The core element of any successful fundraising or development program is your group’s case statement. A case statement is a brief document, no more than two pages or so that makes your “case”: it explains why potential funders (institutional or individual) should support your organization. A case statement informs your proposals or appeal letters to donors. To build a strong claim for funding, an organization typically tries to answer the following questions:
- Why does our agency exist?
- What are the specific problems that we have taken on, and who will benefit from our work?
- What methods will we use to combat these problems?
- What resources do we have that will help us achieve our objectives, such as staff, Board leadership, volunteers, community alliances and other support?
- How much money will be needed to meet our goals? Where does our financial support come from now?
If you have gone through the program planning process and conducted a needs assessment, many of the answers to these questions will already be at hand. For example, the question “Why does our agency exist?” is really another way of asking “What audience and need will our agency address?” The question “What methods will we use to combat these problems?” can be easily answered if you have already outlined clear objectives and identified related activities.
Another approach to developing a case statement is to try to anticipate – and answer – the questions potential donors are most likely to ask.
If you are just starting a nonprofit organization, your first large donations will come from people or institutions acting on faith, making an investment in your group based on your vision and your case statement. To raise their confidence (and your own), support your case statement with reasonable projections of your budget and income. Be prepared to answer questions such as, “What will you do if you can’t raise all the money that you need?” Show that you’ve already begun the process of researching and contacting potential funding sources. By listing who’s already contributed money, materials and time, you will show those early donor prospects that others have already given your project a stamp of approval.
Your completed case statement should be used as the basis for all your fundraising and recruitment material, including proposals, invitations to join the Board, and letters to founding donors. This ensures that everyone in the organization is conveying the same basic message to those they contact.
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