How the compatibility between negative mood and single (vs multiple) representative victim(s) increases charitable giving

Purpose This research aims to examine how the effectiveness of representative victim appeals in charitable marketing depends on the compatibility between donor mood and the number of victims depicted. Specifically, it investigates whether presenting a single representative victim, rather than multiple representative victims, enhances charitable giving when donors experience negative moods. Design/methodology/approach Across five experimental studies and one internal meta-analysis, this research examines donation behavior and intentions as a function of donor mood (negative vs positive/neutral) and representative victim type (single vs multiple). Donor mood is induced both incidentally and through charity appeals. Hypotheses are tested using theory driven planned contrasts. The proposed psychological mechanism is examined using measures of processing fluency and sympathy. Findings Across studies, planned contrasts consistently show that when donors are in a negative mood, charity appeals featuring a single representative victim generate higher donations and donation intentions than appeals featuring multiple representative victims. This difference does not emerge under positive or neutral mood conditions. The serial mediation analyses suggest that this effect may be partly explained by greater compatibility between negative mood and a single representative victim, which is associated with higher processing fluency, increased sympathy and, in turn, greater charitable giving. Research limitations/implications The studies rely on controlled experimental settings and online samples, which may limit generalizability to real-world donation contexts. Future research could examine additional boundary conditions, such as victim entitativity (perceived groupness) or donor characteristics, and test these effects in field settings. Practical implications For charitable organizations soliciting donations for groups of beneficiaries, featuring a single representative victim can be an effective strategy when appeals evoke or coincide with negative donor moods. This approach allows organizations to motivate giving to collective causes without relying on identifying a specific beneficiary. Originality/value This research extends the charitable giving literature by distinguishing representative victims from identified victims and by identifying donor mood as a critical boundary condition. By demonstrating that the effectiveness of a single representative victim emerges through mood–message compatibility, this research offers a novel theoretical explanation and practical guidance for charitable marketing communications.