The Salvation Army has been a strong beneficent presence in the Tulsa community for nearly 100 years, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless and providing hope for the physically and spiritually destitute. Yet the social problems challenging Tulsa, like urban communities throughout the U.S., are on the increase.

Responding to this need, The Salvation Army Advisory Board carried out an intensive process of examining future directions for the Army's programs in Tulsa. Resulting from that process was a capital expansion plan to enhance and enlarge the Army's social services network and facilities and to strengthen and expand youth programs and Corps Community Centers in Tulsa. A fundraising campaign, with the theme "Always There ... When You Need Us," raised over $7 million.

With that success, The Salvation Army in Tulsa can now reach tens of thousands more children, teenagers, women and men annually with compassionate life-enriching services that can mean the difference between hope for a better tomorrow or giving in to total despair.

What Made It Happen?

Skystone Ryan is pleased to have provided counsel to this highly successful campaign for the Tulsa Area Command, one of the largest Salvation Army operations in the United States. Rather than rely on a full-time residential campaign director, as has been the tradition in the past, the firm worked directly with the Board, staff and many other volunteer solicitors on an intensive part-time basis to help them complete the calls. As a result, the Board members had a successful fundraising experience that will carry over to future efforts, new friends from the community have joined the Board and the staff has received invaluable development training. In fact, the volunteers became such effective fundraisers that the campaign attracted a $1.3 million challenge grant from the Mabee Foundation, the largest gift the Foundation has ever made to the Army, and the goal was surpassed strictly through lead and major gifts (of $3,000 and above). Because of this, there was never any danger that the campaign would interfere with the direct mail appeal that is so crucial to balancing the Army's budget each year.