Developing Your Case for Support

Learn step by step how to craft a winning case statement!

This tool in the Excellence in Fund Raising WorkbookSeries offers you a practical, hands-on guide to creating thecornerstone of any successful fund raising program--an effectivecase for support. Written by Tim Seiler--a leader in the field offund raising and a disciple of master fund raiser HankRosso--Developing Your Case for Support provides you with acomplete framework for bringing together all the reasons nonprofitsknow they are worthy of support, and shows you how to develop acase that makes those reasons concrete and real for donors. Filledwith helpful worksheets and examples, the workbook features astep-by-step methodology for gathering, organizing, and using theinformation essential for developing a compelling casestatement. Part 1. Introducing the Case for Support

1. Key Terms

The Case and the Cause

Case Statement

Case Expression

Case Resources

External and Internal Cases

Mission, Goals, and Objectives

2. The Case and the Fund Raising Cycle

The Fund Raising Cycle

Examine the Case in Step 1

Make the Case the Cycle Bedrock

Determine Who Develops and Reviews the Case

Part 2. Case Components

3. Mission Statement

Examples of Mission Statements

Identifying Organizational Values

Reviewing Your Mission Statement

4. Goals

Goals Compared to Mission

Program-Related Goals Fund Raising Goals

Writing and Reviewing Goals

5. Objectives

Objectives Compared to Goals

Examples of Goals with Objectives

Writing and Reviewing Objectives

6. Programs and Services

Using Stories

Identifying Who Benefits

Collecting Testimonials

Enhancing and Reviewing Program Descriptions

7. Finances

Showing the Costs of Mission Fulfillment

Presenting the Information

Justifying the Need

Examples of Financial Presentations

Preparing and Reviewing Presentations

8. Governance

Selection of Board Members

Board Representation

Board Member Strengths

Board Functioning and Structure

Board Evaluation

Information About Members and Advisers

Reviewing Governance Information

9. Staffing

Credentials and Qualifications

The Organization Chart

Identifying and Reviewing Staffing Information

10. Service Delivery

Providing Basic Access

Offering Superior Service

Describing and Reviewing Service Delivery

11. Planning and Evaluation

Short-Term Fund Raising Plans

Long-Term Fund Raising Plans

Evaluation

Reviewing Fund Raising Plans and Evaluation Processes

12. History

The Place of History in the Case

A Focus on People

Writing and Reviewing a History

13. Component Checklist

Part 3. Putting the Case to Work

14. Testing the Completed Case

From Internal Case to External Case

Case Qualities That Stimulate Donors

Matching Case Expressions to Donors

Reviewing Your Case Expressions

15. Annual Review of the Case

Answering Critical Questions Every Year

Identifying Why Donors Should Give

Conducting an Annual Review

16. Moving Forward with the Case

Leading the Effort

Assembling the Case Resources File

Developing and Testing the Case

Recognizing All the Case Functions

Reviewing and Revalidating the Case

Part 4. Resources

Sample Case File

Our Neighborhood Development Corporation

Sample Case Expressions

The Case for Renovating the Abbey Church

Letter Sent to "Insiders" During Renovation

Text of Regional Benefactors Dinner Talk

Newsletter Article Detailing Renovation Plans

Appeal Letter Sent to Summer Session Alumni

Appeal Letter Sent to Friends

Brochure Included with Appeal Letters

Press Release Announcing a Large Gift by an Individual

Appeal Letter to Donor Recognition Group

Mailing Describing Changes in Donor Recognition Group

Honor Roll of Donors

"I can heartily recommend this book." (CharityChannel.com,January 17, 2003)"I am not aware of any other workbook that addresses this topic.Developing Your Case for Support will be a welcome andvaluable contribution to the field." --Barbara Marion, CFRE,senior principal, Hayes Briscoe Associates

"My compliments go to Timothy Seiler for writing a basic manualon a subject that is very confusing and often interpreted by manypeople differently." --Tere Lindhan, CFRE, George MasonUniversity Timothy L. Seiler is director of Public Service and The Fund Raising School and assistant professor of philanthropic studies at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Formerly, he was vice president of Indiana University Foundation. He is the editor-in-chief of the Excellence in Fund Raising Workbook Series from Jossey-Bass and coeditor of New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising. The cornerstone of any successful fund raising program is an effective case for support. Written by Tim Seiler—a leader in the field of fund raising and a disciple of master fund raiser Hank Rosso—Developing Your Case for Support is a practical, hands-on workbook that shows nonprofit professionals, volunteers, and consultants how to take the first critical step in the complex process of soliciting charitable gifts.

Developing Your Case for Support provides a framework for identifying and synthesizing all the reasons your nonprofit is worthy of support. Step by step, the author clearly shows how you can develop a persuasive case that will include the most compelling reasons for your supporters to give your organization money. The workbook shows how to

• Work with staff, boards, and volunteers to develop your case for support
• Form a database of information essential for creating a strong case
• Test your case among your donor constituency
• Write a winning case statement that gets results
• Regularly test the effectiveness of your case for support

Developing Your Case for Support is the fourth book in the Excellence in Fund Raising Workbook Series developed by Jossey-Bass together with The Fund Raising School at Indiana University. These workbooks offer practical, high quality resources on key topics in fund raising. "I am not aware of any other workbook that addresses this topic. Developing Your Case for Support will be a welcome and valuable contribution to the field." —Barbara Marion, CFRE, senior principal, Hayes Briscoe Associates

"My compliments go to Timothy Seiler for writing a basic manual on a subject that is very confusing and often interpreted by many people differently." —Tere Lindhan, CFRE, George Mason University