Tell the Story, Tell the Story, Tell the Story

Crafting a Memorable CASE

AFP Allegheny Mountains ChapterNational Philanthropy Day

Sophie W. Penney, PhD

Program Coordinator/LecturerPenn State Certificate in Philanthropic Leadership

PresidentI5 Fundraising

Do your donors look like this after reading your case?

. . . or this . . .?

. . . Or this?

Case for . . .?

• Annual Appeal/Operations

• Capital Project

• Matching Grant Opportunity

• Program(s)

• Planned Gifts

Who will benefit?

Four Keys to crafting a CASE thatStirs the Soul

• Compelling

• Accessible

• Specific

• Emotional

Compelling

• Convincing

• Persuasive

• Gripping

• Fascinating

• Absorbing

Thought Exercise1. Select a case offered by someone at your

table2. State case being sure to cover the following What your nonprofit wants to achieve for

WhomWhy

WhenHow

How Many $?

Accessible

• Understandable

• User-friendly

• Easy to use by . . .

Just say no to jargon

• Bequest (put us in your will)

• Constituent (clients/donors)

• Food insecurity (hunger)

• Impactful

• Sector speak, e.g. healthcare

You see bold bright color . . . Person with Cataracts might see this in shades of grayMacular Degeneration sees only the centerGlaucoma might not see much at all

Be sensitive to differences

• Age

• Culture

• Religion

• Language

Choose a Vehicle

. . .that works for you and your audience*

Booklet/Brief/BrochurePop up cardPowerPoint

Video

*Andy Brommel, Director Communication Consulting, Campbell & Company

Healing Waters Campaign

Case Statement

Educational Sessions featuring experts

Newsletters

Poolometer

Video

Campaign Case Statement Cover Page

Virtual Reality? UNICEF Refugee Campaignhttps://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2015/dec/21/virtual-reality-future-face-to-face-fundraising

Specific

• Provide housing that is affordable over the short and long term = land trust to build a net zero ready home

• Increase programming = provide four new dating violence prevention programs in schools.

• Provide healing waters = construct a therapy pool on the campus

More Exercise

11 Questions Every Donor Asks*1. Why me?2. Why are you asking me?3. Do I respect you?4. How much do you want?5. Why your organization?6. Will my gift make a difference?7. Is there an urgent reason to give? 8. Is it easy to give?9. How will I be treated?10. Will I have say over how 11. How will you measure results?

*11 Questions Every Donor Asks: And the Answers All Donors Crave. Harvey McKinnon, 2013, Emerson & Church Publishers.

Emotional

Emotional – Providing Shelter (Box)

Sense of Urgency - Why Now?

Resources• AFP Hot Topic: Case for Support

http://www.afpnet.org/BBTDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=4020• Campbell and Company Case Webinar Series: https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4ioHflK1AQ• Seeing Through a Donor's Eyes: How to Make a Persuasive

Case for Everything from Your Annual Drive to Your Planned Giving Program to Your Capital Campaign 1st Edition. Tom Ahern

• 11 Questions Every Donor Asks: And the Answers All Donors Crave. Harvey McKinnon, 2013, Emerson & Church Publishers.

Additional Resources

• The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, Angela Ackerman an Becca Puglisi

• Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brian Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence, Lisa Cron, Ten Speed Press, 2012