Case Statement For Your Nonprofit Organization Capital Campaign

Tie your mission, values and vision together into a Case for Support. Part I of this blog series provides action steps and a timeline to develop your organization’s case statement. The best people to interview are clients/recipients of services, organizational leaders, donors, program staff and volunteers. Before finalizing a case statement, test it on current donors or the board. Ask them to review it from the perspective of whether or not it would convince them to either give or request more information on your organization. If it does not, then ask them to provide input and recommend changes to make the case statement more persuasive. As your organization changes and grows, you may need to modify your case statement accordingly.

• We work with law enforcement, lawyers who donate their services, and child welfare agencies to help these families recover their confidence, health and prepare for a brighter future.
• You may have a section in your case for support specifically reserved for outcomes, statistics, and stories.
• “Professional” usually means “unemotional,” but that doesn’t quite work for fundraisers.
• A great emotional opening is crucial to the success of your case for support.
• Fundamentally, your Case for Support is the backbone for all of your fund raising materials and pitches throughout the year.
• They are the boundaries within which your organization will operate in pursuit of its vision.

That’s ok – do what feels right for your organization. The important thing is to make sure that your case statement tugs at the heartstrings and makes donors want to write a check to support your work. People are influenced by the social and emotional cues other people give them.

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It also must clearly specify who it helps, how you help them, what programs and services you provide, and why your organization helps — your purpose and drive. If your nonprofit has been operational for a few years, include statistics and data that quantify and qualify the impact made on the community served. For example, look at the marketing material your local United Way uses in its annual drive. The majority of non-membership-based nonprofits rely on grants and donations to provide services and programs to the individuals and entities they serve. Grant applications and proposals require that a case be made for funding the nonprofit. Donors also want to know why one nonprofit should receive their funds over another. Nonprofits use their case statement as the basis of this funding pursuit.

Often a key here is having a really good plan dedicated to your organization’s physical plant and anticipated needs. In other words, wrap your mission in a series of compelling stories your audience will empathize with and find stimulating and relevant. Each day, she cried from hunger… silently, so her two daughters wouldn’t hear her sobs.” Your opening should make the reader feel. There are lots of different ways to write case statements. I usually structure my cases for support around 7 key components.

That’s an inspiring vision, and one that will get donors excited. A great emotional opening is crucial to the success of your case for support. Donors and prospects will use the first paragraph or two of your case statement to decide whether or not the rest of the document is worth reading. For that reason, you will need to use your opening paragraphs to hook your readers and make them want to keep learning more. “Professional” usually means “unemotional,” but that doesn’t quite work for fundraisers.

That being said, every non-profit and consultant has a different way of writing their cases. Armed with your case statement and conversational superchargers, you’ll be ready when people want to know about you. You’ll be focused on the cause, clearly represent who you are and what you do, and will make the best possible case for supporting your organization.

How Is Your Organization Uniquely Qualified To Tackle This Need?

A case statement is a document or plan that provides the reasons a nonprofit organization is worthy of support. A well-written case statement fosters credibility with prospective grantors and donors, and serves as the basis to any successful fundraising effort. You can write one for a particular program, project or event or for general operating and administrative support. The case statement can outline the issue that needs addressing, with an explanation of how your organization intends to resolve it. For example, if your company has an online donations page, you use your case statement to increase the likelihood of a donation.

It is the core document that sits at the center of your plan and strategy. This article explains what to include, what to avoid, and provides an example of a case statement. Also, fund raising consultants are often partnered with fund raising staff in preparation of the case. In this situation, there is efficacy in combining staff committed to the organization’s mission with a consultant versed in the outside community’s disposition and needs. Case statements are generally prepared by fund raising staff or those responsible for the organization’s fund raising. Without fund raising staff, the case might be prepared by the organization’s director working with a committee of the governing board.

Providing the array of services these women and children need costs more than $1,500 per family above our government funding. The money operates our family-friendly housing facility, advocates for each woman and family, and provides ongoing services that may be needed for months. The Charles County Women’s Shelter was founded in 1990 with a small facility and 20 staff. Over the years, the Shelter has been praised for its thorough support and advocacy for abused women and children.

The Role Of The Case Statement In Fundraising

They have to be truly useful to our readers and without a sales pitch. Describe the financial objectives that private philanthropy will support. Share your organization’s qualifications to carry out its work. You just want the reader to know where you do your work and who you are serving – it grounds your work in reality.

Make the gist of your argument straightforward and easy to understand. The case statement is used by a nonprofit as a basis for all communication and solicitations with donors. Every fundraising campaign has a case statement at its center.

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A full 84% of your gift goes directly to our services and programs for women and children suffering from domestic abuse. The external case has the public and potential donor as its audience.

⬜ A good story conjures up emotions that link to people’s values. Too many nonprofits try to persuade people with facts. Remember, your case statement’s sections might be different than those listed above, or in a different order. It’s also important to remember that the section headers you use shouldn’t not be technical, like those listed above. You should use emotional and mission-focused headings in your case for support.

Additional Impact

Many of our top donors become part of this group to help us plan for now and the future. We help prepare her and her children to leave their home and receive safe care at our shelter. We work with law enforcement, lawyers who donate their services, and child welfare agencies to help these families recover their confidence, health and prepare for a brighter future. Your case statement should appeal to a wide range of stakeholders, from external audiences to internal readers .

Without organizations like the Women’s Shelter, hundreds of families like Charlotte’s would likely never achieve a normal life. Charlotte had no money of her own since her husband controlled the finances, even Charlotte’s paycheck. Finally, Charlotte’s friend suggested she talk to the Women’s Shelter. She did so in secret and eventually worked out an escape plan. Today’s donors are attracted to images, infographics, up-to-date formatting, and clean typefaces. Major donors, particularly, want to be involved in the development of your project. Give them space to contribute their ideas, thus strengthening their engagement.

Avoid the temptation to include jargon… instead, write in clear and easy-to-understand language. If you want to supercharge your non-profit’s fundraising, you need an amazing case for support. Your case for support (sometimes called your “case statement”) is one of the two most important documents for your development program . See how you can launch your next online fundraising campaign with CauseVox.

Case Statement: Making The Case For Support In A Way That Connects

The case statement provides a logical and factual statement of the need your organization is trying to fulfill. It is where you can gather all the relevant stories and explain the role donors will play in achieving success. Your case should be as understandable to your next-door neighbor as it is to your wealthiest prospective donor.

Many also use it as the basis of all communication with potential benefactors, along with website content, appeal letters and presentations. The case statement, however, should not just be reserved for big fundraisers such as a capital campaign. It should serve as the basis for all of your efforts to persuade people to support your mission, whether that is a social media campaign or a pitch to a major donor. Lacking Good Design or Editing – Perhaps the challenge that can be most easily addressed is avoiding errors within a case for support. To avoid this misstep, proofread your document at every turn, and ask others internally to read it carefully before presenting it externally. Similarly, a poorly designed document reflects a lack of effort or thought on the part of the organization. Case statements should be visually appealing to grab the readers’ attention and convey the importance of a campaign.

Part II of this blog series dives deeper into what constitutes your mission and your values . Includes a checklist for “What makes a story a good story?” and tips for clarifying your values. There are of course many other questions that might be answered in an effective case statement. For examples of actual nonprofit case statements, Google is a good starting point.

Consult the Case as part of re-writing the Annual Appeal. Start with the Case as you plan your fundraising events (i.e. what does the money from the Gala or Golf Tournament do anyway?).