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Two years ago, we reported that the Salvation Army, a charitable brand best known for its red kettles and bell ringers that appear outside stores during the holiday shopping season, was implementing credit card processing in 120 U.S. cities. The reason? Shoppers just didn't seem to carry much disposable cash around anymore.

The experiment was a bold one for an organization that started 150 years ago. Truth be told, it wasn't a smashing success. Major George Hood of the Salvation Army tells the New York Times, "The credit card terminals really haven't been a blockbuster, I'll be candid. The winter elements have been a negative, people have to go through a process of entering data, and it's just generally more cumbersome."

But that isn't stopping the Salvation Army from keeping up with the times. During this year's holiday shopping season, the kettles will be ever-present, but the Salvation Army hopes to cash in on a new idea — a variation on accepting credit cards that should make it much easier for the consumer.

In ten locations in Chicago, Dallas, New York, and San Francisco, Salvation Army bell ringers will be equipped with Android smartphones, donated by Sprint Nextel, that have a kind of micro-terminal attached to them powered by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's Square.

Consumers simply swipe their debit or credit card through Square and their donation of any amount they choose goes to the Salvation Army. The tiny reader is portable and allows secure transactions, just like any retail credit card terminal. As the Salvation Army noted in a blog post, "With more families in need of Salvation Army services this year than ever before, we hope implementing this new technology will provide ease and incentive for new and existing donors."Continue reading...

The Salvation Army in Canada is winning kudos for The Dignity Project, its new outdoor, print and TV campaign to support those who are down on their luck this holiday season. Take a closer look after the jump.Continue reading...

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The Salvation Army assists those in need with shelter. [LA Times]

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The holidays are traditionally a time of charitable giving. But this year, the economy has forced fund raisers like the Salvation Army and Sidewalk Santas to keep up with the times.

The Salvation Army is arguably the most visible non-profit brand on the street, known for its red kettles and bell-ringers who brave cold weather to collect spare change from shoppers outside retail stores. This year, though, many of those kettles will take more than cash.

The Salvation Army has placed "plastic kettles" -- kettles that accept debit and credit cards -- in 120 U.S. cities. The new kettles have wireless card readers attached to them, much like the ones you'd find at gas stations, so not having any change is no excuse.Continue reading...