Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Without a Strong Case for Support, Fundraising is Doomed…

Well, it’s most definitely the fundraising season. Northern Michigan nonprofits are percolating with fundraising events, board planning sessions, training, and strategizing. And the NorthSky consulting team is in the thick of it… assisting with planning, capacity building, and learning along with you. I’ve been dazzled by the innovation emerging from your work and impressed that you’re not letting a sluggish economy slow you down. But no matter how bold, creative and innovative your strategies, there’s really no escaping the necessity of having a vibrant case for support as the foundation for your fundraising program. Donors simply have too many choices. Your nonprofit must stand out as being uniquely qualified to fill a critical need. And your case must resonate on both an emotional and business level. So where do you begin?

Developing the case statement is hard work and not very sexy, I’m afraid. It requires team effort (in the form of ideas and input) yet works best if a single heroic soul authors the document. You’ll find some great tools including a worksheet and a PowerPoint presentation in the NorthSky Online Resource Center. http://www.northskynonprofitnetwork.org/resource.php#JumpFundraising.

The case statement represents the nonprofit's business plan and outlines all the reasons a funder should invest in you. It should grab the reader's attention, provide your irrefutable case and "wave the flag" as to why your nonprofit is uniquely qualified to address the need. You'll find an outline and some samples in the PowerPoint presentation in our Resource Center. It's ideal if you can lay out your case using stories or testimonials that make it stick in the audience's mind.

Do you have any suggestions or sample case statements to share with us?