We know that lives are changed every single day through The Salvation Army. But if you ask the average person, “What does The Salvation Army do?” they might say, “They do great work!” but will have a hard time spelling out exactly what that work is.
As a partner agency to Salvation Army Commands throughout the country, our job is to share these life-changing stories with donors to encourage their continued support. So … we need your help!
We want to hear your stories of how donors’ giving is being used to change lives. And we want to reward you for them. Each Salvation Army impact story submitted will be entered into a drawing for a $100 Amazon gift card!
Afraid you’re not a good enough writer or storyteller? Don’t worry! We’ll do that part — we just want to know what’s going on in your communities and share the hope-giving, life-renewing stories with donors around the country.
What makes a good story? Follow these Simple tips:
- Specific — Each story should focus on one individual or family who was helped. The more details and personal quotes you can provide, the better.
- Success — We want to know how the subject of your story’s life was changed for the better, thanks to The Salvation Army’s programs. We love happy endings.
- Supporters — Tell us about a certain volunteer or donor, and why they give their time or financial support to your organization — especially if they have a past experience with or important memory of The Salvation Army.
- “Sincerely…” — Do you have a letter of gratitude from someone you’ve helped? Send it over! These types of first-person testimonials can be very powerful.
- Solicit — You don’t have to write these stories yourself. Just give us the name and phone number or email of someone(s) who’s willing to speak with us, and we’ll take it from there!
- Say “Cheese!” — Be sure to include hi-res photos if you can (300 dpi or more) featuring good eye contact, a clean and simple background, and only relevant photo subjects (the people in the story). And because these are success stories, a smiling photo is certainly preferred.
While we’re on the subject of stories, here are a few things you should Skip:
- Statistics — Stats are impersonal and can be difficult to understand. You risk making the problem you’re trying to solve seem too big, or else communicating to your donor that you’re already doing perfectly well without her help.
- Scheduling — It’s best not to share your calendar of events. Your donor is primarily concerned with how you’re using her contributions to help others.
- Sales and “Stuff” — Don’t talk about buildings, renovations, corporate sponsorships, and endowments. The best stories are about people, not stuff.
Remember: You don’t have to write your stories. Just send us the name and phone number or email of someone(s) who’s willing to speak with us, and we’ll take it from there!