Buying and Selling of Emotions

Emotional labour exists on many levels throughout charities. It takes on various forms depending on whom the interaction is with, either supporters or those in need of support from the charity. One charity with a high degree of emotional labour and emotional branding is FearIsNotLove, formerly known as the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter. To deliver the services offered by the charity, as well as create and maintain the brand of the Calgary Emergency Women's Shelter, all members of the team must share in the workload of emotional labour. Additionally, the communications, marketing and fund development teams must work together to maintain the emotional brand of the organization. As a charity, they rely on donors to contribute financially and recruiting that support takes a unique skill set of storytelling, empathy and demographic research by the fund developers. They need to find a way to tell the story of FearIsNotLove that will resonate with their clientele, the volunteers and the donors themselves. This paper will examine the challenges and demands of the members of the organization FearIsNotLove and how that relates to the emotional labour and emotional branding involved in the organization.

The emotional labour required of the staff and volunteers at FearIsNotLove can be broken down into two main categories; the emotional labour expended in working with the clients who need support and also that of the supporters, who are the donors and partners of the charity. The emotional labour involved with both groups is extensive, often at a dichotomy, and yet essentially must establish a brand that reflects safety, impact, trust, and change with both groups.

The first group involves the labour of the intake staff. These are the social workers, volunteers, non-profit groups and anyone else who may be involved in providing support. These front-line workers represent the brand to non-profits, social support agencies, and everyone else seeking support on their own or behalf of others. It is critical for the clients to feel safe, supported and heard.  Their circumstances need to be validated and believed for them to be open to receiving support. They are in a highly vulnerable position and therefore are easily influenced by the actions and messaging of others. This brings significance to the emotional labour that few other organizations face. For example, a retail business may lose a sale or get a bad review if its staff does not greet customers with a smile and acknowledgment. However, the emergency shelter staff knows that their actions, words, and body language can mean the difference in a safe transition out of the crisis for that client. This type of work can be challenging, adding to emotional labour's complexity. Adams, Boscarino, and Figley (2006) state, "It is well established that social service work is fraught with intense, often unpredictable, and unmanageable emotions.”

Those providing support must listen attentively to clients' stories and concerns, empathize with their situations, and provide reassurance and comfort. This work comes with significant stress. It has been shown that people in helping professions are exposed to trauma during work, whether through direct contact with traumatized individuals or hearing about traumatic events. They are at risk of developing secondary traumatic stress from exposure to the traumatic experiences of the people they work with. These workers and volunteers receive no additional compensation for this significant emotional labour. "Secondary traumatic stress (STS) refers to the emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the firsthand trauma experiences of another. The development of STS is directly linked to the helper's empathy with the traumatized person and occurs when helpers have strong emotional reactions to the trauma experiences of others." (Bride et al., 2004). 

The second group of people that holds a share of the emotional labour are the team members responsible for establishing the brand who connect with the donors and supporters of the organization. These individuals must manage not only their own emotions but also those of potential and actual donors. Those in a position of fund development need the skills and emotional energy to help donors navigate a rollercoaster of emotions. In the process of onboarding them as donors, they take them through a journey of sadness and fear to one of hope and possibility, and it is through that ability to enact change they can trigger the need to donate and support the mission.

"Fundraisers engage in significant emotional labour in their work and must balance their own emotions with those of donors and the organization" (Dean & Wood, 2017). They must be able to listen empathetically to the clients' stories while turning those tragic situations into ones of hope and possibility to create a call to action by donors. They must interpret these situations into opportunities for impact and change that can be actionable by emotionally disconnected donors. This is when storytelling becomes a huge asset. Gobé explains this well by stating, "Charitable organizations and other not-for-profits should recognize the need to make a human connection with their audiences, to appeal to emotions as well as reason, and to tap into the deep reservoir of goodwill that lies within all of us" (2001).

Emotional labour is a critical aspect of fund development for charities. Fund development staff must manage their emotions and potential donors' emotions to elicit empathy, compassion, and a desire to make a difference. Fund development staff must engage in deep acting, where they actively work to shift their emotional states to align with the desired emotional response from donors. They may do this by recalling past experiences of success in helping those in need or by thinking about the positive impact that donations will have on the community. This is challenging work, and according to Dean and Wood, "Charities need to recognize the importance of emotional labour and provide fundraisers with the necessary support to engage in this work effectively and sustainably" (2017).

Fund development staff must be skilled in managing relationships with donors, as building long-term connections is essential for sustaining the charity's brand. Gustafsson et al. (2020) expand on the importance of this relationship by stating that emotional labour is essential for building relationships with donors and that fundraisers should focus on creating meaningful connections rather than 'what works' in terms of fundraising tactics. This involves soliciting donations and expressing gratitude and appreciation for their contributions. Emotional labour involves feigning emotions such as gratitude, empathy, and appreciation for donations while suppressing negative emotions such as frustration or exhaustion caused by the emotional toll of their work. They may also feign a sense of urgency or crisis to encourage donors to give generously. They may do this by recalling past experiences of success in helping women in need or by thinking about the positive impact that donations will have on the community. In The Managed Heart (1983), Hochschild describes emotional labour as the process of managing and regulating one's emotions in order to conform to the expectations of others.

Emotional labour is involved not only in building relationships with donors and supporters but in finding them too. This is called prospect identification and also involves a signification amount of emotional labour. It is challenging for individuals in fund development to separate their personal feelings from those required in their positions. "Group identification, which requires emotional labour, is a significant mediator of the effectiveness of appeals in inducing donations" (Fisher & Wakefield, 1998). One must identify these individuals, disassociate from their relationship as a person, and focus on the potential for financial contribution and benefit to the organization. Regardless of their personal feelings for the potential donor, their job is to serve the charity best, so they have to become the ultimate storytellers and feign a connection with that donor.  Fisher and Wakefield (1998) emphasize this connection in their study, which shows that "management of emotions associated with group identification is critical to success in this highly competitive fundraising environment.” They suggest that emotional labour, particularly managing emotions related to group identification, is essential in successful fundraising efforts.

Additionally, the emotional labour of the fund development staff involves not just managing their own emotions but also managing the emotions of potential and actual donors. They may need to listen attentively to donors' stories and concerns, empathize with their situations, and provide reassurance and comfort. Hochschild (1983) notes that emotional labour can be challenging and stressful, particularly when it involves suppressing or feigning emotions that are not genuinely felt. This can lead to emotional dissonance and burnout. Therefore, organizations like the emergency women's shelter must provide emotional support and self-care resources to their teams. Secondary trauma can also be a factor in the emotional branding and labour required by charities. Due to the nature of their work, charity workers may be exposed to traumatic events, stories, and experiences, leading to secondary trauma, also known as vicarious trauma. Figley (2002) and Stamm (2010) explain secondary trauma as the indirect impact of working with trauma survivors and hearing their stories caused by the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help the traumatized or suffering person. This can cause emotional exhaustion, burnout, and other negative psychological effects, making it even more challenging for charity workers to maintain the emotional labour required for effective emotional branding (Jeung, Kim & Chang, 2018). Thus, charities must address their workers' emotional labour and provide support to prevent and manage secondary trauma.

Charities rely on emotional branding strategies to establish a meaningful connection with their audiences and elicit support. This requires emotional labour from the organization and its staff, who must manage and convey the appropriate emotions to effectively communicate the charity's mission and values (Paxton, 2020). "By recognizing the emotive power of their brand, organizations can create a bond with their audiences that extends beyond functional attributes and benefits, forging a deeper, more human connection that can lead to lasting loyalty" (Gobé, 2001). Gobé goes on to explain that supporters “want brands with soul" and brands that align with their values and beliefs. It is about so much more than a tax receipt.

The emergency women's shelter's brand attempts to engage supporters' emotions, such as compassion, empathy, altruism, and a sense of social responsibility. By tapping into these emotions, the brand aims to create a personal connection with donors and build long-term relationships. The brand's narrative emphasizes the plight of women who are victims of domestic violence or homelessness and how the shelter provides them with a safe haven, support, and resources to rebuild their lives. It involves a delicate balance of showing the problem but then empowering donors with the solution to the problem (Stebbins & Stebbins, 2015). The narrative also highlights the positive impact that donors' contributions have on the community, which reinforces their sense of altruism and social responsibility. This particular shelter has recently undergone a rebrand, which has broadened its scope and is helping to convey a critical understanding of the domestic violence crisis. This updated brand, from Calgary Emergency Women’s Shelter to FearIsNotLove, is more inclusive and brings awareness that not only cis-gender women are victims of domestic violence. Therefore this brand now helps not only further the mission of the organization but also now communicates openness, understanding, and acceptance in the community. FearIsNotLove is an emotionally powerful brand that speaks directly to the community's emotions.

Emotional labour is a critical component of creating and sustaining the emergency women's shelter brand, where the fund development and communications staff are responsible for eliciting empathy and compassion from potential donors. However, this level of emotional labour and branding is not without risk to those who work with it regularly. "Secondary trauma, like its parent trauma, occurs as a result of exposure to death, destruction, and despair, and leaves its mark on the spirit and mind." (Figley, 2002). The brand's narrative is also critical in engaging these potential and actual donors, and it communicates the shelter's mission and its impact on the community. This narrative should also elicit emotions such as compassion, empathy, and a desire to make a difference. The brand of FearIsNotLove works by engaging the emotions of potential and actual donors. The brand creates a sense of urgency and a desire to help by evoking emotions such as compassion and empathy. Fund development staff must also work to maintain the emotional connection between donors and the shelter by expressing gratitude and appreciation for their contributions. This is a significant emotional contribution requested by workers and volunteers.

Fund development staff must be able to communicate the narrative of the brand effectively to donors through channels such as direct mail, social media, or in-person meetings. Through these communications, the team at FearIsNotLove is helping donors to become changemakers. They are saving people; they are giving them a future and possibility through their donations. They show them that they can be heroes, not just donors. “It is not the brand itself that counts, but what you can do with it, what you can be with it” (Arvidsson, 2005). Creating this belief in donors is emotional labour, and it is essential for successful fundraising but can also lead to mental and emotional stress. Charities must provide their fundraisers with emotional support and self-care resources to promote mental and emotional well-being. 

Overall, emotional labour and emotional branding work together to create and sustain the brand of FearIsNotLove. The brand's narrative reinforces these emotions and creates a sense of urgency and social responsibility, which motivates donors to give generously and support the shelter's mission. The brand narrative is essentially built on emotional labour. In summary, emotional labour holds a critical piece in building and delivering services for charities. Fund development staff must manage their emotions and those of donors to elicit empathy, compassion, and a desire to help and make a difference. Furthermore, that work then funds the labour of the frontline workers who do a large amount of emotional labour to ensure kind, compassionate care of the clients. They must work together to ensure the success of the organization and the impactful delivery of these essential programs.

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