When we think about social media for charities, we often picture heartwarming stories, engaged supporters, and positive impact. But behind the scenes, it can be a completely different reality. This is certainly true for the team at The Salvation Army. 

In case you are not aware, The Salvation Army is one of the oldest charities. It is unique in that they are both a church and a charity, operating as a worldwide Christian church and a registered charity. Their work spans poverty relief, support for trafficking survivors, addiction recovery, and social justice campaigning. And they don’t just offer short-term help but also focus on long-term solutions like housing support and lobbying the government for systemic change, working to fight social inequality and transform lives.

Their social media feeds can be busy and varied. Prior to working with Social AF, the Salvation Army moderated all of their content in-house. We sat down with The Salvation Army’s, Elizabeth Ryan (ER) and Helen Richards (HR) to find out more about their transition and the benefits outsourcing moderation can bring.

How does The Salvation Army engage with different communities on social media?

ER: On social media, we connect with different audiences in different ways. Facebook is mainly followed by Salvationists who engage with familiar faces and good news stories. Instagram attracts a younger female audience, including slow-fashion influencers who support our charity shops. X (formerly Twitter) is more male-dominated, with followers interested in public affairs, lobbying, and fundraising challenges like marathons. LinkedIn has an audience of professionals, many of them entry-level, who are passionate about our social justice work and homelessness initiatives.

What types of conversations and interactions does the Salvation Army handle on social media?

ER: Our content varies, and we engage in many different types of conversations. We receive a lot of positive messages from people sharing their personal connections to the Salvation Army — stories about how we helped their grandparents during the war or supported them in a crisis. We also hear from fundraisers sharing their campaigns, and many young mothers tag us when they donate to our Christmas toy appeals.

At the same time, we deal with complaints — mostly about clothing bins not being emptied quickly enough or past experiences in hostels. And then there are the trolls. Some of our ads featuring white, middle-aged men sleeping rough attract racist comments about ‘veterans being left on the street while immigrants get help’ — completely unfounded claims, of course. When we featured women experiencing homelessness in our summer heatwave campaign, we were shocked to receive a wave of misogynistic abuse. We’re used to dealing with racism and other issues, but this level of misogyny was something new.”

Why did the Salvation Army decide to seek external social media moderation support?

ER: “In November 2023, we started receiving unsolicited messages on Instagram — these contained horrific images. It was my job to check them, and no matter how many accounts we blocked, more messages kept coming. 

Were there any concerns about outsourcing moderation?

ER: ”Initially, I worried about two things—first, your team’s wellbeing. Given what we’d been exposed to, I was concerned about how Social AF’s team would handle that kind of content. Second, I was worried about rogue responses. We’d had issues in the past where different teams running ads through our Meta account got confused and accidentally responded in a way that didn’t align with our messaging. If something like that made it into the press, it could have been a disaster.

HR: When you outsource, you always worry about whether the external team will ‘get’ you. But Social AF has embedded itself so well into what we do that it doesn’t feel like a separate team—it just feels like part of our own. Social AF has been incredibly professional from day one. Weekly meetings, clear escalation processes, and a shared FAQ document (which has grown to over 120 pages) ensure that messaging stays consistent. ”

How has outsourcing moderation impacted the Salvation Army and your team? 

HR: “From a business perspective, it’s been a massive win. We now have time to focus on our social media strategy—something we simply couldn’t do before. We’re even looking to launch new channels because we finally have the capacity to think ahead, rather than just reacting to whatever’s happening in the moment.

Beyond just moderation, Social AF has helped us build engagement in a way we never had time for before. Their responses add warmth and personality, rather than just giving a formal, corporate answer. We had an FAQ document for responses, but it was quite clinical—now, supporters get replies that feel more human and compassionate. The way Social AF personalises responses makes our supporters feel seen and valued, which has had a direct impact on engagement and reach”

ER: “The partnership with Social AF has been transformational.”

Our CEO, Helen Alderson, said “Our partnership hasn’t just been transformational for The Salvation Army, it’s been incredibly rewarding for us too. We have learned so much from working with the team, and it’s fantastic to hear how our moderation has made a difference — not just for staff wellbeing, but for the charity’s wider social media presence.”

How Social AF can help 

If you’re a nonprofit struggling with social media moderation, we’d love to chat about how Social AF can help. We understand that every charity has unique challenges when it comes to social media management. That’s why we offer a bespoke service, designed to fit the needs of each organisation we work with.

At a time when online spaces are becoming more challenging to navigate, outsourcing moderation isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about ensuring your team’s wellbeing and strengthening your digital presence.