Charity sees donations decline as fewer people carry cash

Some Thunder Bay charities are reporting a shortfall in holiday fundraising compared with this time last year.

In at least one case, changes in the way people shop could be part of the problem.

Beginning of December, the Salvation Army in Thunder Bay was down $13,000 compared to the same time last year.

Salvation Army volunteers are a familiar sight outside stores this time of year but when shoppers reach into their pockets, theyre coming up empty.

The fact fewer people carry around cash is an issue, said the head of the Salvation Army in Thunder Bay.

"Folks will walk by and they'll stop and they'll reach in their pocket [and they'll say] 'Oh I'm sorry, I don't have any money on me right now to drop in the kettle, Major Rob Kerr said.

Kerr said the prevalence of debit and credit cards is a reality charities need to deal with.

"Quite often I don't have ... a coin in my pocket or even a bill in my wallet because I use mostly plastic to pay for things, he noted.

Its good for us to be out there

The Salvation Army has experimented with providing debit machines to kettle volunteers in a couple of locations, Kerr said, but the technology is quite expensive and he doubted putting a debit machine on kettles will happen any time soon in Thunder Bay.

Kerr said there will likely be a push to encourage donations through smartphones.

But while charities need to adapt to changing times he said the kettle isnt going anywhere.

You see it in the Christmas movies, it's been around for over 100 years ... and it's a tradition people like to be involved in," Kerr said.

"It's good for us to be out there [with the kettles].People want to see that and there's still going to be, I think, a very long time when there are people out there who have cash and want to do it that way.

But Kerr said the Salvation Armyhas also added other ways to give to the campaign, including online donations through fillthekettle.com/thunderbay.

The websitewas somewhat cumbersome for users during its first couple of years, Kerr acknowledged. But he said the organization has since streamlined the process. Kerr emphasized that online donations on the Thunder Bay site stay in the community, just like the cash donations collected in the kettles.