Wishing Tree or the Myer Spirit of Christmas CD
• Salvos Partners - club for people who make a monthly donation
• Food bank - boxed or canned foods donated by stores
• Child Sponsorship program to help children overseas
• Telephone donation line - 13 SALVOS (13 72 58)
• Payroll deductions - companies who allow employees to deduct donations from their pay
• Government payments for providing social services

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Tell me more about donations.

For the 2006-2007 fiscal year, The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory (VIC, TAS, WA, SA, NT) processed a total of 238,000 donations from 190,000 personal and business donors

Click here for total donations for the 2006-2007 fiscal year, with a breakdown of donation sources.

In the 2006-2007 fiscal year, The Salvation Army in all of Australia received $68,651,625 through donations to the Red Shield Appeal.

The Salvation Army helps people in our local communities. 

Every dollar donated goes to assist families and individuals in need. Donations help people get back on their feet and become part of their community again.

The Salvos have very low administration costs - less than 12 cents for every dollar donated is used for administrative expenses.

The Salvation Army is committed to assisting all people without regard to nationality, race, belief, sexuality, ability, or judgement of behaviour. 

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The Salvation Army relies on public donations to fund the following services:

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Funding - what are our sources of funding - what is our budget

Budget:
The total costs of providing all Salvation Army social services in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory for the 2006-2007 fiscal year* was nearly $270 million. This is broken down as follows:
* from our latest Annual Report issued in January 2008.

Employment, Education & Training	22%
Salvos Stores	21%
Homeless and Domestic Violence	14%
Individual and Family Support	10%
Children and Young People at Risk	9%
Aged Care and Disability Support	7%
Addictions and Substance Abuse	7%
Administration and Research	3%

Income:
Our income to fund these services was $290 million and came from the following sources:

Government subsidies	51%
Trading revenue from Salvos Stores, etc.	21%
Red Shield Appeal donations	13%
Investment income	8%
Contributions from residents of aged care and other accommodation	3%
Legacies	1%
Miscellaneous	3%

In the 2006-2007 fiscal year, The Salvation Army in all of Australia received $126,427,886 through donations in the following areas:

Red Shield Appeal	$68,651,625
Wills and Bequests:	$57,776,261

Our total fundraising costs amounted to 12.7 cents for every dollar raised.

The Red Shield Appeal is still the major fundraiser for the Salvos, with donations from the following sources:

• General Mail - 38.3%
• Doorknock - 12.8%
• Specified Gifts - 9.1%
• Trusts, Government - 8.8%
• Pledge Programmes - 7.7%
• Major Gifts - Personal - 6.6%
• Major Gifts - Business - 4.1%
• Direct Mail Business - 3.8%
• Internet donations - 3%
• Interest - 1.7%
• Cause related marketing - 1.6%
• Special Events - 0.2%
• Other ( Legacies, Special Appeals) - 2.3%

The average mail donation is $65
The average phone donation is $133
The average internet donation is $196

Click here for the number of donors.

See also:
- Donation information and how funds are used
   - annual report

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How many people does The Salvation Army assist?

In a typical week, across Australia, we provide (approximate figures):

• 100,000 meals for the hungry
• 2,000 beds for the homeless
• 5,000 to 8,000 food vouchers
• 1,000 people with assistance in finding employment
• Refuge to 500 victims of abuse
• Assistance to 500 people addicted to drugs, alcohol or gambling
• Several thousand people with counselling
• 3,000 elderly people with aged care services
• 40 people in the court system with chaplaincy services
• Family tracing services which locate 40 missing family members

The Salvation Army provides the following services:

The Salvation Army tries to address each person's problems and needs as a whole. By doing this we try to help people get back on their feet and progressively able to take care of themselves.

For example, a homeless youth needs more than just a roof over his or her head - they may also need food vouchers, counselling, drug or alcohol rehabilitation, help getting registered for Centrelink payments, and job training. 

In another example, we helped two women who were living in a refuge to start up their own beauty salon. This enabled them to earn a living, set their own work hours so they could be home with their school-age children, and built their self-esteem after years of abuse.

Then there's the story of David, who had been absent from school for a while. He was not old enough to leave so he simply chose not to attend. He had been picked up a few times for stealing and you could see where he was heading. That's when we met him. Everyone had given up on him, including himself. He hadn't done well at school but it wasn't through lack of intelligence, it was just that no one really seemed to care. When he started getting behind it was easier to avoid the problem by not attending.

David had a dream. He wanted to work with computers but his father was unemployed - they couldn't even afford a second-hand computer. David could see no way of fulfilling his dream. The first step was to get him back to school so he could finish Year 12. This would allow him to take the next step - a TAFE course in computer technology. We made a deal. If David went to school we would arrange for him to have a computer. Nothing flash - but something to get him started. It is hard to imagine how difficult it was for David walking through those school gates again, but he did it. He was soon making progress, and one of the most rewarding moments was when he was able to help fix one of our computers.

One more example is the story of Kylie, who is almost 13. Her mum, Jane, had come to us for assistance because she was having trouble bringing up two children by herself and making ends meet. Jane told us she often had to take time off work to make sure Kylie went to school. As a result, she had lost her job.

Kylie told us she didn't want to go to school because everyone knew she was poor and made fun of her. There were books that she needed but, knowing there was not enough money, she refused to put her mum under any more pressure. Besides, she believed she wasn't very smart, so it was all a waste of time. We provided Kylie with books and a school uniform - the first uniform she ever had that actually fitted.

But that was only part of the solution. Her mother had also struggled at school and left with almost no secondary education. She was limited in what she could do to help Kylie, and her own experiences accounted for her reluctance to confront Kylie's school problems. With a little encouragement, we were able to get Jane into a short course at a local TAFE and help her establish a small personal care business that she could operate from home. This meant she could manage her income and her hours. It also gave Kylie new support and self esteem. 

This is what The Salvation Army does best - solving the big problems, not just applying bandaids.

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Tell me more about Salvation Army history.

The Salvation Army is a world-wide Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by love for God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name without discrimination.

Our philosophy is that we can best express our love for God by compassionately reaching out to help people. We follow the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you".

The Salvation Army's beginnings date back to 2 July 1865 when a Methodist minister named William Booth began preaching to and helping the poor and underprivileged in London; by 1867 it had developed into a ministry offering basic schooling, reading rooms, penny banks, soup kitchens, and relief aid to the destitute.

In 1880, John Gore and Edward Saunders brought The Salvation Army to Australia. They held a street meeting in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, and their parting invitation to those standing around listening was, "If there is any man here who hasn't had a decent meal today, let him come home to tea with me."

The following dates are generally accepted as those on which The Salvation Army commenced work in the Australasian colonies:

South Australia - 5 September 1880 
New South Wales - 4 December 1882 
Victoria - 24 December 1882 
New Zealand - April 1883 
Tasmania - November 1883 
Queensland - 1885 
Western Australia - December 1891
Northern Territory - 1940's 

The name of The Salvation Army:

1865 - Originally called the Christian Revival Society, and soon after called the East London Christian Mission. 

1867 - The organisation grew rapidly and became known simply as the Christian Mission.

1878 - William Booth was perusing a printer's proof for a pamphlet which referred to the Christian Mission as a ' volunteer army'. Booth swept his pen through the word ' volunteer' and changed it to read 'Salvation Army'. The name was adopted. 

An overview of the work of The Salvation Army in Australia since Federation (1901) is found in the publication "A Century of Care"

Click here for more information about the history of The Salvation Army

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When did the Red Shield Appeal start?

In 1965 the first trial Red Shield Appeal door knock was conducted in the Sydney area. For the first time instead of just using uniformed Salvos to collect night after night over a three month period as part of a 'self denial appeal', the friends of the Salvos took part in a one morning doorknock under the new name.

The idea came from Canada where The Salvation Army had used this method and name since the late 1940's. The Red Shield approach was based on the popular Salvation Army Red Shield huts and services provided by us during World War II for all the western nations, including Australia and Canada.

Two Australian Salvation Army officers, Majors Don Campbell and Charles Cross, investigated the Canadian idea of running an annual Red Shield Appeal. Major Cross passed on his knowledge to The Salvation Army in Sydney where they quickly instigated the first trial in Sydney. Major Campbell in Melbourne passed on his information to Colonel Harry Goffin and Captain Smith who implemented it progressively in the southern states of Australia.

In 1967 Salvation Army centres in North Western Tasmania successfully carried out a ‘one day’ door knock with the help of community groups and friends. In 1968 the City of Melbourne made an attempt to doorknock the whole city and advertise the event through all main media.

In 1969 the whole of Victoria took part in the Red Shield Appeal doorknock and a leading advertising agency developed an advertising campaign including the now famous "Thank God for the Salvos" slogan and donated all their time. Melbourne's leading film maker donated a free 30 second TV commercial, five leading photographers travelled the state and contributed an outstanding photographic display, and all the media donated time and space. The result was a 100% increase in the appeal total for Victoria to $200,000.

First nation-wide Red Shield Appeal

In 1970 we held our first national appeal, again using the 'Thank God for the Salvos' advertising campaign, and this time the donations of media space and time were national. The appeal raised $1 million dollars across Australia.

The Salvation Army was the first charity to hold a national doorknock, the first to have a national advertising campaign, and the first to have a national TV campaign. The results in terms of donations, change in awareness and attitude to The Salvation Army and its clients were outstanding.

Today we have an income of more than $50 million from the Red Shield Appeal, plus another $50 million from wills and bequests.

Our regular Newspoll shows that the Red Shield Appeal is known by 96% of the population and 91% have a positive attitude to the 'Salvos' and more than 90% know the slogan, "Thank God for the Salvos".

The first time we conducted such research in 1970 we were the rated the sixth most important appeal in Australia; today we are very clearly the appeal with the highest regard. The sad fact is that a new problem has developed to take advantage of this positive image - more than 50% of people are not at home when we call for a donation and we now have a far higher income from those who donate through the mail, via the internet, and through regular monthly donations.

The Red Shield Appeal today

We rely on the Red Shield Appeal to supplement the programs which are paid for by government contributions, which provide 54% of our income.

The total expenditure of The Salvation Army in Australia is $550 million. Each year we assist 1,000,000 people.

Each week we serve 100,000 meals, provide beds to 5,000 homeless people, give away many blankets, give 500 addicted rehabilitation, give 400 victims of domestic abuse refuge and provide counselling to several thousand people.

The Salvation Army thanks God for the way in which the Red Shield Appeal has given us a life line between a caring Australian public and the victims of our society who we help to shield.

Today we depend more than ever on the proceeds from the Red Shield Appeal and want to thank the people of Australia for the support they continue to give us to assist those in need.

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How do people become a member or get involved with The Salvation Army?

There are many ways everyone can participate in The Salvation Army, including:

• attending a local Salvation Army church and participating in our various worship activities for children, youth and adults
  
• volunteering to assist in a Salvation Army social program, such as a soup kitchen or family welfare centre
  
• doorknocking for the Red Shield Appeal once a year  
  
• being employed by The Salvation Army in a professional capacity
  
• making a donation to our Salvos Stores or to the Red Shield Appeal

If a person would like to become an Officer (minister) in The Salvation Army, they must be an adult member of The Salvation Army church and undergo 2 years of officers (ministers) training. Click here to visit the Training College website

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Logos and images - can I use them in my assignment?

Students and teachers are welcome to use The Salvation Army's logos and images in their classroom assignments, reports and presentations.

However, they cannot be used on a website, book, magazine, journal, published study or report, or by other organisations, businesses or individuals without prior written permission. Requests for such use of copyrighted symbols and images should be emailed to our Communications Director, Major Brad Halse Brad.Halse@aus.salvationarmy.org , providing specific details regarding the desired use of the image or symbol.

ALL SALVATION ARMY SYMBOLS AND IMAGES ARE TRADEMARKED OR COPYRIGHTED.

These symbols and images may only be used without restriction by Salvation Army centres.

All persons using these symbols and images must maintain their integrity and appearance, including the trademark

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How many members, employees and churches do you have in Australia?

In the year 1900, The Salvation Army in Australia could boast the following statistics:

Officers & Cadets & Employees: 1929 
Soldiers (Members) estimated at 50,000 
Corps (Churches): 512 
Outposts: 858 

In 1903, The Salvation Army made claim to .082 per cent of Australia's population. That percentage has not been met since.

In 2002, The Salvation Army in Australia had:

Officers & Cadets (ministers):1,901 - includes both active and retired officers
Employees: 6478
Soldiers (Members): 30,885 
Corps (Churches): 355
Outposts: 194

Worldwide, The Salvation Army has:

Officers & Cadets (ministers): 26,462
Employees: 112,535
Soldiers (members): 1,640,962
Corps (churches) & outposts: 13,188

In 2008, The Salvation Army in Australia has:

Officers & Cadets (ministers):1,939 - includes both active and retired officers
Employees: 8,875
Soldiers (Members): 26,457
Corps (Churches): 335
Outposts: 57
Institutions, stores, programmes: 912

Ratio of female to male employees: 72% female to 28% male

Worldwide, The Salvation Army has:

Officers & Cadets (ministers): 27,576
Employees: 107,902
Soldiers (members): 1,632,603
Corps (churches) & outposts: 15,175

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How does The Salvation Army feel about issues such as abortion, euthanasia, gambling, homosexuality, etc.?

Click here for detailed position statements from The Salvation Army

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What government regulations apply to The Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army is a legally registered religious organisation, and as a result is not required to register as a charity.

However, the public perception is that The Salvation Army is primarily a charitable institution.

Because The Salvation Army runs many different programs and has a wide range of activities, we are subject to Federal, state and local government policies and regulations for the following areas:

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What are the responsibilities of The Salvation Army to the community?

The Salvation Army is responsible to all our donors and supporters to act on their behalf to help people in need. 

We have obligations to all the clients we serve in our various programs.

We have a policy of openness and cooperating with all enquiries and providing public access and accountability in all our services and activities. A copy of our latest annual report is available on our website, and our records are open for public scrutiny through our financial management department.

According to surveys:

96% of Australians are favourably inclined toward The Salvation Army
95% of Australians are familiar with The Red Shield Appeal
93% are aware of the slogan, "Thank God for the Salvos"
86% recognise The Salvation Army uniform

Asked who they would consider for a donation, 30% of people named The Salvation Army.

Following are our core social issues of concern:

The Salvation Army tries to provide services within the local area where they are needed, yet frequently struggles with members of communities who do not want to have rehabilitation centres or youth crisis accommodation in their neighbourhoods.

Because of The Salvation Army's reputation and visibility, we are in a position to speak out to the government and the media regarding issues which are important for society. It is our obligation to provide a voice for people in need. Officers and experts from The Salvation Army are sometimes consulted by or appointed to government committees to help guide policy decisions. The support we receive from the public often gives us influence that is far greater than our numbers.

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Symbols and uniforms - why are they used - what do they mean?

Click here for a detailed description of Salvation Army symbols and the uniform.

For photos of historical Salvation Army uniforms, click here

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Do you run Salvos Stores and Family Stores just to make money?

The Salvation Army operates more than 300 stores throughout Australia selling predominantly (but not only) preloved goods donated by the public.

While we rely heavily on the generosity of the public and thousands of community volunteers, we also have a professional retail network and a great team of retail managers who oversee our operations.  

Our retail outlets serve several valuable purposes, including raising much-needed funds for our huge social program. Indeed, much of our community and emergency service work relies heavily on the funding generated in Salvo shops around the country.

Each of our stores also operates as a community contact point, and our staff can tell countless stories of customers who have requested—and been given—contact details for our churches, emergency relief programs and counselling services.

Speaking of our staff, there are thousands of Australians who want to help others in their local community in some way, and have chosen to do so by volunteering in our shops. We value these people highly as they freely give back to their local community.

So the next time you want to pick up a bargain or search for collector’s pieces and rare treasures, drop into one of our stores and chat with our friendly staff. Every dollar you spend will go towards helping others in need or distress.

You can even pick up a copy of Warcry while you’re there!

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What happens to money given to the Red Shield Appeal?

The Red Shield Appeal is The Salvation Army’s major annual fundraising campaign and helps us to support more than one million Australians each year.

This year, the fundraising target is $68 million.

Our organisation works to ensure that every donation is used most effectively, and administration costs are kept to a minimum.

More than 82 cents in every dollar donated to The Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal goes directly to those in need, which is one of the most efficient administration rates of any charity in Australia.

Donations help fund our vast network of social and community services.

These services include emergency and disaster relief, homeless shelters, youth drop-in centres and education/training programs, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, family tracing services, financial and telephone crisis counselling, aged care, employment services, training programs, and chaplaincy to isolated rural communities, to emergency service personnel and within our courts and prison system.*

The theme of this year’s Red Shield Appeal is ‘We're all in this together!’. We believe that as we continue to work in partnership with our generous donors, our army of volunteers (including 100,000 volunteer collectors alone for the Red Shield Appeal doorknock) and the business community, we can make a difference, see lives transformed and help make Australia an even better place.

For more information, or to find out how you can help, please visit salvos.org.au/redshieldappeal.

Lieut-Colonel James CondonTop of page