Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Christmas in July isn’t the newest marketing idea thought up to boost cash flow for organizations whose donation streams drop when temperatures rise. It is, however, highly effective.

The Salvation Army Western Pennsylvania Division put the concept to the test this year in an effort to stem donor attrition and bring lapsed donors back onto its active file in time for the winter-holiday giving season. For this effort — a test that touched a limited number of homes in the 28 counties served by the Western Pennsylvania Division — the Army eschewed its distinctive kettles and rang a different kind of bell: the telephone.