How to Write a Case Statement

Volume 1, Issue 1
October 2011
On the Inside…
Client Story:
CARE for Kids.
........ 2
Speaking
Engagements.......... 2
From our Question Café:
Funding Endowments.
... 4
How to Write a Case Statement
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 compre-
hensive 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, hearttugging “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
Continued on page 3
Are You Ready for the Year-End Fundraising Rush?
This post appeared in the Foundation Center’s website blog, “Philanthropy Front and Center–Cleveland”
Fundraising is a marathon, not a sprint. Because our jobs as development professionals are never
really finished (there is always more to do,) it is critical that we pace ourselves. Whether your organization follows a calendar or fiscal year, autumn can be a very busy time that requires juggling
many balls simultaneously—foundation deadlines, individuals’ year-end giving, holiday events, etc.
Read the entire blog at www.grants-plus.com/grantblog.html
Come See Us:
Client Story: CARE for Kids
October 13, 2011
8:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Grants Plus will be exhibiting in the
Community Marketplace at the 69th
Annual Community Solutions’ Human
Services Institute, held at
LaCentre Conference Center
27555 Detroit Road, Westlake, Ohio
44145.
In late 2009, after eighteen months of preparation and research, the CARE for Kids
committee in Conneaut, Ohio launched
a capital/endowment campaign seeking
$5.5 million in donations and gifts-in-kind
from grants and private sources to build a
20-acre athletic, recreation and community
event campus in central Conneaut.
Visit our booth for a free gift and a
chance to win a Kindle 6" 3G! Attend
the Institute for free, sign up at:
www.communitysolutions.com/human_services_institute/registration.
aspx?EventID=1
November 3, 2011
4:00–6:00 p.m.
Grants Plus is sponsoring a presentation by fundraising speaker Dionisia
“Nisia” Hanson, Chief Philanthropy
Officer, Charlton Memorial Hospital,
Fall River, Massachusetts.
Hanson will present, “ALL Things
Possible: Bringing Your Board on
Board to Raise More Money” at
PartnerShip, 29077 Clemens Road
Westlake, Ohio 44145.
Presented by the Ohio Association of
Community Colleges:
www.ohiocommunitycolleges.org
November 4, 2011
9:00–11:30 a.m. and 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Grants Plus will be exhibiting at the
Association of Fundraising Professionals, 28th National Philanthropy
Day, held at
LaCentre Conference Center
27555 Detroit Road, Westlake, Ohio
44145.
Visit our booth for a free gift and a
chance to win a Kindle 6” 3G! Attend
the NPD workshops and/or luncheon,
sign up at: www.afpcleveland.org
November 17, 2011
11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Lauren Steiner will be presenting a
new program “Working With Direct
Service Staff Members To Get
Information” at the
Foundation Center Library, 1422
Euclid Ave., Suite 1600, Cleveland,
Ohio 44115.
Attend the workshop for free,
sign up at:
www.foundationcenter.org/cleveland
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An all-volunteer committee with little
fundraising experience, it became apparent
within a year that the group needed some
professional help. Lauren Steiner and Lisa
Sierk of Grants Plus and consultant, Holly
Tomasch were brought in to move the campaign forward.
were such an instrumental part of the
campaign,” Ledford said.
One of the biggest things they did was to
rework the organization’s case for support.
“They put together a case statement document which became the structure behind
the campaign. That was a piece that had
been missing… It now serves as the basis
for everything else we are doing (print and
online),” Ledford said.
“We had all of those pieces sort of there
but the case for support really solidified the
campaign,” she added.
Another key deliverable was a campaign
In addition to writing several grants, they
plan—an eight page document which
analyzed the situation, developed a comcovered Campaign Essentials, Gift Tables,
prehensive case statement and campaign
Phased Funding Needs, Gift Sources, Timeplan, provided general strategizing, did
line, Budget, Strategy, Benchmarks and a
prospect research and trained the volunWork Plan. According to Ledford, this plan
teers on how to run a
has been instrumental
capital campaign.
in keeping the group
“I am not sure the campaign would
organized, focused and
Of the three grant proeven still be on track if it hadn’t been
on track.
posals that were written
for them. I can’t even imagine them
during the course of the
Asked to describe her
not being there. They were such an
ten-month engagement,
experience working
instrumental part of the campaign.”
one has already come
with Grants Plus and
through for $25,000,
Tomasch, Ledford
—Tammy Ledford
while the other two are
replied that she didn’t
pending.
know what she would
have done without them.
One of their initial recommendations was
that the campaign committee needed an
“I definitely would recommend them to
executive administrator and volunteer
others. Not just for the grant writing but
Tammy Ledford was brought on to fill that
for us they really helped with the overall
role. She has overseen the project ever
campaign strategy and direction of the
since, working closely in conjunction with
campaign,” she said.
the consultants and will be instrumental in
As for the campaign itself?
moving the project forward.
“It has progressed tremendously,” Ledford
“I relied on them so much in the
said.
beginning, asking a million questions.
They were always there for me… I am not
“What we have accomplished in the last
sure the campaign would even still be on
year is amazing when you look back. Withtrack if it hadn’t been for them. I can’t
out them, those accomplishments would
even imagine them not being there. They
not have happened.”
How to Write a Case Statement
Continued from page 1
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.
Gathering Information
In his book, Seeing Through a Donor’s Eyes, award-winning fundraising expert
Tom Ahern provides an excellent checklist of things to look for when assembling material for your case statement.
His list is reproduced here with permission from the publisher1.
Sections could include:
Background materials
about the fundamentals:
who you are and why you matter
• Organizational background
• Your mission
• Need
• Your values
• Your solution
• Organization’s history
• Past statistics
• Data on those you serve
• Potential impact
• Your position papers
• An invitation to the donor to join the cause by making a donation
• Your letters to the editor
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)
• Your board
Background materials
about what you do
• Your press releases
• Recent outbound communications (your newsletters for instance)
Background materials
on where you’re headed
• Your vision
• Your strategic plan (goals and objectives)
• Your campaign’s monetary goal and what that money buys
• Articles on trends that will impact your organization
Background materials
on how others see you
• News clippings about you
• Testimonials
• Rankings
• Awards
• Descriptions of your programs and services (brochures and catalogs)
• Proof your programs work
• Staff profiles
• Financial information
• Case studies or anecdotes of
individuals you’ve helped
• Event calendars
Ahern, Tom.
Seeing Through a Donor’s Eyes. Medfield,
MA: Emerson & Church, 2009. 33–34.
Print., www.emersonandchurch.com
1
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)
Continued on page 4
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How to Write a Case Statement
Continued from page 3
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.
(www.google.com/alerts)
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.
The Influential Fundraiser, Bernard Ross & Clare
Segal, Jossey-Bass, 2009
1
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Q: Why are most foundations reluctant to support endowments?
A: Foundations themselves are endowments, or large investment accounts that are restricted
for a specific purpose. They make grants to organizations that conduct activities that relate to the
Foundation’s stated purpose, generally with a time limited performance agreement (like a one year
grant period). Because this is considered a “restricted” grant, or a charitable donation made with
a specific purpose in mind, if the activities promised in the grant agreement are not completed, the
organization would owe that money back to the Foundation.
Endowments are long term investments, generally like a savings account that an
organization will only withdraw from interest or at specific times and to cover things
like operating deficits. Most Foundations do not support endowments because they
prefer to support activities that will be completed within a limited period of time and
not held indefinitely, and spent at some later, undetermined date.
For more answers to your fundraising questions, visit our Q & A café at
http://www.grants-plus.com/questioncafe.html.
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