The Salvation Army: Doing the Most Good
The Salvation Army is one of the world’s largest and oldest providers of social services. Originally established in London in 1865, the Army has been helping people for more than 150 years internationally and for more than 130 years in the United States.
The Salvation Army USA comprises six separate Salvation Army corporations in the United States: National Headquarters, The Salvation Army World Service Office, Central Territory (Illinois corporation), Eastern Territory (New York corporation), Southern Territory (Georgia corporation) and Western Territory (California corporation).
In 2018, The Salvation Army’s 3,500 officers, 60,000 employees, and 3 million volunteers served more than 23 million Americans in need. That’s nearly 45 people every minute, every day.
The Salvation Army’s faith-based mission calls it to meet human needs in His name without discrimination, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, physical disability, age, creed, or religion.
The Army has 7,686 centers of operation covering nearly every ZIP code in the country.
We also have a worldwide presence, providing assistance to people in 131 countries around the world.
The Salvation Army serves millions of people through dozens of services directly targeting the needs of local communities – from homelessness, hunger, and holiday assistance, to disaster relief and substance abuse rehabilitatio
Through the public’s generosity in 2018, in the United States alone:
The Salvation Army’s nationwide Pathway of Hope initiative provides enhanced services to families with children desiring to take action to break the cycle of crisis and intergenerational poverty. By 2030, through the Pathway of Hope, The Salvation Army will make a lasting difference in reducing intergenerational poverty by transforming the lives of 100,000 families in the United States.
The Salvation Army is a responsible steward of generosity in every community.
- As a national average, 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends goes directly to support community service programs – far exceeding the Better Business Bureau’s guideline of 65 percent.
- According to The New York Times, “The Salvation Army is widely considered exemplary among nonprofits in handling cash collections.”
- In the first-ever listing of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country’s largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit.
- The Salvation Army enjoys and appreciates the support of many major corporate donors at the national and local levels.
- A $25 sustaining monthly gift to The Salvation Army helps double the ability to serve those in need in communities around the United States.
- All donations remain in the communities where they originate