University for Continuing Education Krems Snowballing Smiles : A case for positive messaging to raise funds for non-profits Charity appeals are a key part of raising funds for non-profits and charities. There are two dominant approaches - one features a positive, empowering tone for the appeal, and the other features a negative, urgent tone. Both these tones evoke different emotions. This study aims to explore which approach is more effective in increasing the intention of the viewer to donate. This is done through a survey with 90 respondents where their messaging preference is evaluated alongside their feelings and a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews of 5 professionals working with non-profits. Individuals seem to prefer a negatively framed appeal to a positively framed one. There is a growing trend among non-profits to shift towards a consistently empowering narrative. The final recommendation is for non-profits to segment the audience, tailor messages and alternate between both approaches to evaluate effectiveness. en TEXT Master theses Masterarbeit Text Master theses Text Masterarbeit Nonprofit Marketing Messaging Tone Donor Intention Framing 2024 2024 Amal Ashraf Anna Matysek-Jędrych Ana Margarida Barreto