Does the end justify the means? The persuasive power of emotions in charity advertising: a systematic literature review

Most nonprofit organisations, particularly in the charity sector, mainly survive and operate because of the capital they manage to raise through donations. Consequently, fundraising campaigns are vital, and emotions play a crucial role in designing advertising appeals. Although the central role of emotions in encouraging people to donate has been widely researched, the literature presents conflicting evidence. This study aimed to fill this gap by systematically reviewing the extensive and fragmented literature focused on charity advertising and analysing the role of emotions in stimulating prosocial behaviour in the charity sector. According to the PRISMA approach, 79 articles, published between 2005 and 2023, were considered. A framework was developed to analyse emotion in charity advertising, providing an overview of the leading theories, methods, and results. The study offers implications for theory development (e.g., by suggesting future research questions derived from the primary traces of evidence) and marketing practice (e.g., by helping nonprofit organisations create more effective campaigns to stimulate donations).