The Salvos: ‘Give a New Beginning’
More people were homeless, less people were donating
In 2024, Australia’s cost-of-living crisis fueled a 22% rise in homelessness. As the largest provider of homelessness support, demand for The Salvation Army’s services hit an all-time high.
To meet the need, the Salvos’ Christmas Campaign needed to raise a record $27 million — $1 million more than last year.
Yet charity giving was down 6% year-over-year (Commbank IQ, 2024) making fundraising more difficult than ever.
More people were homeless, less people were donating.
How could The Salvation Army hit its most ambitious revenue target ever amid declining donations?
Hope was in sight
The Salvos and ntegrity researched opportunities using Salvos’ audience data, ntegrity’s donor sentiment tracker, ABS data, and donor interviews.
We uncovered three core insights:
Raise more from fewer donors: While general giving had declined by 6%, two segments remained primed and able to donate:
Traditional Donors (65–90): express faith with giving.
Businesses: driven by CSR, goodwill, PR impact.
These groups had fundamentally different motivations — the campaign’s proposition, creative, and messaging needed to appeal to both.
2. Launch earlier: both segments plan giving in advance, yet most charities launch campaigns in December.
3. Make The Salvos synonymous with Christmas: As Australia’s peak giving season (McCrindle, 2019) — we needed to own it.
We didn’t Australians for a donation, we asked for “the gift of a new beginning”
Instead of asking for donations, we invited Australians to give the gift of a new beginning — aligning with both segments’ motivations:
For traditional, faith-driven donors — ads mirrored Mary’s biblical journey, showing a mother and child seeking safety and a “new beginning” at Christmas. The TVC was set to the “silent night” hymn and it struck a powerful chord with this audience, the highest-rated ad in Salvos history with a Cubery rating of 79. We also made sure that our Traditional Donors felt close to the campaign, by giving them exclusive first access to the 1-minute version of the TVC sent via email, driving record-breaking revenue for a single Christmas email.
For corporates — the Salvos team focused on impact messaging, avoiding religious tones. Then they planned core initiatives to get buy-in from corporates.
The campaign launched earlier than ever with the Salvos coordinating a PR and press blitz across major TV and print (Sunrise, Weekend Sunrise, Today Show Weather, New Idea), culminating in a Christmas with the Salvos TV special.
They also engaged celebrity influencers like Ronan Keating, Jamie Durie, and Sonia Kruger who amplified reach, while an integrated media campaign — TV, radio, OOH, digital, direct mail, email, and corporate engagement — drove mass awareness and conversions. We also boosted digital ads during key moments Salvos were active in the community, like Woolworth’s Carols at the Domain.
This omni-channel approach made us the largest media campaign in the market and the season’s go-to charity.
Proof that Australians dig deep when there’s a crisis
Despite a cost-of-living crisis.
Despite charitable giving falling by 6% across the country
The Australian public still showed up — and showed up big.
We didn’t just meet our most ambitious Christmas target ever. We exceeded it, raising a record-breaking $28 million. That’s $1 million above target — and an 8% increase year-on-year.
Powerful digital campaign marketing results proving the Salvos “owned” Christmas:
34,607,300 digital media views
136,690 visitors to campaign website
ROAS $4.91
The highest-rated ad in Salvos history (with a Cubery rating of 79)
But most importantly, this generosity didn’t just hit its impossible targets — it changed lives. The Salvos Give a New Beginning campaign gave real, tangible hope to families who needed it, in the midst of a cost of living crisis. Funds provided:
28,571 essential food hampers delivered to struggling families
318,181 nights of emergency accommodation for those in crisis
Support for 9,090 families finding stable housing
By launching earlier, targeting key segments, and owning the Christmas giving season, The Salvos met increased demand and exceeded expectations — delivering hope when it was needed most.
Results
Services USED
Brand strategy, and Design
Creative, content and video
New donor acquisition
Digital Fundraising Strategy
Customer Acquisition Strategy