Focus on the positive to motivate donors to hope, action.

By Katya Andresen

What if instead the message said, “You just took the first step to ending slave labor. Now take another one. Visit www.ilo.org … .” I would have felt inspired, not tired. I might have donated money or time.

If you haven’t guessed by now, I am not a fan of fear-based, gloom-and-doom messaging. I think it’s a downer; a downer as in diminished donations, dispirited advocates and doubting audiences. Feeling depressed yet? Me too.