Red Cross NZ vs Salvation Army NZ:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Salvation Army NZ had more branded searches than Red Cross NZ among national charities in New Zealand. Salvation Army NZ had about 22,700 branded searches, while Red Cross NZ had 7,770. Salvation Army NZ made up 28% of all national charity searches we track, and Red Cross NZ accounted for 9.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about national charities, Salvation Army NZ appeared in three of the five answers and Red Cross NZ in two. Red Cross NZ was mentioned before Salvation Army NZ in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Salvation Army NZ, about 3 searches for every 1 for Red Cross NZ
Who does AI mention more?
Salvation Army NZ, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Red Cross NZ in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Red Cross NZ, named ahead of Salvation Army NZ in 2 of 3 answers
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Top national charities in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Salvation Army NZ was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Red Cross NZ was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Red Cross NZ was listed before Salvation Army NZ in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Salvation Army NZ3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Forest & Bird3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Red Cross NZ2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Cancer Society NZ2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
SPCA1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
World Vision NZ0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Hospice NZ0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Starship Foundation0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about national charities
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which national charity should I join in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best national charities in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best national charity in New Zealand for a cause?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“charities nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“donate to charity nz”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.
Is Red Cross NZ or Salvation Army NZ more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Red Cross NZ and Salvation Army NZ by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine national charities we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Salvation Army NZ, Red Cross NZ. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | SPCA | Salvation Army NZ | Red Cross NZ | Forest & Bird | World Vision NZ | Hospice NZ | Cancer Society NZ | Starship Foundation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 42.8% | 35.4% | 10.1% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 0.98% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.8% | 35.5% | 10% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 37.9% | 46.1% | 7.1% | 1.9% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 0.88% |
| Jan 2026 | 41.1% | 40.8% | 9.1% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 2.8% | 1.7% | 0.79% |
| Feb 2026 | 36.8% | 42.6% | 9.8% | 1.8% | 3.3% | 2.5% | 2.2% | 1% |
| Mar 2026 | 42.3% | 34.7% | 9.7% | 2.6% | 4.3% | 2.7% | 2.6% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 46.6% | 32.7% | 8.7% | 1.9% | 4.2% | 3% | 1.9% | 0.9% |
| May 2026 | 45.9% | 31.4% | 8.8% | 2.2% | 5.2% | 3% | 2.2% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 42.9% | 29.2% | 8.8% | 5.9% | 8% | 2.4% | 1.8% | 1% |
| Jul 2026 | 50% | 28.8% | 9.7% | 2.5% | 3.4% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 0.95% |
| Aug 2026 | 48.3% | 28.1% | 10% | 2.3% | 4% | 2.7% | 3.6% | 0.94% |
| Sep 2026 | 47.9% | 28% | 9.6% | 4.4% | 3.9% | 2.8% | 2.4% | 0.91% |
How has the Red Cross NZ and Salvation Army NZ comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Salvation Army NZ was ahead of Red Cross NZ in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Red Cross NZ’s share of searches among national charities in New Zealand moved from 10.1% to 9.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.2K to 7.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Salvation Army NZ’s share of searches among national charities in New Zealand moved from 35.4% to 28%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 32.2K to 22.7K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand national charities in September 2026?
2 changes
Salvation Army NZ’s share of searches among national charities in New Zealand has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 29.2% to 28% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Red Cross NZ in New Zealand fell 15.4% over 12 measured months, from 9.2K to 7.8K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
29 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Red Cross NZ’s and Salvation Army NZ’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Red Cross NZ
12 branded search terms
- red cross
- red cross donations nz
- red cross motueka
- red cross mount maunganui
- red cross nz
- red cross nz donate
- red cross onehunga
- red cross palmerston north
- red cross timaru
- red cross volunteer nz
- red cross whangarei
- redcrossnz
Salvation Army NZ
17 branded search terms
- manukau salvation army
- salvation army
- salvation army donations nz
- salvation army lower hutt
- salvation army nz
- salvation army nz volunteer
- salvation army onehunga
- salvation army otahuhu
- salvation army papamoa
- salvation army papanui
- salvation army paraparaumu
- salvation army porirua
- salvation army pukekohe
- salvation army timaru
- salvation army whanganui
- salvation army whangarei
- the salvation army nz
Other head-to-heads among national charities
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