Chapter 13: Articulating a Case for Support
This chapter provides an overview of the process of building a case for support and then fashioning discrete case statements for specific fundraising purposes and vehicles. The chapter includes a list of elements critical for building a case, which is essentially the database of information explaining a nonprofit’s worthiness for philanthropic support. The chapter also includes a list of what a persuasive case statement must contain in order to inspire action among donors and potential donors. Reflection questions are provided for nonprofits that help keep the case relevant to potential funders and donors. Staff and volunteer leadership roles are addressed in articulating and testing a case’s efficacy. To help with the articulation of compelling case statements there are some specific suggestions for effective writing, including an example of how to take a well-known phrase and “turn it on its head” to capture attention.
Timothy L. Seiler
Timothy “Tim” L. Seiler, Ph.D., has served in roles such as unit development officer, capital campaign manager, vice president, program director, clinical professor, and Rosso Fellow in Philanthropic Fundraising. Author and editor in the workbook series Excellence in Fundraising, he also co-edited editions three and four of Achieving Excellence in Fundraising. In 2014, he received the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ (AFP) Indiana Chapter Fundraising Executive Award and the Rosso Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Ethical Fundraising.
Tim Seiler, author of Chapter 13, and Bill Stanczykiewicz, director of The Fund Raising School, discuss how to articulate the case for support.