Which approach raises the most funds:

A well-argued appeal that explains the problem and offers statistical proof, or
An emotional appeal that tells a sad story?
In short, which is better?

Answer: stories

Here's Professor Paul J. Zak writing in the Harvard Business Review, in an October 28, 2014, article titled, "Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling":

"Many business people have already discovered the power of storytelling in a practical sense—they have observed how compelling a well-constructed narrative can be. But recent scientific work is putting a much finer point on just how stories change our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. ...

"By taking blood draws before and after the narrative, we found that character-driven stories do consistently cause oxytocin synthesis." [Oxytocin is a neurochemical that motivates us to cooperate.] "Further, the amount of oxytocin released by the brain predicted how much people were willing to help others; for example, donating money to a charity associated with the narrative."

For the full story visit http://www.guidestar.org/rxa/news/articles/2015/using-stories-for-fundra...