Fashioning Fundraising Appeals in Times of Disaster

Fashioning Fundraising Appeals in Times of Disaster

Sept. 27, 2005

By Abny Santicola, associate editor, FundRaising Success

While acting fast and getting fundraising appeals out quickly are key in a time of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 tsunami or the Sept. 11 terror attacks, when it comes to the creative and copy used in such appeals it's important "to know how your organization relates to the disaster," says Bob Ball, senior creative director at Seattle-based full-service direct-response agency The Domain Group.

During catastrophic events, organizations such as the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army work directly with victims, Ball says, so they have a very clear message. In the case of international events like the tsunami, organizations such as CARE and World Vision have clear messaging that is directly related to the help they're providing. For other organizations that aren't so directly linked, Ball says, the challenge is to "figure out … what your message is going to be and how you can ethically link yourself to the 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."

In certain situations, Ball adds, it might be appropriate for non-disaster-relief organizations to mention the disaster in their copy. An example he gives is Sept. 11, "which was such a world-changing event, especially in our country, it just didn't make sense not to acknowledge it."

In some cases, he says, it meant rewriting whole appeals while in others it meant just acknowledging that the event occurred.

As for the question of whether relief organizations using images of disaster-stricken areas is ethical, Ball says that as long as you're telling the truth through your words and pictures, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. He uses the example of a recent space ad the Salvation Army ran in newspapers that had a large, very closely cropped picture of a grief-stricken mother and child who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina.

"It was just a wonderful, wonderful picture that told a very, very sad story," Ball says. "But I think it was truthful, it was decent, and it was the right thing to do And it was effective in raising lots of money for the relief."

Bob Ball can be reached at bball@thedomaingroup.com.