A nonprofit organization’s mission is to help others. As a fundraising professional, it is your responsibility to raise the funds necessary to implement your organization’s programs. To do that, you need to convince donors to give.
You know why your organization will make a difference. But does everyone else?
Donors need a reason to believe. A case statement—a compelling articulation of why a donor should give to your organization—will give that to them.
A good case statement will answer five basic questions:
- What is the need?
- What evidence is there that this is a pressing need?
- How is your organization uniquely qualified to tackle this need?
- What will be the benefits of your action?
- What are the negative consequences if you fail?1
Getting Your Fundraising Case in Order
Begin by assembling an internal case statement—a collection of materials that in some cases could fill a file folder or binder. Information you pull out of this comprehensive repository will become the meat of your fundraising case.
Gather all the data you can find as to why someone should give to your organization. Find specific details, facts and figures that not only support the need for what you do, but also demonstrate how it is working. Pull financial records to demonstrate your solvency. Pull background material—everything from your mission statement to press clippings to past annual fund letters. Gather testimonials from people you have helped and statistics about the demographic you serve. Interview donors and find out what compelled them to give. Collect any information you can find that will paint a picture of the future without your solution.
Writing Your External Case Statement
Once you have collected all the necessary material, it is time to write the case the rest of the world will see—the forcible, heart-tugging “reason to believe” that a donor can read and say, “I need to support that organization.”
Go through the material you assembled for your internal statement, pull out the most compelling information and then begin to write it, section by section. If possible, make it personal. Include specific stories of real people you have helped and paint the picture of what their future might look like without your organization.
Remember, the tendency these days is for people to skim. Break up the text with photos, testimonials and bulleted lists.
Sections could include:
- Organizational background
- Need
- Your solution
- Past statistics
- Potential impact
- An invitation to the donor to join the cause by making a donation
If the case statement extends beyond three pages, it is also wise to include an executive summary.
Make it Donor Centered
Although the facts you have collected focus on the “who, what and why” of your organization and the people you serve, your external case statement needs to take that information and spin it to focus on the donor. Consider writing the donor in as the hero of your story, allowing them to take ownership in the positive change your organization is making.
For Example:
UNICEF:
“We’re making tremendous progress. But UNICEF will not rest until the number of children dying from preventable cause is zero. Any number greater than zero is unacceptable. With your support, we are certain we can provide the help for children to get there.” (www.unicefusa.org)
St. Jude Hospital:
“The support of caring people like you helps ensure that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will continue its lifesaving mission of finding cures and saving children. St. Jude founder Danny Thomas believed that ‘no child should die in the dawn of life,” and your donations help bring us closer to the day when every precious life can be saved.’ (www.stjude.org)
The Nature Conservancy:
“You depend on nature—we’re here to save it. We’re working with you to make a positive impact around the world in more than 30 countries, all 50 United States and your backyard.” (www.nature.org)
The American Heart Association
“When you donate to the American Heart Association, you are joining us in the fight against our nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers—heart disease and stroke. Your donation will support such life-saving efforts as research, education, advocating for better health, improving patient care and reaching populations at risk. In short, you are helping save lives.” (www.heart.org)
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When you spend day in and day out living and breathing your organizational mission, it often becomes difficult to see the nuggets of wisdom that are truly important to the outside world.
Step back and look at what you have written from a donor’s point of view. Even better, have someone from outside your organization review the document. Cast your net wide and get as much feedback as you can.
Be sure to stay away from:
- Using too much technical jargon
- Overwhelming the reader with too much information
- Writing a case that is void of emotion
Well-known fundraising writer, Jerold Panas has said that for most people who give, “it is not about building a building it is about what happens inside.”
Make sure your story is about what happens inside.
Stay in Tune with Trends
It is important to remember that, while the case statement you ultimately adopt should be as timeless as you can make it, it is still a living document which needs to change, adapt with the times and continue to address current trends. Stay abreast of the latest studies and statistics about the issues your organization addresses by getting involved in advocacy groups and monitoring the web through list serves or an automated service, such as Google Alerts, which alerts you every time something new is published online on specific topics.
While it might seem like a lot of work to get your case statement put together, the results will be well worth the effort. Once complete, your well-written and compelling case statement will become the structure behind your campaign and serve as the basis for all other communications, whether they be verbal, in print or online.
1The Influential Fundraiser, Bernard Ross & Clare Segal, Jossey-Bass, 2009