Salvation Army kettle donations fall since 2019
The Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign has become iconic during the Christmas season, with volunteers ringing bells to draw attention at collection locations
Donations in support of the Salvation Army's annual Red Kettle Campaign are down for the fourth year in a row.
The iconic red collection kettles — usually accompanied by volunteer bell ringers — have been light this year as the religious charity struggles to return to pre-pandemic numbers.
"We have not yet seen throughout the nonprofit sector a return to the generosity and giving that we had seen before the pandemic," Salvation Army Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder told The Washington Post.
The Red Kettle Campaign raised approximately $102 million in 2022. Giving has steadily decreased since 2019, when the campaign raised approximately $126 million.
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A woman puts money into a Salvation Army red kettle outside of Giant Supermarket in Alexandria, Virginia. As cash donations have declined over the years, the Salvation Army is working on a mobile app to donate to hopefully supplement the seasonal Red (Eric Lee for The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)
An exact reason for the decline is hard to pin down, but with rampant inflation squeezing the wallets of many middle-class Americans, charitable giving may be less of a priority.
Each holiday season, scores of volunteers spend time trying to raise money for the organization, which serves more than 25 million people in need across the country year-round.
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As cash donations have declined over the years, the Salvation Army is working on a mobile app to donate to hopefully supplement the seasonal Red Kettle campaign during the holiday season. (Eric Lee for The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)
"Our goal is always to raise more than $100 million," Hodder told the Post. "We need folks who can come out to help us. Help us help your neighborhoods in need, and in so doing, help yourself."
Another source of declining donations could be U.S. shoppers moving away from carrying hard cash.
The Salvation Army has attempted to keep up with modern financial trends by accommodating a wide variety of donation methods besides bills.
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The Donation Center and Family Store of The Salvation Army, a charitable organization run by the Protestant Christian Church, located on W 46th St. in New York City accepts donations of clothing, furniture and other items, and sells them at discounte (Photo by: Deb Cohn-Orbach/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
People can also donate with cash, coins, checks or through Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Venmo at any red kettle across the country.
Donors can also use cryptocurrency such as bitcoin or Ethereum, or sign up for a sustaining gift of $25 a month.
FOX Business' Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.