Fashioning Fundraising Appeals in Times of Disaster

Ball says that organizations not directly linked to disaster relief in times of crisis often feel as though their fundraising efforts will be passed over.

"I think that's a natural reaction," he says. "But we generally counsel clients not to pull the plug because it seems like what happens so often is that people dip down into another level of their pocketbook for the dramatic disaster, and they give to that because they feel compelled to give to that. But if they are a good donor to your cause, which may be completely unrelated, that doesn't mean they're going to stop giving to you."