ALL HOPE IS LOST

That is the subject of an email I received yesterday from the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee). It's one of seven emails I've received from them in the last 48 hours asking for money, and mostly they read like text book examples of what not to do.

Setting aside the all-caps yelling, telling your potential donors that "all hope is lost" is a terrible idea. If all hope is truly lost, why would I give you money? Wouldn't that be futile? My instinct was to delete it right away without opening it. The only reason I read this email was to write about it.

Just like everything else about this election cycle, this was an extreme example. Nonprofits make similar mistakes every day. Much of the work we do involves big, complex, heartbreaking and terrifying issues. The problem is that too much scary or sad makes people close their wallets and stop listening. So, if you talk about a big, scary problem, you better follow it up quickly with the solution you offer and the prospect of a happy ending. And, even if you feel it sometimes, don't ever say it's hopeless.