The Salvation Army is an international religious and charitable organization that is the largest non-governmental provider of social services in the United States. The organization was founded in London in 1865 as part of the broader Methodist movement and is known for its unique structure and membership with its ministers being referred to as “officers” and other members being referred to as “soldiers.” ^{1 2}

The Salvation Army is the sixth-largest charity in the United States, with an estimated $4.78 billion in 2023 revenue. The group operates various programs and receives significant government funding, sometimes acting as a pass-through provider of federal relief funds. The group received an estimated $657 million in government funding in 2022. Its migrant services programs and distribution of FEMA funds to migrants generated publicity in 2023 amid an influx of migrants being transported to the northeast from Texas and Arizona. ^{1 2}

Background and History

The Salvation Army was formed in 1852 in Britain by minister William Booth, who “abandoned the concept of the traditional church pulpit in favor of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ directly to the people.” Booth’s group was initially called the Christian Mission and was later renamed the Salvation Army. The church calls its adherents “soldiers of Christ” and “Salvationists.” ³

By the 1880s, the Salvation Army claimed 250,000 adherents and spread to the United States and many other countries including Canada, Australia, France, Switzerland, India, South Africa, Iceland, and Germany. As of 2025, the Salvation Army reports that it operates in over 100 countries. ³

In many countries where it operates, the Salvation Army is among the largest social services providers outside of the government. In the United States, the organization is the largest non-governmental provider of social services and reports having over 7,500 service centers in the U.S. ⁴

Finances

According to Forbes, the Salvation Army was the sixth-largest charity in the United States on its 2024 list of America’s Top 100 Charities. According to Forbes’s estimates of 2023 finances, the Salvation Army had an estimated $4.78 billion in revenue, $4.0 billion in expenses, and net assets of $13.4 billion. The organization has an estimated 85,000 employees in the United States. Of its $4.8 billion in revenue, the organization reported $641 million in government support, $2.3 billion in private donations, and other income of $1.8 billion. ^{5 1}

Unlike most charities, the Salvation Army does not file a publicly available tax return (IRS Form 990) because it is considered a church. ⁶

Activities

The Salvation Army operates hundreds of social service programs across its six regions in the United States, which are organized as separate entities under the Salvation Army USA national umbrella. At the national level, Salvation Army programs are supported by many of the largest companies and retailers in the United States including Walmart, Kroger, UPS, and FedEx. ⁷

Programs include rental assistance, housing, meals, disaster relief, and refugee and migrant services. ⁷

Migrant Services Programs

The Salvation Army’s “Chasing the American Dream” program aids migrants and refugees resettling in the United States. In 2023, it was reported that the organization was using federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to fly asylum seekers to New York City, exacerbating an influx of asylum seekers arriving in the city that Mayor Eric Adams (D) warned was a crisis. The Salvation Army provided notes to asylum seekers to hand to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees stating that the individual had been released from a detention facility and needed to travel to present himself or herself for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) check-ins. ⁸

In June 2023, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) administration utilized a Salvation Army building to open “a new respite center for U.S. asylum seekers arriving on buses from Texas and Arizona, adding a second clearinghouse in the region for those individuals amid expectations that more will come over the next few months.” ⁹

1. Barrett, William. “America’s Top 100 Charities.” Forbes. December 10, 2024. Accessed March 10, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/lists/top-charities/
2. “About.” Salvation Army. Accessed March 10, 2025. https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/about/
3. “History of the Salvation Army.” Salvation Army. Accessed March 10, 2025. https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/history-of-the-salvation-army/
4. “Job Posting: Program Evaluator & Clinical Social Work Consultant.” Salvation Army. Accessed March 10, 2025. https://www.yu.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/SArmyAd_42022.pdf
5. “Salvation Army.” Forbes. Accessed March 10, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/companies/salvation-army/?list=top-charities
6. Paddock, Anne. “Why the Salvation Army Should File an IRS Form 990.” Paddock Post (WordPress). May 10, 2017. Accessed March 10, 2025. https://paddockpost.com/2017/05/10/why-the-salvation-army-should-file-an-irs-form-990/
7. “2023 Annual Report.” Salvation Army. Accessed March 10, 2025. https://s3.amazonaws.com/usn-cache.salvationarmy.org/422d0db6-019a-4028-a962-a2c9e48060e2_The-Salvation-Army-2023-AR-Print-Version-2023-08-14_TO.pdf
8. Poleo, Germania Rodriguez and Potter, Will. “Migrants are now being sent to NYC by PLANE from California – with Salvation Army paying using federal funds.” Daily Mail. October 6, 2023. Accessed March 10, 2025.  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12603883/NYC-migrant-crisis-California-plane-transport-salvation-army.html
9. Olivo, Antonio. “D.C. opens migrant center as it braces for more border buses.” The Washington Post. June 2, 2023.  Accessed March 10, 2025. https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/06/02/dc-migrant-center-buses/