For The Salvation Army, “Doing the Most Good” happens one community at a time. Their presence in every ZIP code in the United States means donors naturally expect their gifts to make an impact close to home. That expectation—paired with increased donor desire for trust—makes localization one of the most important strategies for divisions and corps across the country.
At RKD Group, we’ve leaned into localized fundraising for The Salvation Army across every major channel: digital, paid media and direct mail. While each channel approaches localization differently, all share the same goal to help donors see the difference they’re making in their community. Let’s dive into the differences and how these channels can complement each other.
The Salvation Army’s structure creates a unique opportunity for community-level fundraising. National Headquarters serves the broad mission while the four territories oversee regional strategy. Divisions execute fundraising and marketing, and corps—local service centers—deliver direct programs.
Because donors already understand the national brand, divisions can distinguish themselves by showing what’s happening right where supporters live. Donors have an increasing number of charitable choices and want to know their gift will make an impact on their community. Localization delivers exactly that.
Direct mail is where The Salvation Army’s localized approach for divisions and corps sees some of the deepest personalization.
RKD uses a proprietary process to localize campaigns for each division, meaning content can be modified for each client. Our team maintains a detailed variable table for each division, allowing copy to shift based on highly specific data fields like community descriptions, key services offered and program statistics. These elements change dynamically depending on each corps’ unique context.
For example, key services—such as meals, housing help or vouchers—are swapped in based on what each specific corps provides. The goal is simple: Speak to donors where they are, show what their neighbors need and demonstrate how their gift stays local.
Additionally, we’re able to personalize a note within each newsletter, to be signed by the local corp officer. This unique touch helps more deeply connect donors to The Salvation Army team serving their community, encouraging greater generosity for their neighbors.
Localization emphasizes customization. This flexibility allows divisions to communicate with authenticity and precision—without sacrificing efficiency or quality.
While direct mail can personalize content down to a ZIP code, paid media localizes through targeting.
Paid media for The Salvation Army must honor strict rules about where ads can and cannot serve. That means RKD takes a more nuanced approach to geo-targeting than with most other clients. Rather than attempting to reach everyone who knows The Salvation Army, we tailor campaigns by ZIP code—focusing on areas that historically convert, neighborhoods experiencing heightened need or communities with high donor potential.
Two practices bring this to life:
While paid media cannot localize images and copy as granularly as direct mail, it uses territorial or divisional Facebook pages when possible and community-focused language (“Help families in our community”) to maintain that local emphasis.
Digital communications offer a middle ground between the deep personalization of direct mail and the geographic precision of media.
RKD frequently localizes digital assets like emails, landing pages and images. This often includes updating imagery to reflect recognizable environments for each division and using division names in copy.
Although versions are created at the divisional level, digital continues to evolve toward greater personalization. And RKD is at the forefront of these innovations.
Across every channel, the throughline is clear: Donors want to make an impact close to home. Localization helps The Salvation Army divisions and corps demonstrate that every gift stays within the community and supports neighbors in need.
By combining precision targeting, flexible creative and trusted data, The Salvation Army can show supporters exactly how their generosity is changing lives nearby. And in today’s competitive landscape, transparency is more important than ever.