Salvation Army facing shortfall, possible cuts
CHAMPAIGN — The Salvation Army of Champaign County is facing possible service and staff cuts if donors don't make up a sizeable shortfall in the Christmas fund drive about to end.
Just days remain until the official close of the campaign on Saturday, and there's about a $59,000 hole in the organization's $430,000 fundraising goal, says Envoy Mike Fuqua.
As of Tuesday, contributions totaled $370,703, he said.
"Our goal isn't that much higher than it was last year," Fuqua said. "We were at $425,000 last year and we made it."
The Salvation Army of Champaign County sent out its bell ringers Nov. 11 and also mailed out requests for contributions to local residents.
This is the first time Fuqua can recall the organization not meeting its fundraising goal, he says.
"This is unbelievable in my mind. I've never experienced anything like this in any community I've been in," he adds.
He's been trying to figure out what went wrong, Fuqua says.
The kettle donations ran just slightly below last year's totals, but the mailed contributions were much lower, he said.
"I'm not sure who didn't send in," Fuqua said "We'll look through past donors and see if we just didn't touch somebody or push the right button or our appeal wasn't the right appeal. I'm on my knees right now."
If more donations aren't forthcoming, there will have to be budget cuts, he said.
"I'm not a worrying kind of person, but this is really going to hurt," Fuqua said. "We're going to have to do something significant to make up the difference."
The Salvation Army of Champaign County's total annual budget is just under $2 million, and without its two retail stores the organization has a budget of $1.4 million, Fuqua said.
It has a paid staff of 13 full-time and part-time people but relies on lots of volunteers to get its work done.
Fuqua said more volunteers are already needed to help with the current work load.
"I don't have much wiggle room," he said. "We run on a pretty lean staff as it is."
The Christmas fund drive is a very important part of the Salvation Army's budget, and while it officially ends Saturday, the organization will gladly accept contributions all year long.
All contributions given locally remain in the local community, Fuqua said.
"Feel free to send it. We're open all year round," he said.
Anyone who can, feel free to donate by Saturday, Fuqua urges.
"I wouldn't lose so much hair," he jokes.
Donations can be made in person or by mail at 2212 N. Market St., C.
Though, he adds, it would be nice if donors send their contributions before the end of the fund drive. "I wouldn't lose quite as much hair," he jokes.
Donations can be made:
— In person: at the Salvation Army building at 2212 N. Market St., C.
— Mailed to: Salvation Army of Champaign County, P.O. Box 618, Champaign, Ill. 61824.
— Online at: http://www.usc.salvationarmy.org/champaign. Click on the red kettle.
MoreIn reply to your ad hominem attack about "the coins in my pocket," that couldn't be further from the truth. I have my paycheck set up to provide automatic donations to specific local and national charities each month, and I select them carefully. I also donate on top of that to church and environmental organizations.
The documented instances of the Salvation Army's prejudiced attitude toward LGBT people doesn't match up with the Christian precepts of caring for all of those in need and leaving judgement to God.
There are many other charities that do good Christian work without passing judgement on the people they help, and I choose to support those charities instead.
I've stopped donating to them because of their discriminatory practices as well. If you donate a toy to a Salvation Army charity program and they consider it to be one that promotes "the occult" (including anything that has to do with Harry Potter), they will THROW IT AWAY. They won't even let another charity group without such a requirement have it. They will throw away your donation if they do not consider your donation to be appropriate when considered in light of their faith-based standards.
Face it: the Salvation Army is a Christian denomination (just like Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Catholics, etc.), not just a bunch of red kettles and thrift stores. When you give them money or goods, you are giving them to a church, and you are granting that church the authority to decide who (if anyone) will benefit from your donation. They are well within their rights to enact their own faith-based standards, and I am well within my rights to take my charitable giving elsewhere if I don't agree with them.
they refused to help me when i went to the food pantry. living in my car, with no residence, they told me they can only help those who bring in documentation that proves you are a resident of the county.
so to agree with the previous poster, yea this christian based orginazation is pretty particular about WHO they decide to help.
I appreciate the values and mission of the Salvation Army. They are one of the best charities out there in terms of being in touch with the nature of the needs and efficiently addressing them. They don't waste a lot of the donations on the bureacracy of running the organization. They get the donations correctly targeted to the real needs. I also admire their courage to stand strong on moral issues in a day and age when it seems the world is trying to create its own versions of the truth rather than honor what the Bible says.
With that said, I do believe that they need some fresh air in their approach to donations and public relations. There needs to be a better public representation of who they are and what they do. Some of what they do in the kettle drives is actually a bit offensive. I have observed bell ringers that are simply annoying, with constant ringing and purposely increasing the intensity of the ringing as people approach the door. I am sure that they are well intentioned, but, none the less, it comes across as rude. It is time to think a bit more creativiely concerning the appeal to the public. How about a flashing red and green light to let people know that the kettle is there? Possibly have some appropriate Christmas music played at a reasonable volume. Give something to the shoppers in the way of good cheer rather than obnoxiously ringing that high pitched bell in their ear.
Market Street is way out of the way for people with busy schedules. Offer more drop off locations for financial gifts, toys and appliances during the holidays. Businesses who appreciate the cause could offer their store locations as drop off points around town. Stores could provide a way for shoppers to give either money or items purchased at their store. Dicks Sporting Goods uses this method by asking every customer at the register if they want to include giving a dollar to St. Judes Children's Hospital. This can work for the Salvation Army if caring businesses get on-board. I challenge the Salvation Army to think more creatively!
Blessings on your efforts!
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