Your campaign brochure announces that final campaign goal and transforms the ideas you developed in your case for support into a well-designed brochure. Use images, headings, and color to breathe visual life into your case for support. The best way to work on developing the case for support is by writing a simple draft word document that includes all of the elements above. Just get the ideas right and written in a clear and simple style. Part of making your case for support easier to read is including different sections.
If it’s a capital campaign…
These details are only part of the way to address donor concerns. Other information you can provide like how many students graduate each year and what their prospects are for the future, thanks to your organization. By addressing both the now and future for these students, you flesh out the need for your organization. Communicate the pressing need and set a firm timeline for the campaign. When donors understand why this project is urgent, they will be more motivated to support it generously. Your case statement provides a “depot” that you can pull from for campaign materials like newsletters, brochures, grant requests, and video scripts.
- The better and clearer and more compelling your draft gets, the more those ideas will serve as the basis for your entire campaign communications plan.
- What images or colors seem to resonate strongly with this campaign’s projects and aspirations?
- If you only have the internal perspective, you may miss the case’s key selling points from the potential donor’s perspective.
- For this reason, there needs to be a concentrated, elevator pitch version of the case statement on hand.
- You will need a campaign brochure in time for your campaign kick-off.
Who should be involved in creating the case?
Case statements are one of the most powerful tools a nonprofit can use to raise funds. Whether you need it for a capital campaign or general donor communications, your case statement must explain the need your organization serves and how you do it. Throughout your case statement, find ways to address the donor’s or sponsor’s hesitancy with testimonials and assure them that you could not fix the problem without their support. Letters from your organization’s Executive Director or Board Chairperson provide transparency and trust for your donors. This letter should acknowledge donors’ efforts to help the organization reach its mission and share the nonprofit’s vision for the future.
Instead, make sure you schedule regular revisions and update your statement annually. Unlike a more general statement, a capital campaign case for support is focused on a particular campaign and outlines the need to fulfill a specific goal within a limited time period. After giving your supporters an in-depth explanation of how their gifts help, your organization can address additional trust concerns in a few different ways. There are probably hundreds of other nonprofits committed to addressing the same problem.
Our Story
A case statement is a tool that nonprofits often use when asking for a contribution. Your case for support should tell a compelling story that engages your audience emotionally. Storytelling is a powerful tool for connecting with donors on a personal level. Share anecdotes, testimonials, or real-life examples that illustrate the impact of your work and the difference the capital campaign will make. Validating your case for support is a critical step in ensuring its effectiveness. A well-crafted case statement should resonate with your target audience, but how do you know if it truly hits the mark?
“It’s So Long…Who’s Going to Read This?”
Further, by widening the community we serve, we will decrease the number of families who are unable to receive our support case statement for your nonprofit organization capital campaign due to distance. Over the next six years, AWAG will be establishing offices in Gray, Baldwin, and Alfred counties. To do so, we need to raise $5,000,000 within the next four years in order to break ground on these new locations. CPA has historically been, and will always be, a tuition-free school for high achieving students of all economic backgrounds. However, to live true to our mission, it has become apparent that the time has come for us to move the location of our campus.
Get buy-in from leadership and board members
- Without it, you run the risk of inconsistent messaging, which can confuse or alienate potential supporters.
- A case for support is one of the most misunderstood, yet most powerful, tools in a fundraising campaign.
- The case for support is intentionally thorough, addressing the range from common to less-common questions.
- Your case for support is the main resource from which you will draw for a wide range of communications tied to your capital project.
Donors are more likely to give when they feel connected to the cause and understand the impact of their gift. A compelling case statement provides them with that clarity and confidence.To learn more about how a case statement can be used, scroll down to the ‘how’ section below. Additionally, a case statement is essential for building credibility. It positions your organization as a solution to a specific problem, making it clear why the work you do is both urgent and necessary. When potential donors see a well-thought-out case statement, they’re more likely to view your organization as a trustworthy, mission-driven entity worthy of their support. Make sure you don’t let your organization fall into that trap.
Ask them why they originally came to the organization, what responses they receive from the nonprofit after giving, and how communication is between them. Peer reviews give donors assurance that you will treat them well. Great case statements include more than just facts and figures. You may have educated millions of children without explaining why and how. The number feels unimportant to many donors, no matter how large. When creating a case statement, a few aspects must be included.
You’re beginning a process that will solidify your ideas and plans, create value in your community and raise money to further your mission in the years to come. A case for support should be generated during your capital campaign planning study. Information gathered from the study is integrated into the case elements. Through the study, a nonprofit should define its image, its role in the community, and how it benefits the community. In this respect, the process of writing your case for support offers an excellent opportunity to rally your community to contribute to its development.
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Your nonprofit can give them peace of mind in your case statement by specifying how your organization uses its gifts. Here is where you must share the depth of the issue with your donors. If you’re addressing homelessness or poverty, there are statistics everywhere you can include in your case statement. Salespeople can spend hours, even days, perfecting their elevator pitch before making a sale. As a nonprofit fundraiser, you should spend no less time on your case statement.
Notice how they contain the core elements of a case statement and exhibit strong writing. A great capital campaign case statement requires you to pay attention to the language and writing strategies you’re using. Strive for clarity and a smooth, easy, and enjoyable reading experience as you write your next case statement. Writing your case statement should be a central part of planning your capital campaign. This is because creating your case statement will help you develop a narrative for your campaign and think through all of the reasons your community should get involved. Of course, you have to complete all the different elements of a case statement, and the problem statement is actually the second element.