Online Red Kettle: Because Who Likes Bell Elbow?

Follow that link and get started in minutes. Looking for lots of little donations (though large ones are always welcome and go a long, long way.)

If 1,000 kettles were created and each one of those received $500 in donations, that's $500,000 to The Salvation Army so they can give food to the hungry, shelter to the homeless, security to the abused, treatment to the addicted, and warmth to the elderly. (That's just a smidgeon of our wide array of services we provide to human beings, without discrimination.)

So, how can you help? Simple. Sign up for an Online Red Kettle, personalize it with a photo, set a reasonable goal (hey, we all want to raise $50 billion, but we're cool with even $100), invite your family, friends, and coworkers to donate securely, then sit back and watch your kettle fill with generous donations from people you know.

Are you the leader of the pack? Set up a group kettle with a group goal, invite people to start their own kettles and join your group, then utilize the wonders of statistical theory get your group goal met in no time.

Got a business? We want you to tell others about the great things you do by doing a great thing for The Salvation Army. Start a business kettle, a co-branded gem to promote your business and goodwill in your community! (Just set it up as an individual kettle and upload your business' logo.)

Where's the money go? Glad you asked. The donor can designate their donation to go to The Salvation Army in their zip code (we're all over), in the zip code of the kettle host, or even to a different Salvation Army program or location of their choosing.

What's the money used for? To provide comfort and joy to those in need in communities just like yours all year long. It might be a toy for a child this Christmas or a cold bottle of water to a weary firefighter next summer. Be sure that The Salvation Army is Doing the most good with your generosity.

So, are you going to keep reading this lens (hope so) or link out to OnlineRedKettle.org right now and sign up? We'd love to see 1,000 people sign up through this lens. We'd even love to see 10 people sign up.

You're always welcome to volunteer to face the cold and ring a bell at a traditional Red Kettle in a community near you. To find a location, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org or if you are in the Indianapolis area, check out IndyKettle.org.

Thanks for your time and your generosity. Don't miss the fun stuff below. (or above if we've moved it...)

And now a brief how-to on setting up your kettle.

Click here, then, come back to this page and read the rest.

When the page loads, click on "Join The Squidoo Group Kettle". The next page will ask for the group password. Enter squid and click 'Next Step.'

The next page proves that this is free to setup, and the rest will prove it to be fun and easy. For Personal Gift Amount, you can add your kettle's very first generous donation (there's no one more generous than you, pal!) If you'd rather not, or make one later, leave it blank. You can also modify you're goal. The default is $250. That's plenty, but if you've got it in you (or your world of contacts does), then set it higher. Then, click 'Next Step'.

The next page is for Host Information. Here you input your name, address, and so on. This step is important. The zip code you use will help send donations to YOUR community (if and only if the donor chooses "Kettle Host's Community" when they make a donation.) The default setting is for the zip code of the donor. (Don't sweat it. The Salvation Army provides assistance and hope to those in need in zip codes all over the country -- not to mention the world.) Also, the donor can specify a program or location for the money to be used. Isn't that great?? After choosing a username and password (so you can edit your customized kettle page and track your progress), click 'Next Step'.

The next page looks like a receipt. You'll again see that the amount is $0.00, unless you opted to pad your kettle from the outset. Click 'Complete Registration'. If you did choose to donate, you'll be taken to a donation page to fill out your billing information. Go through those steps and wind up at...

'Thanks for registering an online red kettle.'
Congrats. Step one is out of the way. Now, let's customize that Online Red Kettle. Trick it out. Make it yours.

Under 'Your Red Kettle' on the left, click 'Manage'. This will be how you access the backend of your page each time you login. In the left sidebar, you'll also see a Welcome Back message and a quick count on how much your Online Red Kettle has raised to support The Salvation Army.

After clicking 'Manage' you will see a series of buttons across the top.

To access your personal page, click 'Personal Page' (can you believe the straightforwardedness??) This is where the magic happens. And this is how it happens:

Choose your layout. How many pictures and text areas do you want? What color scheme do you want?

After those life-changing decisions are made, you can edit your kettle page so others can help even others make life-changes through their donations. Click 'Open this page for editing.' Change the page title to make it clear whose kettle it is. Add a headline and little bit of text telling what The Salvation Army means to you, or just why you like helping people. This is the chance for you to give your best pitch to all who come by. Add a photo (kids and puppies work great!) It needs to be a .jpg, no larger than 300 x 400 pixels, and less than 200kb in size. It's like a mini-billboard. Be creative. A photo on an Online Red Kettle will greatly enhance the overall look of your kettle. When all that customizing is done, click 'Save my changes.' To get back to Preview mode, click 'Preview Mode'.

Now, how is anybody going to find this thing? Well, you could create a lens about it. But, if you click on 'Address Book' at the top, you can add email addresses of your friends, family, and coworkers. In fact, using the import features, you can add an exported Outlook address book, or login to your email account via Plaxo and import your address book from AOL mail, Yahoo! mail, Google GMail, and a couple of others as well. From the 'Email' tool you can send those email addresses in your Online Red Kettle address book an email invite to donate to your kettle. When they donate, they'll automatically get a thank you email, you'll get a notice of a new donation, and you can send them a personalized thank you email too! Whew! There's a lot you can do with an Online Red Kettle.

This part of the lens has become pretty lengthy, but that's because it's pretty exhaustive. Have fun creating your Online Red Kettle. Be sure to come back and sign the guestbook so we know about it! Good luck Doing the most good!

The Red Kettles are traditionally stationed outside various businesses in local communities where The Salvation Army provides day-to-day social services, year-round. In 1891, Captain Joseph McFee put a cooking pot on the streets of San Francisco and raised enough money to feed nearly 1,000 of the city's most in-need individuals. Within six years, the idea had spread across the nation to Boston, raising enough money to feed 150,000 people that Christmas.

Today, The Salvation Army is bringing the traditional Red Kettle online. This campaign gives everyone the opportunity to "ring a bell" without having to give up hectic schedules or risk getting a wicked case of frostbite. It's easy. It's free. And it's going to bring hope to thousands of people in need this Christmas and all year long.