Mobile provider and non-profit combat challenge of fewer shoppers with cash by launching first pilot program of its kind in the U.S. offering convenient credit card donations through smartphones and tablets
Jackson, Miss. - (November 26, 2014) - The Salvation Army and C Spire unveiled a new pilot technology initiative today that promises to boost donations to the non-profit’s Red Kettle holiday giving campaign in the greater Jackson metropolitan area.
Consumers now have the option to make credit card donations at up to 20 of the non-profit’s 65 highest volume Red Kettle locations in the tri-county region – thanks to the availability of smartphones and tablets connected to C Spire’s mobile broadband network and equipped with secure e-readers and swipe technology.
The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign is a hallmark of the holidays and the largest annual fundraiser with proceeds used to support a variety of year-round programs and services for the poor and needy. For the next few weeks, over 1,000 volunteers will sing and ring bells for 10 hours at a time in front of local malls, stores and businesses throughout the area – a reminder that the season is as much about giving as about receiving.
“It’s an important time of the year in the communities we serve as individuals focus on giving and receiving,” said Captain Ken Chapman, regional coordinator for the Salvation Army in Jackson. “It takes an army of volunteers and business partners like C Spire to help us communicate the significance of responding at this time of year.”
Company officials and Salvation Army representatives demonstrated how the technology works Wednesday at one of the non-profit’s Red Kettle locations in front of the Kroger store on the Interstate 55 frontage road in Jackson. C Spire donated 20 smartphones and tablets and is providing mobile broadband service along with funds used to purchase secure e-readers that accept credit and debit card charges.
“We’re pleased to partner with the Salvation Army, an organization that is making a difference in the communities we serve,” said Jim Richmond, vice president of Corporate Communications for C Spire. “As a telecommunications company that gets its inspiration from our customers, we’re excited about using technology to help support programs that change people’s lives.”
With fewer days this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas and more shoppers using credit cards for the bulk of their purchases, the non-profit charity hopes making it easier and more convenient to make Red Kettle donations will help it reach its $500,000 fundraising goal. “We wanted to make it as easy and convenient as possible for the public to support our life-changing programs and that’s why we partnered with C Spire,’ Chapman said.
Chapman said the mobile credit card donations are safe and secure as donor’s personal information and numbers are encrypted and protected from any potential fraud, loss or theft. “We use the latest mobile software and security protocols to protect the personal financial information of all our donors,” he said.
To volunteer or donate to one of the Christian charity’s holiday programs, contact the Salvation Army at (601) 982-4881.
About C Spire
C Spire is a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides world-class customer service and a superior comprehensive suite of customer-inspired wireless communications, high-speed Internet access and a range of other telecommunications products and services to consumers and businesses with a personal focus. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspire.
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is an evangelical arm of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from the non-profit charity through several social service programs, including food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for disabled persons, outreach to elderly and ill persons, shelter for homeless persons and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar the Salvation Army spends is used to support services in over 5,000 communities nationwide, including the Jackson metropolitan area. For more information about the Salvation Army of Jackson Corps, visit www.salvationarmyjackson.org.
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