Man v dog: which charity campaign would you donate to?

http://www.theguardian.com/global/2015/jan/30/man-v-dog-which-charity-campaign-donate-to

Version 0 of 1.

The details: It is an online advertising campaign for Harrison’s Fund – a small charity that is raising money to fund research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The online version consists of two adverts – one of a child and one of a dog, both with the text “Would you give £5 to save Harrison from a slow, painful death?” Both images, which featured on MSN.co.uk earlier this month, link to Harrison’s Fund’s website, explaining what the cause is and the purpose of the campaign. The charity will track which image generates more click-through and will release the data soon.

Related: 'I wish my son had cancer': how shock tactics raised my charity's profile

What’s it about? According to the charity’s founder, Alex Smith, it shows how more people in the UK are now giving to animal charities over charities which are working to help children with fatal diseases.

What we like about it: It is brave, bold and analyses charitable giving.

So it’s campaign of the month, but I haven’t heard of it: It’s at an early stage, because a big part of the campaign is the data it’s going to reveal. Harrison’s Fund is a fairly small charity, but you might have heard of “I wish my son had cancer” – its provocative campaign in 2013.

It’s a prime example of people over donating to a cause which effectively didn’t really need that much money

What’s the fuss about? The charity will measure how many people clicked on to each image. The results will show which image, the dog or the child, generated more interest – offering insight into charitable giving.

What’s the point? To raise money and awareness – but, also to make the public think about the causes they donate to.

Hang on, haven’t we heard this all before? The idea that animals are more appealing than humans when it comes to charity has been a hot topic for some time in the voluntary sector. The Donkey Sanctuary historically has received more in donations than homeless charities, for example.

But who is to say what cause is more important than another? Who knows, but it’s certainly a brave man who picks a fight with cancer charities and then questions donations to the Manchester Dogs’ Home after last year’s fire. Smith said: “It’s a prime example of people over donating to a cause which effectively didn’t really need that much money and also, only works to home and care for animals, not cure a disease of a fatally ill child. It raised £270,000 overnight and over £2m in total. Does it need that much money when children in the UK are dying?”

Related: Five social media charity campaigns you need to know about

Will it be useful for other charities to learn from? Like its campaign last year, it shows that there’s a space for emotive advertisements, provided they have something new to offer. This one not only offers interesting data on human behaviour but also encourages debate.

Will it work? Maybe – it is sure to gain attention. And, kid v dog is a test that’s still relevant for all fundraisers. Some people might be surprised by the fact we care about pooches more than kiddies. But it probably won’t change the fact that Brits love donating money to animal charities. Stay tuned for the results.

Is there a charity campaign we should know about? Tweet us @GdnVoluntary

For more news, opinions and ideas about the voluntary sector, join our community – it’s free!

Related links:• Ice bucket challenge: making a charity campaign go global

This article was amended on Friday 30 January 2015 to correct the final amount that was raised for Manchester Dogs’ Home.