Your nonprofit has a story to tell, and a mission that is worth funding. But often that story resides in many places—a paragraph from last year’s annual report, an email you have bookmarked, a statistic the executive director can quote from memory, or a story someone heard directly from a program recipient.
Enter the case statement. This document is an effective way to gather isolated pieces of content, statistics, and institutional knowledge into one streamlined place. The case statement, also called a case for support, makes the case for why your nonprofit’s work deserves support from donors and funders.
You can also think of the case statement as a place where your organization’s story gets told in one place. When it’s done well, case statements can shorten grant-writing time, steady your board’s talking points, and give every appeal, brochure, and web page a reliable master source to draw from.
In this post, we’ll explore exactly what case statements can do, why you may need multiple versions, and when you need to decide between an organization-specific or program-specific one.
As you begin crafting your case statement, don’t forget to check out our recent blog on telling a good story!
What is a case statement?
The case statement is, simply put, the written argument for why your organization needs and deserves philanthropic support. It should include your organization’s history, mission, vision, and values. You’ll be laying out the case for why you deserve funding based on your organization’s unique approach, successful track record, and plans for the future. While the case statement should be comprehensive, it doesn’t need to be extensive—do not try to answer every possible question or cover every point.
When you’re just getting started with case statements, order matters. Spend time building your internal case first, have leadership agree on the core messages, and then write the external piece. It’s important to have staff, board members, and leadership on the same page before releasing information to the general public.
What goes inside, and how to make it work
The case statement is a continuously evolving document that will give your team an up-to-date, reliable source to pull from when they need content for grant applications, donor communications, and more. So what exactly should be included? Here are our recommendations as you begin crafting your case statement:
- The need. What community need is your nonprofit addressing? Why does it matter now?
- Your response. What is your organization doing? How is it different from what has been tried before?
- Proof. Share outcomes, evaluation methods, and testimonials from real people who have been impacted by your work.
- Credibility. Share information about leadership, financial stewardship, and partnerships that show a gift will be used well.
- The ask. Show how financial support will make the work possible, and add specific amounts or milestones when possible.
While the information you include in your case statement is important, how you make your case is just as important. Here are a few tips to ensure your case statement is written in a way that draws in donors.
- Lead with the future. Including your organization’s history is an important component of the case statement, but don’t stop there. Casting a vision for the future and capturing the imagination of your reader is how you make a compelling case.
- Tell a compelling story. Numbers, budgets, and statistics matter, but stories help potential funders and stakeholders understand why the work matters, and who is going to be impacted by it. Good data promotes credibility, but stories that stick build connection.
- Test it with trusted outsiders. Ask a few trusted donors or community partners to read a draft and mark it up. Someone with a third-party perspective can often clarify things that are unclear and help ensure you’re not using jargon that donors may not understand.
- Put a review date on the calendar. Don’t neglect to keep your case statement updated! A yearly refresh after the fiscal year closes keeps statistics, stories, and goals current.
Internal vs. external
Most nonprofits benefit from two versions of their case: a thorough internal reference and a short, persuasive external piece built from it. Trying to make one document do both jobs usually produces something too long for donors and too thin for staff.
The internal case: your organization’s reference library
Think of the internal case as the answer key for grant applications, board orientations, and new-hire onboarding. When a funder asks how many volunteers you engaged last year or how your board recruits members, you should be able to find it in the case statement. This is the place to explain in detail what you do, why you’re doing it and how your methods set you apart from other organizations, powerful stories and testimonials, and what exactly you need from donors and funders to continue the work. The internal case statement is also where candid material belongs: a frank look at finances, the questions donors tend to push back on, and the honest answers you’ve prepared.
The external case: an invitation to join in
The external case is when donors, foundation officers, and community partners are the intended audience. It pulls the most compelling pieces of the internal case and shapes them into a short, snappy appeal for a reader who maybe has five minutes and a decision to make.
Whereas the internal case is a complete, comprehensive view of the organization, the external case should be more selective. It shares the need in your community, shows what your organization does about it, and makes clear how financial support will make the work possible. Don’t forget to add compelling visuals, photos, and infographics where appropriate. External case statements should lead with strong storytelling and testimonials—they are an invitation for the reader to join you in making a difference!
Organization-wide vs. program-specific case statements
The next question is scope: are you making the case for the whole organization, or for one program, project, or campaign? Nonprofits with more than one service area may eventually need both.
The organization-wide case
An organization-wide case argues for your mission as a whole. It explains the need your organization seeks to meet, how your programs work together, and why your organization is uniquely positioned to accomplish these goals and deserves funding.
The organization-wide case statement is the one used to launch annual funds, repeat giving programs, general operating grants, and year-end appeals. This version is the one your board members should know well enough to paraphrase over coffee with potential donors. The angle of this case statement may lean more toward helping donors and funders see why general operation funding and staffing costs are critical to the organization accomplishing its mission.
The program-specific case
A program-specific case zooms in on one area of your work and makes the argument for that program alone. Program-specific case statements are especially useful when pursuing a funder with narrow interests. For instance, a foundation that funds early literacy may not be interested in your other program offerings, like after-school education for older elementary students or adult continuing education. That funder is primarily interested in the literacy gap in your service area, what results your program has measured, and what their grant money can accomplish.
Unlike a more general case statement, program-specific case statements allow you to go deeper and explain on a more granular level why a particular program matters, with a narrower audience in mind. This level of focus and detail can make a difference when it comes to attracting donors and funders to support your organization.
One last tip—program case statements can quickly multiply until it can be hard to keep track of the most current versions. Keep all the case statements in one place, and don’t forget to review them on the same annual schedule.
Telling the whole story
A case statement is ultimately an act of clarity.
It helps your team find alignment on your mission and values, explains what your organization needs to be successful, and shows why the work matters. Then, it gives everyone unified messaging to share that message consistently. We recommend starting with a thorough internal case statement, which can then be shaped into external pieces. As your funding needs call for them, you can add program-specific case statements to your portfolio.
Your organization has an important story to tell, and the case statement is an important place to start!
Feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of catalyzing your organization’s story into one place? Whole Story Solutions can help! We help nonprofits connect research, strategy, and storytelling—from prospecting to proposals, logic models, case statements, reports, and other materials funders rely on to understand your work. Let’s start the conversation—we’d love to help you reach your goals!
Cover photo by RDNE Stock Project on Pexels.