Why Don’t You Donate for Syrian Refugees? Blame Bad Marketing<br />If you donated to Charity: Refugee, you would be told precisely what you’re buying — two blankets, say,<br />and 12 meals, as well as three picture books — and then you would receive photos of those exact supplies in refugees’ hands, something most charities don’t do because they don’t want to be constrained in how funds are spent.<br />Instead, it showed a smiling child holding a "Future Doctor" sign, and proclaiming<br />that "all of us sharing a little more can make a big difference." It sought donations to "educate the next teacher, farmer or doctor." "The second ad was a huge success," Mr. Hudson told me.<br />How do we know when things are getting better?" If Charity: Water were to start a campaign for Syrian refugees,<br />it would most likely feature a photo of a child who has carved out a successful life in the chaos.<br />Scott Harrison said that When we started, the biggest problem was that my friends said giving to charity was really depressing,<br />Amanda Seller said that With an earthquake, it’s easy; everyone is an innocent victim, and they have a problem that will eventually end,<br />Only use mottos that people would want to wear on T-shirts." One of Charity: Water’s most successful marketing appeals<br />tells the story of a 15-year-old named Natalia, the president of a water committee in her village in Mozambique.
