Six Key Attributes of Sticky Messages

5. They’re emotional
Why don't organizations become more emotional about their messages, Ross asked. Rather than saying 20 percent of children die from "X" disease, make it more emotional by saying "one in five."

Or, better yet, adopt an emotional fundraising pitch. Ross told the story of the founder of an organization that works to deliver books to children to increase literacy. According to the story, an illiterate child once picked up a book and asked the founder what kind of brick it was, and the founder of course explained that it was a book, not a brick. Later, he rolled that experience into his in-person fundraising pitch, in which he used an actual book and brick to demonstrate the seriousness of the issue and asked prospects to support the cause if they thought books are more valuable than bricks.