I’ve always admired The Salvation Army bell ringers. In addition to donating their time and ringing their signature bell in all sorts of terrible weather, the program raises a sack of money that rivals Santa’s. Last year, kettle bells raised $136 million nationally for The Salvation Army’s mission, which includes food, shelter, addiction recovery assistance, after-school programs and many other services for the needy.

The secret to The Salvation Army’s success isn’t a secret at all—or a complicated fundraising strategy. They have an iconic brand that resonates with people during the holidays, and they work their butts off in December to raise as much money as possible with kettle bells. If you’re a nonprofit and want to stop reading now you should remember that brand and hustle matter. But bell ringers can teach you a lot if you’ll only take a moment to stop and learn instead of hurrying by.

3 Lessons from Salvation Army Bell Ringers

1. You can’t just stand there anymore. People are more distracted than ever these days. They have a lot on their minds and their heads are buried in their smartphones. Savvy bell ringers sing songs, dance and will do anything else to get the attention of passerbys. “You’ve got to get people’s attention and remind them that we’re here,” said one bell ringer to the Wall Street Journal. “And sometimes the bell just doesn’t do that.”

Nonprofits have to do everything they can to earn the attention of supporters. Even if you don’t physically sing and dance like a bell ringer, people want a song and dance to move them to act. An extreme example of what Wine to Water did earlier this year to expand its supporter base.

Wine to Water was founded by Doc Hendley, a former bartender turned do-gooder. MSLGROUP, a global public relations agency, adopted Wine to Water after one of its managing directors saw the charity profiled on CNN Heroes. Doc knew that Wine to Water needed to do something dramatic to cut through the clutter and get people’s attention.

With the help of two Napa Valley wine experts, they developed and launched the Miracle Machine, which claimed to turn water into wine in three days.

 

Fabulous, right?

One publication thought so. Business Insider ran the first story on theMiracle Machine.

That’s all it took!

The mainstream press picked up the story and the Miracle Machineappeared in at least 600 publications, and it was read over 500 million times! A Kickstarter board for the machine generated 7,000 requests for more information on the product.

But underneath all the allure and fascination with this revolutionary product was a GOOD secret. The Miracle Machine was a fake! Two weeks afterBusiness Insider ran its story – the hoaxters came clean. The true miracle is not turning water into wine, but wine to water. That’s the work of Doc Hendley’s organization Wine to Water.

This bell-ringing program from Wine to Water brought in millions of new supporters.

2. It takes a team (of volunteers). While most kettle bells have just one volunteer, the best bell ringers know that you need a team to be a top ringer. That’s the advice of Tom Bomil, a two time winner of the Salvation Army’s Christmas Eve Bell Ringing Contest in Lowell, Massachusetts.

“The key thing is you’re not doing it all by yourself. My name may be at the forefront, but I’m just the captain of what is really a team thing, not an individual effort,” said Bomil to the Lowell Sun. “My co-workers helped me. My brother came out for an hour. They all helped us ringing the bell,”

Bomil’s message is clear: you can’t do it alone. And you can’t afford to accomplish all your goals with paid staff. You need volunteers. But many nonprofits balk at the large-scale volunteer programs that could transform their organizations.

Take the example of Austin Pets Alive! which has gained local and national attention by relentlessly focusing on an everyday tragedy: the unnecessary euthanizing of dogs and cats.

Since 2008, APA! has generated thousands of pieces of content, largely created by a team of volunteers. Thanks to their efforts, Austin is the country’s largest “no-kill” city. “No-kill” means at least 90 percent of strays are not euthanized.

The APA! takes their work seriously. They have around 100 volunteers writing blog posts, pet bios and producing videos starring dogs and cats in need of homes. They also contribute content like how-to guides for no-kill advocates and adopter resource information for new pet owners.

If you take volunteer engagement as seriously like The Salvation Army and Austin Pets Alive! do you’ll can make someone’s Christmas wish come true!

Adam Sowers on Flickr

3. Technology is your friend with benefits.

The Salvation Army has been raising money with red kettle bells since the 1890’s. And while it raises the bulk of its money from this traditional tactic, the nonprofit hasn’t hesitated to embrace technology and try new tactics. They include:

• An online red kettle program you can join to collect personal donations.
• An iPhone app that lets you ring your own bell and collect donations.
• Red kettles with QR codes that take donors with smartphones but no cash to an online donation site.
• Another mobile option is text-to-give. Just send a text to 4-1-4-4-4 with the words REDSHIELD. You’ll receive a confirmation text and a link to a mobile website.
• A hashtag campaign that encourages Americans to share personal reasons for donating with the hashtag #RedKettleReason.

If a century-old organization can embrace social media, online giving and mobile technology, so can you! Businesses especially are looking for digitally savvy nonprofits that can keep pace with their own online and mobile efforts. After hosting an online red kettle program that raised $50,000, the fourth largest pizza delivery company in the country, Papa John’s Pizza, created a Red-Kettle Cookie. Through December 28th, Papa John’s will donate 50 cents per cookie sold, up to $300,000, to The Salvation Army.

 

Adopting technology and being cutting edge hasn’t been easy for The Salvation Army – and not everything works. But like any army they’re focused on pushing forward. So should you.

Start Your Own Kettle Fundraiser

 

While The Salvation Army’s fundraising strategy is no secret, here’s something you might not have realized. Salvation Army red kettles are just donation boxes (aka coin canisters). But instead of being outside near the entrance or exit, donation boxes are inside the store right next to the register.

A lot of nonprofits dismiss donation boxes as old-school and a huge hassle. But when done well, these programs can raise thousands of dollars locallyand tens of millions of dollars nationally!

Here’s how to execute your own successful donation box program.

Target busy stores. With donation boxes, the more foot traffic there is the more money you’ll raise. It’s a numbers game in that your odds improve as you see more people. Sure, you can put a donation box in a tailor’s shop. But how many customers does a tailor see each day? Not as many as a supermarket, coffee shop, or bakery.

Cash is king. A while back a car dealership called me about doing donation boxes. I told them to choose something else. How many people are buying cars with cash, much less quarters, nickels and dimes? Target businesses where people pay with cash.

No tips allowed. Tip jars are popular at many businesses. But your coin canister won’t be if you try to replace the tip jar with your donation box. Employees depend on the tip jar! A Starbucks barista once told me that tips added $50 per week to her paycheck. If you include your charity canister alongside a tip jar, one will go missing. And it won’t be the tip jar!

Front and center. I’ve seen donation boxes in the strangest places, including a men’s bathroom in one store. The best place for a donation box is right in front of the cash register. Don’t give people an excuse to say no. A donation box anywhere except at the register is just begging to be ignored.

Security is key. Theft is a big problem with donation boxes, especially with the round canisters with the slot in the top. It’s demoralizing to the business and the nonprofit when they get swiped. Either empty canisters regularly to discourage thieves, or invest in heavy-duty donation boxes that can’t be stolen. Whatever you do, make security a priority.

Donation boxes are an excellent way to begin a partnership with a business. The USO has grown its donation box partnership with convenience store chain Kangaroo Express into a million dollar program. The fundraiser includes special events with patriotic show cars visiting KE stores and customers showing their appreciation for troops with recorded messages aired on the Salute Our Troops website.

Looking for more examples of donation box fundraisers? Here are 39 example of donation boxes that are sure to educate and inspire!

One request: don’t set up your donation box next to a red kettle. December is for The Salvation Army! You have eleven other months to amass your own pot of gold. When you do see a red kettle this month, give generously and know that the bell ringer is a call to action for the new year. The poets words ring true. “Never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”

Joe Waters shows do-gooder nonprofits and businesses how to create win-win partnerships that raise money for good causes and increase stakeholder loyalty.