Kimberly George

The Salvation Army hopes going electric will provide a boost to its annual Christmas campaign.

The local chapter installed 15 credit card machines at its red kettles at Hamilton Place mall and area Walmart stores Friday in an effort to increase the level of giving this season, Salvation Army Director of Marketing Kimberly George said.

"There's less and less cash being carried around these days," she said. "The Salvation Army realizes that. So we want to make it as convenient as possible for individuals to donate."

The machines aren't just for added convenience. The average cash donation nationally to a red kettle is $2, while the average credit card donation is $14, Salvation Army Advisory Board Chairman Carrington Montague said.

Mr. Montague said the red kettle campaign is such a crucial part of the group's fundraising that employees track the performance of each kettle daily.

"It's critical," he said. "If the kettle isn't really bringing in the money it needs to bring in, then it will probably be moved to another location."

Whether it's cash or card, monetary donations will stay within the community where they are collected, he said.

Ms. George said the Salvation Army is renting the credit card readers with an option to buy them if they prove beneficial.

"We're hoping that this will give us the increase we need so we can keep up with the increased need," she said.

Last year's Christmas campaign raised about $380,000, Ms. George said. Because some of the money last year came from large, one-time donations, and also taking into account the state of the economy, the Salvation Army set a goal of $349,000 for the 2009 campaign, Ms. George said.

"We didn't want to get too aggressive," she said.

High levels of unemployment and a poor economy have Salvation Army officials bracing for record levels of need in the community. The Angel Tree program, which provides gifts to impoverished children and seniors, saw 100 more participants this year over last, and the Salvation Army has seen an increase in clients throughout the recession, Ms. George said.

Mr. Montague said the Salvation Army is seeing more jobless or underemployed middle-class people who never thought they would need assistance.

"They used to give to the Salvation Army, and now they're clients of the Salvation Army," he said.