48: Generosity and Guilt

"…Guilt appeals in the field of persuasion are quite common. However, the effectiveness of these messages is sometimes ambivalent. It is widely acknowledged that guilt leads people to engage into prosocial behaviors, but the effects of guilt can also be counter-productive…."

This week, I am reading a quote from Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu and A Theory of Guilt Appeals: A Review Showing the Importance of Investigating Cognitive Processes as Mediators between Emotion and Behavior, by Graton and Mailliez, published in 2019.

Reflection question:

  • With what are you watering the messages to donors?

To read: A Theory of Guilt Appeals: A Review Showing the Importance of Investigating Cognitive Processes as Mediators between Emotion and Behavior

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution.

What do you think?

To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

Add to the Discussion