Edd's Gatherin' Place

Target responded to my email, November 18, 2004, addressed to their Guest Relations Department on their decision not to allow the Salvation Army bell-ringers this Christmas season. It is as follows:

Subject: The Salvation Army

Dear Ed,

Like many nationwide retailers, Target Corporation has a long-standing "no
solicitation" policy that it consistently applies to all organizations
across all of its stores.

We receive an increasing number of solicitation inquiries from non-profit
organizations and other groups each year and determined that if we continue
to allow the Salvation Army to solicit then it opens the door to any other
groups that wish to solicit our guests. While some of our guests may
welcome the opportunity to support their favorite charity or cause,
allowing these organizations to solicit means that Target would also have
to permit solicitation by organizations whose cause or behavior may be
unacceptable to our guests.

We notified the Salvation Army of our decision in January 2004, well in
advance of the holiday season, so the organization would have time to find
alternative fundraising sources. Target also asked the Salvation Army to
look at other ways that we could support their organization under our
corporate giving guidelines. To this date, they have not provided a proposal
that fits those guidelines.

Local Salvation Army chapters can apply for grants through their local
Target stores. For decades, many non-profit organizations across the country
have successfully worked with Target in this manner. We are asking the
Salvation Army to work with us in the same exact manner as the other groups
and organizations who ask to solicit our guests.

This decision in no way diminishes Target Corporation's commitment to its
communities. Target has one of the largest corporate philanthropy programs
in America, donating more than $2 million per week and hundreds of
thousands of volunteer hours each year to the communities in which it does
business.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Hanson
Target Executive Offices

I will try tomorrow to get a comment from the National office of the Salvation Army in Washington, DC, to see if they are continuing to work with Target on alternative plans as suggested in the above e-mail.

Peace…