Charity Marketing

This is an interesting take on philanthropic marketing. It seems photos of poor and starving children and adults are not as effective as pictures of success. Expressions of hope are more powerful than images of hopelessness. It seems counterintuitive but data apparently show that people are motivated by the application of money. There seems to be a bit of Missouri in the average giver — “Show me.” People want to see their gifts used for charitable purposes rather than just collected. This is a lesson for nonprofit marketers and one they should be testing. Does it hold true for every charity? Are there exceptions? Should one retool entire marketing campaigns? There is a need to move cautiously because there are thousands of charities in need of help, and they are all competing for the same dollar. If a campaign turns off one’s base of givers, that could be fatal. Nevertheless, ignoring a potentially better way to market is dangerous as well.