In Parts One and Two of this series, we talked about why every nonprofit needs a great Case for Support and how to create it. In this third and final installment, we’ll discusswhen to utilize it and how to leverage this tool for campaign success.
Once you’ve got a great Case for Support, share it!
- When interviewing community members as part of your campaign feasibility study
- When sitting with prospective donors
- Embed Case for Support into your organization’s website
- Share a link to it from your organization’s Facebook page
- Include it in media kits to local media outlets (once the campaign goes public)
A great Case for Support can serve as a highly efficient tool with the potential to catapult your team towards campaign success. It can open doors to conversations that will ultimately lead to major gifts for your project. With a great Case for Support, you’ve got an excuse or reason to call and get appointments with donors as you’ve got something worth sharing. You’ve got a document with:
- Well-researched data on community needs
- Input from community leaders
- Project photos & client testimonies
Even veteran major gift fundraisers would say that the most difficult part of making “the ask” (or the many asks necessary for campaign success) is securing the many appointments it takes to bring relationships to a point where significant asks are appropriate. Getting appointments is now as simple as calling to ask for donors’ input on the Case for Support.
By seeking donors’ input on your Case for Support, you are involving them at a level that allows them to feel personally invested in your campaign. They may even begin to take ownership in helping to advocate for the project on your behalf. While you may or may not be able to edit the Case for Support once it’s completed, donors’ input can help shape your discussions going forward as you share the document with others.
Everyone has their own unique style of donor cultivation, but my preference is to wait until the end of a visit to share the document, unless the conversation naturally brings me to a place where referring to something within the document is fitting, in which case I bring it out sooner. The Case for Support is something that the donor will likely study at home or in their office while considering a significant gift.
Remember to always follow-up, and ask for their feedback.
Before using this tool in actually “making the ask” with a prospective donor, the donor should already be well-aware of your project as you’ve educated them in previous visits. In building a relationship with that donor, you’ve determined that your project is a match for the donor’s personal interests and philanthropic intent as you’ve asked the right questions along the way. Once you’ve reached that point and have secured theappointment, you can refer to the gift opportunities chart within the Case for Support when discussing which piece of the campaign you’re inviting them to invest in.
Your board, staff, community leaders and donors are better equipped to help make your campaign dream a reality with a great Case for Support. For more on Case for Support work, contact Diana Turner at dturner@smithturnerconsulting.com.
Diana Turner, GPC
Principal, Smith Turner Consulting
smithturnerconsulting.com
Affiliate with The Bridge
