Writing your case for support – What is a case statement?
Part 2 of 3
Your case for support is your partnership message in written form. It can be document or brochure style, maybe even with an electronic (power point?) companion. It needs to be emotionally compelling and puts on display the passion and vision YOU and your organization have for accomplishing your mission as well as why a prospective partner should invest in your work.
The Components of a Successful Case for Support
7 components to use when writing a case statement for a case for support (4 this week, 3 next week):
- An Emotional Opening
- Your mission and vision statements
- Explain your programs – now and immediate future
- Background – History
#1: An Emotional Opening
Even the stoic business “person” can be moved by a great story. Your opening paragraph (or two at most), needs to quickly put an image in the readers head, and attach it to an emotion that invites the read to follow along. A great emotional opening is crucial since a reader will decide (subconsciously) how intently they are going to read the rest in those first couple of paragraphs. For that reason, you will need to use your opening paragraphs to hook your readers and make them want to keep learning more. Make the reader feel or think and by think, I mean contemplate or ponder (hmmm?). “Have you ever experienced…?” “He was crying after the first few words…”
#2: Your Mission and Vision
Next, your case for support should move from the emotional opening to the reason your organization exists. This is the “why” of your non-profit, answering questions like: Why does our organization exist? What is the problem we are trying to solve? Why should people care? If you already have a corporate mission and vision statement make sure and share those, but also make sure and bring them down to the “local” level. How does the mission statement sound when you put a school, or neighborhood into the context? Affectionately balance a big, bold vision for the future, but also give it a local, customized, personal tone.
Capacity tends to drive this, but we all like to dream big, but still need a more immediate action point. Solving poverty for the world is awesome, but we are going to do it by first starting in this city, village. Both of these pictures are important.
Scripture is clear about what happens to people without vision. There is just a balancing act to be achieved in sharing both sides of the equation in your mission.
#3: Explanation of Your Programs
You’ve told the reader why your organization exists and explained the problem you are trying to solve (as well as your ultimate goal in solving that problem). Now, your case for support should tell the reader how you are solving the problem… what are you actually doing to meet that big picture vision for your non-profit?
This is where you tell the reader about your organization’s programs – including the programs you are currently running, as well as those that you would like to run in the near future. Include a short explanation of each of your programs. Avoid the temptation to include jargon… instead, write in clear and easy-to-understand language.
#4: History of the Organization
Now that you’ve explained your programs, give a brief summary of the founding of your organization and a short history of its work to date. This adds proof and credibility to your case for support. If you’ve been successfully running programs to address the problems you are trying to solve, then say so, even if your organization has only been in existence for 2 or 3 years.
If you are writing a case for support for a new organization, that’s ok too. Use this section to talk about why the non-profit is being founded and give some details about the people who are on the founding board or team. Either way, including some information about the history of your organization will help build trust for donors and prospects.