Linda Lysakowski’s Guide on How To Build Case for Support

Linda Lysakowski’s Guide on How To Build Case for Support reviews all of the necessary steps in the information gathering process needed to build a winning case for support.

First, we’d like to stress the importance of having one primary author of your case. That staff member should be interviewing other staff members, reading all source material, and then synthesizing everything. In other words, ensuring that all their information is first-hand.

If you are the chief development officer this process will probably fall to you—and it will probably take a lot of your time for a month or more. Through this process, you will gain valuable first-hand information about your organization, the people who serve it, and your donors.

If a consultant is hired to assist with writing the case, they can help by providing a basic structure for your case, providing sample case statements, and editing the case.

Space your staff interviews so you have time to go over your notes while everything is fresh in your mind. Don’t run overtime during the interview. If you ask for twenty minutes, keep the interview to twenty minutes—by the way asking for twenty minutes of someone’s time sounds better than taking a half hour. Bring a piece a candy, pretzels, or a bottle of water for the person. They’ll remember that you thought about them before you came.

Who Do You Need to Interview?

You should talk to the CEO, the COO if there is one, CFO Program Chairs, Volunteers, and sometimes Major Donors.

Quick Tip – Interview Skills

The interview process requires nothing less than the skills you would use when meeting with a donor, finding out what the donor needs, and asking for a gift. Bring your talents with people to the forefront for each interview.

So, now you’re ready. Take a deep breath, step back, and listen. That’s the first thing you’ll do. Ask open-ended questions. Don’t suggest answers–this is their time not yours. And never put words in their mouths. What if you don’t agree with what they are saying? Keep taking notes. This is their time and you need to hear their perspectives.

As you follow through with these questions you will begin to walk away with the words that become motivators. The answers to the whys, whats, hows, and whos will give you words that motivate individuals to do something extraordinary for your mission. Start to list them or circle them. These are the words you’ll want to use in the case statement.

In between the interviews you’ve probably identified several documents-old and new-for information. Start to circle common threads. These are words that are used over and over to communicate your organization’s mission. Did things change? If not, why not? If yes, why? Take a look at the environment. What happened in this year or that? Some of it may have nothing to do with you directly but maybe indirectly. This is important.

You’ll Need to Answer These Questions:

• Why does this organization exist?
• What are some adjectives you would use to describe this organization?
• Tell me about your best day here and why it was.
• If you could ask for one thing to move our mission forward, what would that be-and why?
• How does this organization impact the community/clientele?
• What one thing are you dying to try?

You’ve finished your interviews and reading of documents so our next blog will discuss telling your readers who you are.

Homework for the Author

• What information do I need? (Usually program results, budgets, program, capital, and endowment needs, past and present mission, vision, and values statements.)
• Who has this information?
• How long will it take me to get this information?
• What documents do I need and where are they?

Once you have all this information, you will use templates provided by your consultant to prepare your first draft. It will be important to provide information from the standpoint of the needs of the community, how your organization impacts the community, and what will motivate a donor to give. Always remember that individual donors are different from foundation donors in one major way, they typically want to hear stories, not numbers. So, when you are interviewing program staff, volunteers, and donors, ask for personal stories of people whose lives have been saved or changed because of your work.

If confidentiality is an issue, you can use the stories with a first name, or a generic, made-up name. If your clients will not be compromised by divulging their information, interview them and get their stories, and permission to use their story, and photos.

Linda Lysakowski’s Guide on How To Build Case for Support was first posted at Linda Lysakowski

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