Charities Try Provocative Ads to Attract Attention

To get noticed, some charities now resort to provocative advertisements and unconventional marketing. “We are all fighting over smaller and smaller pieces of the pie, so we have to get crazier, wackier and louder,” said Nathan Hand, director of advancement at the Oaks Academy in Indianapolis, who doubles as Nonprofit Nate, a blogger.

But some philanthropy consultants, academics and historians ask whether the quest for the next viral video or news-making stunt actually advances a nonprofit organization’s mission or simply wastes its resources.