The word “emotion” in fundraising is often treated like a monolithic blob. “Make it emotional!” they say.

But Emotion isn’t salt, something you sprinkle on everything and call it a day. It’s more like a spice rack: different emotions have unique flavors and purposes. Use the wrong one, and your recipe (or fundraising appeal) falls flat.

To start, it’s worth noting Emotions break down into two types; low-certainty  and high certainty emotions.  Here is a useful primer we created on what the heck that means.

A fascinating study tested the impact of sadness vs. disgust images in fundraising appeals. Here’s what they found:

• Sadness Wins… Alone: When shown as an image-only, sadness outperformed disgust in donations because those seeing the sad images felt more empathy.  Sadness, as a low-certainty emotion, invites the donor to fill in the blanks, which amplifies their emotional engagement. It makes them feel, “This is heartbreaking. I have to do something.”

• Disgust Can Work… With Help: On its own, disgust images tended to fail. Disgust is a high-certainty emotion—people see the image, immediately understand the situation, and instinctively look away to avoid discomfort. But when the disgust image was paired with additional information about the situation or cause, it performed as well as the Sad Image – not better but not worse. The explanation reframed the donor’s reaction from “this is gross” to “this is fixable,” allowing for action.

• Too Much Information Hurts Sadness: Adding more text or explanation to sadness images had the opposite effect. It dampened empathy and suppressed donations. Why? Because the extra information removed the ambiguity that made sadness so effective. It shifted the donor from an emotional state to a cognitive one, reducing their inclination to act.

So, what does this mean for your next campaign? A few takeaways:

• Sadness Appeals: Let the image do the heavy lifting. Pair sadness with no explanatory text to keep donors in an emotional, empathetic state. Avoid overloading them with details—ambiguity is your ally here.Example: A photo of a child in distress with the simple line, “Will you consider helping?”
• Disgust Appeals: Use disgust sparingly, and when you do, provide context. Frame the image as part of a solvable problem to overcome the instinct to look away.Example: A shocking image of polluted water paired with the message, “This is the only water they have to drink. Your donation can change that.”
• Mix Emotions Wisely: Start with a high-certainty emotion like disgust to grab attention, then transition to sadness or hope to sustain engagement and prompt giving.Example: “This shouldn’t be happening” (disgust), followed by, “Together, we can change this” (hope).
• Know Your Audience: High-certainty emotions like pride and anger may work better for seasoned donors who are ready to act, while low-certainty emotions like sadness and anxiety are more effective for first-time donors or awareness campaigns.

“Make it emotional” isn’t wrong advice— just wildly incomplete. Emotions are powerful, but not generic.

The next time you’re crafting an appeal, remember: the right emotion, delivered the right way, can turn hesitation into action, apathy into engagement, and a potential donor into a lifelong supporter.

Kevin

P.S. For extra credit Agitator readers may recall us noting that use “crying” not “sad” when trying to invoke sadness.  Show don’t tell.