Developing Your Case for Support: A June 16 Webinar June 8, 2010

by Ellie LaCasse

Write a case statement. It sounds like a painful assignment that you can put off until you're planning a major fundraising campaign.

Think again. Fundraising expert Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE, tells us that you need a case statement in place not only for a capital campaign, but for each of your fundraising initiatives--your annual drive, planned-giving projects, and so on.

Linda explains the importance of writing a case statement before you do anything else:

Typically an office has one person writing grants; another working on a brochure, letters, and direct mail; a CEO writing a speech for the Rotary Club; somebody else doing a Power Point, a website, etc. They’re each looking at your fundraising from a different angle and thus they're giving mixed messages. So when a Rotary member goes to the website he is confused about the different messages he’s received.

The case statement gives the compelling reason someone would want to give. Of course, as the fundraising effort rolls out, it will be translated into many forms, according to the audiences approached. But the initial thinking has to be stated clearly—and all versions must come from that same beginning statement.

If a case statement is so crucial, why do so few fundraisers prepare them? Linda says that there are several reasons. Some organizations don't have an overall strategy that encompasses each element of their program; development staff may misunderstand what motivates donors; sometimes fundraisers simply don't set aside the time to get it done.

To learn more about writing a case statement, please join us for Linda Lysakowski's free one-hour webinar, Developing Your Case for Support, on Wednesday, June 16, at noon Eastern time. You're welcome to invite others in your organization to join in, but space is limited, so register now.

Ellie LaCasse, a friend of GiftWorks, is officially retired from fundraising but is forever a community volunteer.