FundClass Archives: Making the Case
Edited Digest of FundClass Topic #22, May 2000
Facilitated by Gordon Talley
Gordon is the principal of Communication for Institutional Advancement in Cambridge, Mass., & has created case statements & strategic development communications for campaigns totaling more than $800,000,000. Recent clients include the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Phillips Academy (Andover), Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, M.I.T., the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Gordon's work has won five CASE awards for publications & videos. His background includes an undergraduate degree in philosophy & a master's in theater directing (thus combining thinking about values with delivering messages to audiences.) He has run a touring theater, founded an advertising agency & worked as layout editor of New England's largest news weekly. His writing has appeared in the Boston Globe Magazine & CASE Currents.
Throughout his career, Gordon has held a variety of diverse positions in the nonprofit world, including work as a campaign communications director, director of public relations, board member, fund-raising volunteer, board president, board treasurer, & capital campaign co-chair.
Contents:
• Opening Message
• Exercise One - The Need
• Exercise Two - Mission
• Arguments - Context, Fairness, Tradition, Values
• What is a Case - Summary
• The Process - Introduction
• Exercise Three - Who Are The Stewards?
• Exercise Four - The Interview
• What If You're Rich?
• How to Engage Your Constituencies
• Naming the Campaign
• The Creative Brief
• Making It Real
• Publishing the Case
• Exercise Five - The Communications Plan
• Glossary
• Erin's Case - Low Budget
• The White Paper
• Classic Case Statement - Structure, Photography, Design, Language
• Budgeting
• New Directions - Individualization, On Demand, Web
• Exercise Six: Use a Consultant?
• Final Thoughts
Opening Message
Hello and welcome. I'm pleased to be asked to share my experience with case statements and to learn from you. Let's begin with an overview of my approach.
What are the essential ingredients of fund-raising success? Virtually any philanthropic authority will put "the case" among the top two or three. Without a cause to believe in, a compelling reason to give, your organization would soon flounder. This FundClass session is about defining and presenting your case.
More than that, your case can become a means of strengthening other prime elements in your fund raising. Raising money depends on relationships. The process of developing the case for your institution, if used to effect, will bind key volunteers and donors to you. As they think about what makes you unique, why you deserve support, they internalize the reasons. As they tell others, they become ambassadors.
The case therefore reflects the value system. Institutional culture is part of it: the traditions, the history, the shared vision of the future. A case is a call to join in making a better world.
The case arises out of the institutional context of challenges and opportunities. Thus, your case is integrally connected with your strategic plan. The case states the goals and draws upon specific facts and figures about how you will use the money. This aspect of the case may derive from work done by committees throughout the organization. But just as often, the act of articulating the case plows new ground. Setting the case down in black and white lets everyone see concretely what the plan means for your institution's future.
When it comes time to publish your case, a whole new set of considerations enter in. Now you are deep in communication skills writing, strong graphics and an understanding of target marketing, timing and delivery. And what about new media? Should your case become a brochure, a web page, a PowerPoint presentation, a CD-ROM?
Building the case, then, is both process and product. Both serious thinking and creative expression. As we follow the syllabus of this course, we will explore each.
In the next post I'll cover a few housekeeping issues, and then we'll begin.
Exercise One - The Need
The fundamental purpose of a case statement is to convey the reason why. Why give? Why now? What good will result? Or, to put it in the all-important perspective of the donor: Why should I act? What difference will I make?
Why, of course, is a very large question. Why not and because are the classic answers. Making them specific to your institution may take a little doing. Let's begin by breaking the question into components. The first three exercises of this FundClass will focus on several possible ways to answer why.
One answer why, is an institution's needs. At the time a campaign is brewing, one or more needs have risen to the point of being priorities.
- List the needs that are most important for your institution's future.
- Give two reasons why each is essential to be met.
- What are the costs of fulfilling each need? How much do you need to have contributed from philanthropic sources?
If your institution has undertaken a strategic planning process, take your list from there. If not, listing your needs is the beginning. At this stage, the list of needs should be as comprehensive as possible. However, please share just two or three of them for class discussion.
Exercise One - Discussion
A rainy day in Boston, so let me see if I can get a little discussion going. First, let me know if this format is working for you. I have broken the course into exercises because I'd like you to gain practical experience in the issues surrounding cases and case statements. If you do the exercises in sequence, I promise you at the end you'll have your case structured and well on its way to copy and design. To make this format work, however, I need some sharing of your responses. That's clear right here at the beginning as we discuss needs. There are aspects of the way nonprofits think about and express their needs that begin to shape the case. If we have several sets of needs from several types of organizations in front of us, the similarities and differences will be easy to understand.
The alternative is for me to shift to a lecture format with only occasional questions. However, I feel that would be a lot less effective. You should learn more from each other and from hands-on engagement than from me and what I think. So, let's see if I can call on someone in the back of the class ... You, slumped down trying not to be noticed ... What are your needs?
Responses
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Susan |
I am about to embark upon putting together a case statement for a Boy Scout Council in California, so this is very timely. This council owns two camps, which are truly exceptional. However they both have one major drawback - they are still using outhouse toilet facilities which are abominable. The one consistent complaint we get from people who use these camps is in relation to these facilities. Many others who would like to use the camps don't because of the lack of modern sanitation. This is a major priority and is a real obstacle to making the camps available to more and different groups who have expressed an interest (not just Scouts, but handicapped people, seniors, church youth groups, etc.). Putting in flushing toilets and showers on a septic system will run in the neighborhood of $500,000 to $750,000 per camp, but would make a world of difference to the usage of those camps. Thoughts? |
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Helene |
I just started working for Central Catholic High School. CCHS was established in 1852 by the Marianists as a college preparatory school for boys. A $2.5 million campaign was began in '97-'98 with the help of a consultant, but momentum on the campaign stalled in the fall of 1999 and the goal has not been met. The Director of Development left around the same time, and no replacement was hired until my arrival. We need to rejuvenate the campaign. The needs as laid out in the campaign planning process were: |
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Endowment: |
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Scholarship |
$1,000,000 |
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Faculty/Academics |
$ 500,000 |
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Facilities |
$ 325,000 |
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Total: |
$1,825,000 |
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Reason: For faculty/academic and scholarship endowments--Traditionally, a virtually all-religious faculty created a substantial in-place endowment for schools conducted by religious orders, like Central Catholic. Now, as the number of Marianist faculty declines, the need for a large monetary endowment to encourage student recruitment, maintain a socio-economic student mix, attract quality faculty and support facility development becomes vital to the performance of the school's mission. It is incumbent on alumni, present and past parents and friends of the school to make an investment in Central Catholic. |
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Classroom and science lab renovations: |
$ 350,000 |
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Renovate 15 classrooms & chemistry, biology, physics labs |
Reason: Present laboratories and classrooms need repair and upgrading. Classrooms need painting, repairs, and new carpeting and furniture. |
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Technology: |
$ 250,000 |
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Installation of audio/video, computers, inter-classrooms & interactive communications, etc. |
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Reason: To keep pace in the modern world, Central Catholic must always be on or near the cutting edge of technology. |
Air condition gym and cafeteria |
$ 75,000 |
Reason: Funding is required to air condition the cafeteria and gymnasium. |
Total campaign goal |
$2,500,000 |
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Some of the gifts that came in through the campaign did not exactly match the needs as established for the campaign, but were counted toward the goal. We are about $1.3 short of reaching the goal with a hand full of potential larger donors pending and lots of potential smaller donors. Gifts have come in for the campaign and been applied to endowments or to renovation projects, but no new work can begin until more funds arrive. Commitments have been primarily to scholarship endowment, renovation projects, gym air conditioning, and some for academic endowment. The needs are pretty constant, but some seem more attractive to our donors than others. At this stage in the campaign, should the needs be reevaluated? If so by what process? Thanks for providing this opportunity for learning and discussion. |
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Timothy |
I am helping a campus/community radio station. Due to the nature of its mandate it is very difficult to solicit donations other than from unions and from the listeners. The former have many charities on their plate, and the latter don't have much money. By law and philosophy, advertising is limited. Any suggestions for sources or schemes welcome, even if off-list at this point. Thanks. |
Exercise One-A: Why not the Need?
Having defined our campaign goals, let's examine whether they make the case.
How strong are arguments for institutional need? Do they fulfill essential elements of a case, or is something missing?
- Look back over the reasons FundClassmates (how's that for a term?) have given for selecting their priority needs. Gather them into categories. Share your lists with the class.
- Which types of reasons are weak? Why?
- What are the characteristics of the stronger ones?
Exercise Two - Mission
Need is not enough. We also must think about what you do and whom you do it for. This exercise looks at institutional mission as an element of the case.
- State your institution's mission in one or two sentences.
- For each of your campaign goals, answer this question: How does it advance the mission?
- Who will benefit from the improvements each goal will make?
Responses
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Rebecca |
I have been reading with great interest on this topic and while I haven't posted I have been answering the questions here--- briefly-- I work for a 36 year old community action agency.
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Exercise Two-A - Beyond Mission
A case statement causes us to stop, think and consider the best way to approach others and help them see what is not easily seen on the surface.
Joni's post has lots to think about as does Richard's. He has taken advantage of a luxury that non-campaign cases offer, namely to focus attention toward a single donor to deliver what he/she needs to know. When you don't have to create a published statement but can use the thinking as a base for writing directly to an "audience of one," it gives you the opportunity to consider what will persuade that donor, taking him below the surface and into your world.
However, as Richard concludes:
"But it doesn't feel compelling the day after the letter."
So let's move on. I suspect you've seen this coming:
Exercise Two-A: Beyond Mission
- What is still missing from the case? What other factors are needed to move beyond convincing and toward compelling?
Exercise Two-A - Discussion
What else do we need to make the case? What other issues that move a case from convincing to compelling? To prompt the discussion, here is the post I excerpted last week (Judi's), plus a few more. What do you see in them as possible avenues to include in your case?
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Judi |
Technology continues to widen the 'digital divide' and creates additional barriers. It is vital that K-12 educators in public schools prepare our children/students to enter the changed work environment, and that all students have this opportunity. In order for our society and economy to continue to thrive, strategic investments in the Commonwealth's colleges and universities are important. Educating educators is a strategic investment. |
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Tom |
By creating a resource for posting available jobs and providing connections to job coaches and advisors who can answer questions about accessibility and job accommodations, employers are given access to a new and largely untapped pool of workers at a time when many have jobs going begging. |
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Helene |
Traditionally, a virtually all-religious faculty created a substantial in-place |
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Ahkida |
We are a small native and traditional learning center whose land base also serves as a land trust and sanctuary for all plants, animals, people and Spirit. |
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Richard |
Studies clearly show that minority physicians, more than others, choose to serve in disadvantaged communities and bear a disproportionate responsibility for the care of poor, uninsured and medically indigent Americans. |
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Joni |
What does the institution's graduates offer to society and what are they doing that demonstrates the mission/vision of the institution? By communicating the "product" of today, you can then lead into vision for future students ... It takes some good hard work to dig into representative case scenarios... but in education the focus is on those being trained or educated. |
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Mary |
My other complaint about my social change organization's sophisticated literature was that although it was intellectually sophisticated, it lacked heart. |
Responses
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Liz |
I've been lurking in this class -the volume of info seemed overwhelming - as Mary said, "too much like homework!" but found the last excerpts helpful so I'm using them to take a crack at some of what I think you're looking for:
All 3 of these parts of the case can be humanized by an anecdote, quote, or scenario, as others have mentioned in connection with showing the need. Does this get us any further? |
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Gordon |
What factors other than mission help make the case? |
Responses
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Richard |
I see a connection between observations about the donor's perspective and what someone said earlier about their case (or presentation) not having "heart." It ties to the emotional issue. Donors respond emotionally to a cause for a variety of reasons, I suspect, including the perceived PR advantages of partnering with something that stimulates a favorable emotional public response (i.e., "image"). |
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Gordon |
If you've been wondering why I am resisting reverting to lecture format, Richard's post provides the answer. There comes a point in teaching in which the student comprehends not only the content of the subject matter, but the interrelationships that drive it. Questions change and start to inhabit and explore the terrain. The student stops demanding safe explanations and begins to risk creating them him/herself. This is such a moment. Flag it in your computers; I imagine we will refer back to it often. Passion -- Absolutely! You know the truth of this in your own responses to art and literature, to what moves you to action, to the causes you not only espouse, but engage in actively and with commitment. Passion is the concept I have been directing this discussion toward. It summarizes the eventual goal of the case better than any other word that I know. Passion draws together the constellation of approaches that go into the leap we have been searching for: from convincing to compelling. Infusing your case with passion is the pivotal issue. We have reached this insight a bit before the class has laid the full basis for how to make it happen. No matter. Keep it in mind to guide you in the discussions to come. |
Arguments
We are approaching the end of the first section, which we might entitle "What is a case?" As soon as comments on types of arguments die down, say Tuesday or Wednesday, I'll move us on to the second section: "The Process of Building a Case." Among other things, this series of exercises and discussions will cover two critical issues:
- How to decide which among all the possible arguments are best for you; and
- How to use the case statement to deepen the engagement of your key donors.
The final section will be "The Product," and will cover issues surrounding publication, use of new media, and the like. A crucial question at this time will be ways in which the production of the case statement can continue to support the process of engaging donors.
Arguments - Context
This is the first in a series of posts about other types of arguments that may advance your case. Let's go back to the excerpts I culled earlier:
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Judi |
Technology continues to widen the 'digital divide' and creates additional barriers. It is vital that K-12 educators in public schools prepare our children/students to enter the changed work environment, and that all students have this opportunity. In order for our society and economy to continue to thrive, strategic investments in the Commonwealth's colleges and universities are important. Educating educators is a strategic investment. |
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Tom |
By creating a resource for posting available jobs and providing connections to job coaches and advisors who can answer questions about accessibility and job accommodations, employers are given access to a new and largely untapped pool of workers at a time when many have jobs going begging. |
Both of these arguments draw upon a wider context than just the organization, its needs, or mission. Discussing societal problems or national trends puts your work in perspective and can link it to social movements or other universally accepted priorities.
Thus, Judi is suggesting that high tech skills among teachers will reap benefits in a changing economy (the wider context). Tom notes current labor shortages as a context for job training.
Other examples of context setting might arise for AIDS or cancer treatment. The public has a fair grasp of the impact of these diseases on public health. New discoveries in genetic research could also be brought to bear. Perhaps local priorities set the stage for a special program your organization is hoping to fund.
Optional exercise:
- State two national, societal, or cultural issues that lend a wider context to the goals of your campaign.
Arguments - Fairness
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Richard |
Studies clearly show that minority physicians, more than others, choose to serve in disadvantaged communities and bear a disproportionate responsibility for the care of poor, uninsured and medically indigent Americans. |
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Judi |
Technology continues to widen the 'digital divide' and creates additional barriers. It is vital that K-12 educators in public schools prepare our children/students to enter the changed work environment, and that all students have this opportunity. In order for our society and economy to continue to thrive, strategic investments in the Commonwealth's colleges and universities are important. Educating educators is a strategic investment. |
A sense of fair play and equal opportunity is deeply American. Tap it.
Optional exercise
1. How will your campaign right a wrong?
Arguments - Tradition
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Helene |
Traditionally, a virtually all-religious faculty created a substantial in-place |
Several points -- a contextual trend (the impact of the decline of religious vocations); and an economic analysis (the economic value of the "living endowment" of the priests; in dollar terms, the budgetary relief derived from their not drawing salary). But also that first word, "traditionally." Many organizations, especially schools, have well ingrained traditions that donors may want to see continued. Perpetuating tradition can be a strong motivator.
In fact, I know of at least one successful multimillion-dollar campaign whose case statement held -- as far as I could read -- zero discussion of the future of the school and what the money would do to advance it. Instead, its fundamental argument was that the school was founded by great men, grew to be great, and we intend to keep it that way!
Even for more balanced campaigns, tradition can be a unifying thread. The opening sentence of my case for Phillips Academy was "Andover extends across our lives like a grand panorama." The book opened with historic panoramic photos, and the modern pictures inside were shot in a wide angle format. It never hurts to remind people that they are part of something larger and more enduring than themselves.
Optional exercise
1. State how one of your organization's traditions will be sustained by the campaign.
Arguments - Values
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Ahkida |
We are a small native and traditional learning center whose land base also serves as a land trust and sanctuary for all plants, animals, people and Spirit. |
Shared values may be the most fundamental link between your organization and your donors. Ahkida's group believes in trust, sanctuary, and the ascendancy of spirit. It is the life-force behind their mission. Well, so do you and so do most people. Remind them of it.
This is clearly an area of argument for religious organizations. To a greater or lesser degree it may be relevant for educational institutions (for example, the value of a liberal arts education), social service agencies (family values), and others.
Optional exercise
- List the values your constituencies share. How does the campaign strengthen them?
Arguments - Partnership
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Richard |
Donors respond emotionally to a cause for a variety of reasons, I suspect, including the perceived PR advantages of partnering with something that stimulates a favorable emotional public response (i.e., "image"). |
Cause related marketing programs, in particular, stress the advantages of partnership between forprofits and nonprofits, supporting their case with marketing demographics of the organization's constituency. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which has an extensive CRM program, has developed the case for partnership as a PowerPoint presentation -- the perfect format for corporate pitches.
Optional exercise
- Describe how a corporation or local business could take part in one of your programs. What are the advantages to the corporation's employees? To its marketing efforts?
Arguments - Nonverbal
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Richard |
I've got to get more fired up and convey passion (not just words) to prospective donors, who then can see the benefit of their gifts or giving (even if it's strictly PR ... point is, they're linked to an emotional issue). |
Passion (not just words). More and more, communication is visual, not verbal. The computer is speeding us along that track, one we were traveling in any case. I remember remarking to my publisher at one of the small papers I edited that I thought I should be making the pictures more prominent because people are coming to depend on them more than words for information. "They always have," he replied.
In the final section of the course, we will discuss production elements, such as photography and graphics. However, it's never too early to think about how you will carry the case visually.
Optional exercise
1. List three photographic subjects that convey your case.
Arguments - The Promise
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Judi |
Technology continues to widen the 'digital divide' and creates additional barriers. It is vital that K-12 educators in public schools prepare our children/students to enter the changed work environment, and that all students have this opportunity. In order for our society and economy to continue to thrive, strategic investments in the Commonwealth's colleges and universities are important. Educating educators is a strategic investment. |
Note how forward-looking this post is. Nonprofits are creating a better world. Your case will do well to contain a strong focus on the future.
Sometimes that takes the form of a specific promise that your donors will appreciate. For example, from John:
- Nationally prominent faculty: Two endowed chairs; distinguished visiting lecture series
Reasons: ... b. to move IP program to #1 in the country - International and Comparative Law: build faculty strength, create a scholarly journal, and expand Post J.D. Programs
Reasons: a. to establish Santa Clara within the top ten programs in international/comparative law
At the University of Rochester Medical Center, we are working on a case that begins with a pledge, made about five years ago, to make Rochester the healthiest city in America. How the current projects will help fulfill the pledge is central to the case for support.
In fact, campaigns always hold a promise for the future. Find it.
Optional exercise
1. State your campaign's promise for the future.
What is a Case - Summary
Let's do a quick review of the main topics of this first section of the course.
We have been examining what goes into the case for support. To begin with, need. Every campaign has defined goals, based on the strategic plan or future direction of the organization. We must make them clear to prospective donors. However, the fact that an organization needs support is not in itself a reason to donate.
The course has examined several considerations ("arguments") that can justify the need. Thus, we are gaining a larger set of choices from which to select those that work best for our organization. Our hope is to bring them together in a finished product, the case statement, in such a way that they will not only convince the prospect of the validity of the campaign, but also compel his or her engagement with the organization towards their fulfillment.
Among the areas we have looked at:
Mission -- the organization's purpose
Economic factors -- unique fiscal issues, including comparison with peers
Donor benefits -- ways in which the campaign helps contributors
Stewardship of funds -- the organization's financial responsibility
Context -- societal or other broader frames of reference for the campaign
Tradition -- how the campaign sustains institutional tradition(s)
Values/Fairness-- how the campaign supports shared social or moral precepts
Partnership -- ways in which businesses (especially) can further their marketing or other goals
Nonverbal -- photography and graphics
Promise -- how the campaign will create a better future
Personality -- making the campaign concrete through the stories of those it affects
Passion -- tapping a deeper emotional connection
This list is not exhaustive. Each campaign and organization will have special situations that may suggest an area to explore.
Now, the question is how to choose which among these (or other) reasons will be most effective for your campaign.
The Process - Introduction
One of my mentors in fundraising, Ann Caldwell, tells the story of how she got started in development. She was a communications officer for Phillips Academy in the late '70s and was assigned the task of writing the case statement for the Bicentennial Campaign. She interviewed about 30 donors and staff, and the case went through a dozen or more drafts. "By the end of the process," she says, "I realized I had become a development officer, not a writer." She went on to be vice president for resources at Brown University and is now president of the Institute of Health Professions.
The moral of the story is that creating the case is not merely a writing task. The case is formed through relationships -- the province of development. By engaging key individuals with you in thinking through the prime reasons for supporting your cause, and by showing them you value their input, you deepen their connections to your work -- and strengthen your case.
This process helps you hone which among all the possible reasons are most compelling to your prospects. It can also be instrumental in securing those all-important early pledges.
This section of our course will focus on the process of engaging your major donors in helping you build the case.
Exercise Three - Who Are The Stewards?
The process begins with careful thinking about who should be interviewed. It is a combination of who knows the institution best and who will be most valuable to be included at an early stage. To whom should you send the signal: we value your input?
Exercise Three
Who are the stewards of your case? Who understands the organization, the work it does, its challenges and opportunities? Whom is it important to bring closer by seeking their opinions and insights?
- List those you will interview for the case. For your own use, list them by name. Share with the class their title or affiliation.
Responses
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Linda |
I've given this a lot of thought -- since this is usually my favorite part of a campaign. I work for the foundation of a small community college. It is well supported through several locally funded private foundations, but, like any institution, never has all the money they need to provide the programs and resources needed by the students and community, so occasionally we need to run a campaign. To interview I would choose a foundation board member who has spent years of her life dedicated to supporting and serving the college. Not being from a wealthy family, she has committed a great deal of time and personal resources to the college. She is well known and admired in the community. Then there are some students who have especially moving stories to tell about the educational experience at the college and the difference this opportunity is making in their lives. We have some wonderful alumni who have accomplished great things and they got their start at this little college. The college is blessed with some extraordinary faculty, whose enthusiasm and dedication has ahead powerful impacts on the lives of students. |
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Richard |
Linda's stuff lit my fuse. What the board member with credibility and experience brings to the table is passion. As fundraisers, we want a lot of that. It makes us and, therefore, the program, credible. (Without this passion, I'm using the right words, but not connecting.) For this reason, I |
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Richard |
Just noticed the following never got sent ... so my "addition" obviously makes no sense.....
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Gordon |
Exactly. To make the case, make it from the donors' point of view. Nothing I am about to say is meant to detract from your efforts to convey the passion of your organization. I think from the responses from Helene, Richard, Mary and others show that the class has assimilated that point. Let's get down to the realities of fund raising. In a campaign, anything up to 95 percent of your total will come from about 5 percent of your donors. There are many reasons to publish a case statement, but for now let's focus in on creating one that speaks to the 5 percent.
Among this group should be at least one or two people who have already committed a lead gift to the campaign. Depending on the cultivation cycle, you may also have one or more lead prospects who should be interviewed during this early stage. You are seeing these folks in part to send the message that you value their input. Just bringing the campaign to them for a thoughtful, reflective discussion is cultivating their gifts and continued involvement. |
Exercise Four - The Interview
As you go into your interviews, be prepared with a list of questions that will bring out the subjects' best contributions.
Exercise Four
Plan a series of questions that will explore the terrain your campaign is rooted in while also allowing the interviewee to express his or her unique perspective.
- Open-ended questions: Give two general, open-ended questions that will allow the subject to talk about his or her relationship with the institution.
- Topic questions: Select one of the following topics and give two questions that will pose it to the interviewee.
The challenges facing the institution
The financial context
The campaign's promise
The values your constituencies share
Obviously, in real life you may need to explore all these areas and more. For the class, share questions relating to one topic that's central to your campaign.
- Giving: How will you pose a question about why the interviewee gives to your organization?
- Ending the interview: What is the last question you will ask?
Dealing With A Negative
Campaigns often take place in the midst of some negative aspects. If the problem is a truly major organizational disaster -- a change in leadership due to mismanagement, open warfare on the board, a financial crisis, etc., you'll probably do well to postpone the campaign until things settle down. But for more run-of-the-mill weaknesses, you'll need to decide how to confront them, if at all, in the case statement. In your interviews with institutional leaders and donors, ask for input.
A very common issue is the perception that the organization isn't well enough known or respected in the community. The answer, of course, is a strong public relations campaign paralleling your fund raising. But the case statement itself should take the perception into account. Here's an example:
At New England Conservatory, we recognized that a great deal of the money would come not from our alumni, but from the general concert-going public. During the campaign we had to expand the prospect pool. But our student ensembles were overshadowed by professional companies such as the Boston Symphony (just a block away). Audiences simply didn't know who we were or the quality of what we did.
Consequently, the case statement had to be able to be used for early cultivation as well as for closing the solicitation. We broke it into two parts. The first was a small brochure setting the "Music from The Source" theme I've mentioned earlier and describing the goals. Then, we published a larger brochure that we called internally "the Evergreen," meaning it was intended to be used in any situation -- with donors, with early prospects, with the press, etc.
In the Evergreen the campaign was mentioned only in sidebars, with a flap in the rear where we could insert the goals brochure, if needed. The main text was a series of magazine-style feature articles on aspects of the school. The areas to feature came, in part, from suggestions made by those we interviewed for the case. The opening story was on the quality of teacher and student, revealing our international piano competition winners and finalists. There were stories on music courses for high school students, on our two MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" faculty, on the history of Jordan Hall, and so forth. Each related, subtly, to one of the campaign goals. The final article was an interview with the president giving readers an inside look at the issues facing arts education and music conservatories.
Does your campaign face a negative? How might you handle it in the case?
What If You're Rich?
It may be hard to believe this, but many organizations have a totally different kind of problem: people think they're too rich to need money. This is often the case for a large or prominent organization with a well-established reputation.
If so, it's a true problem for the campaign. Until you can overcome the lack of awareness of the true context the organization operates in, you'll never claim a high enough priority in donors' hearts to meet your goal. But, how to do it? Crying, "Help, no matter what you think, things are terrible here!" risks damaging the positive reputation you've built up over time. The answer, in broad strokes, is to refocus people on the passion.
Here comes my story about keeping an open mind in interviews: When I was on staff at Massachusetts General Hospital, they sent me to interview an old-time administrator. The way it was put to me was: "Well, you gotta see Larry, just for internal politics." So I had very low expectations for the interview.
Now, Mass. General is definitely a Brahmin institution, New England's oldest hospital, chartered in 1811, and the first of the Harvard teaching hospitals. It enjoys all the advantages that most hospitals have as centers for civic philanthropic support, and then some. It also hadn't renovated its physical plant for decades, and things were pretty bad. But no one would imagine great needs at the hospital that discovered ether.
My first question to Larry was: "Why does MGH, of all places, need the money?"
Larry harrumphed and said: "If you've ever been a patient, you know why."
That was all it took. When I wrote the case statement, I alternated a story about a little girl who was fighting for life from an undiagnosed fever with sections on the various needs, financial realities, and so forth. As the sections on the little girl unfolded, all the human and technological resources of one of the world's best hospitals was brought to bear -- and thwarted by the physical limitations of the old buildings. To find out how and why the little girl survived, you needed to read through it all. And, of course, the title of the case statement was If You've Ever Been a Patient, You Know Why.
Let us know your thoughts on how to overcome the perception that you don't need the money.
How to Engage Your Constituencies
The last few issues on this section of the course (how to engage your constituencies) will be:
Financials -- nonprofit finances from the donors' points of view.
The Metaphor -- finding an image to express the campaign
Naming the Campaign -- creating a hook or slogan
Then, the final section of the course will take up publishing the case, with some attention to new media.
Financials - Capital Growth
At two or three points in the discussion we have touched on the impact of campaigns on nonprofit operations and budgeting. For example, the 20x rule for estimating the amount of endowment needed to fund a program. Certain nuances in the financial area loom large for donors. Your case statement should be aware of them, and you should seriously consider a special section to bring out the relationship between the campaign and your organization's financing.
This is essential because a campaign case, to a great degree, is focused on the 5 percent of donors who will give you 95 percent of your goal. For the most part, these are successful business leaders or entrepreneurs. They have operated businesses personally, and they tend to think in business terms. A nonprofit asking for money raises special questions for this group.
Business folks are often worried that nonprofits are "always asking for money" and do not manage it well. Against a business model, this may seem apparent. A business makes sales and returns a profit to investors. It takes seriously the need to reinvest a portion into growth. A nonprofit, on the other hand, is often spending everything it receives on programs. In business terms, they are "undercapitalized." (Remember the quote from the Buckingham Browne & Nichols trustee who used almost exactly that terminology.)
So it may be worth opening a discussion of what growth means to a nonprofit and how the campaign will help. In the late 1980s, the Wellesley College campaign published a brochure on educational financing called "The Economics of Excellence" that explored the subject in depth. Among its points was a comparison of business and nonprofit models:
- The "product" "An education is, in reality, more an investment than a purchase. But if we insist on the product analogy, it is as if a single company produced chairs, automobiles, diamond rings, and short stories ..."
- The assembly line "In education, as long as teachers do the teaching, every "product" is individually tailored."
- Economies of scale "Because few elements of a superior education can be standardized, by increasing the number of students admitted and educated ("units produced"), one lowers the cost per student only to a limited degree. Any benefit the College gained by increasing its size could well be outweighed by an erosion of the distinctive character and quality of a Wellesley education."
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Return of capital investment "value-added investments -- better faculty and equipment, program enrichments -- do not lead to more students. Nor is the "market" for this high-cost, high-quality education defined by high income. It is defined first of all by high ability."
The next post will talk about a model of nonprofit management that has gained widespread credibility. Some of your donors who serve on boards may wonder whether you subscribe to the concept of financial equilibrium.
Financial Equilibrium
The business model of profit and loss, capital and growth, is only loosely applicable to nonprofits. What is better? In the 1980s, the Museum of Modern Art and several other major nonprofit institutions developed the concept of financial equilibrium. There are many variations, but in essence, this model for nonprofit management suggests that the financial goal of a nonprofit is to provide the necessary resources to fulfill its mission. To do so, it must:
- Expend at sufficient levels to sustain the excellence of its programs
- Balance its operating budget over the long term
- Preserve and increase the total value of its endowment and
- Fund ongoing replacement of physical assets
Doing all four simultaneously is a major challenge. Tightening operating budgets, for example by laying off faculty (a normal business solution), is generally not an option if you wish to sustain excellence. More and more, nonprofits are understanding the need to maintain the physical plant. In the past this was most often accomplished in spurts via fund raising for new buildings. But, especially for schools with historic campuses, what good stewardship really requires is a major increase in ongoing expenditures through the operational budget. This in turn places demands on other mission-central budgetary needs, such as financial aid or programs.
Etc. Etc. Somewhere in the search for financial equilibrium lies your campaign. How will funds generated through the campaign help your organization find a workable balance that can be sustained for the long term? This is an essential part of your case.
The Metaphor
We are almost to the point of publishing our case. But first, it's time to review the interviews, the financial context, and the other themes and issues that you've explored with your trustees, staff, constituents, and donors to date. Given all that material, all those points of view, what are the most important elements of the case?
To me, this is the search for the metaphor, that is, a way to encapsulate the case into an image or concept that will catch attention and motivate. It's the "hook" or, in our modern era, the sound bite. But let's be a bit more ambitious for our causes: It's how we reveal the passion.
I've already given a couple of examples of metaphors. "The Source" idea at New England Conservatory is one. The "If you've ever been a patient" question at Mass. General is another. At Phillips Academy, it was the notion of the panorama across time. If you look at the Beth Israel case statement on my web site http://www.rgtalley.com/html/samples/samples.htm it's the idea of "our hospital," which links the testimonials of donors to the hospital's commitment to personalized care.
A good metaphor drills down through the information on your organization and brings up the heart and soul. It shapes your copy and influences your design. What is the metaphor for your case?
Naming the Campaign
What is your campaign's name? Is there a tag line or slogan? Unlike the metaphor, which may serve behind-the-scenes to shape your writing and design, the name is something every donor will notice. It, too, is a chance to crystallize your message and thus is a part of the case statement process.
Picking a name is like branding a product, and you might want to bring in an advertising agency or at least approach choosing a name as a business would do -- focus groups, test marketing, and the like. As fund raisers, we are centered on the donor, so our test constituency ought to include donors as well as others who have a vested interest in the institution's image (faculty, students, staff).
I have found that the process works best if you begin with a small group of creative thinkers and take them though a brainstorming session. Get a facilitator from outside the group, someone not bound by your preconceptions. For example, I remember one who gave us funny hats and asked us to think about how the campaign was like the hat! Strangely, these sorts of tricks help. If nothing else, they stimulate the imagination, get lots of outrageous ideas on the table, and therefore validate what will probably be a more conservative, acceptable name.
Easy choices are "The Campaign for the 21st Century" or the like. The joke about naming is to choose from a Chinese menu. Pick one word from each column:
A Campaign for Excellence
The Endeavor of Tradition
One Fund to the Future etc. ad infinitum
Yet, the best names express the goal, the mission, or something about the traditions of the place. At Phillips Academy I was asked whether they needed a name that was unique to them. I answered no, since lots of money has been raised with generic names. But that clearly wasn't the answer they wanted to hear. They wouldn't be satisfied without a name rooted in their sense of self. We took the Academy's Constitutions and extracted phrases that had become catchwords for generations of alumnus. One was "goodness without knowledge ... is weak and feeble; yet knowledge without goodness is dangerous; and that both united form the noblest character, and lay the surest foundation of usefulness to mankind." The campaign name was straightforward and utilitarian, Campaign Andover, but the letterhead and case statement both feature the tag line: "The Surest Foundation."
What is your campaign's name? How does it bring your donors a deeper sense of who you are or what you intend to accomplish?
The Creative Brief
If we were preparing normal sales materials or an ad campaign, this is about the time in the process that an advertising agency would prepare a "treatment" or "creative brief." It's a succinct look at the factors that influence customers' sales decisions and the strategies you will use to motivate them. Typical elements include:
What is the goal?
What must be accomplished?
Who is the audience?
What is the consumer point of view (current awareness)
What is the key idea to be communicated?
What are the reasons to believe?
What is the brand or personality of the effort?
What benefit will accrue?
How will we convey this to the consumer? etc.
An outline like this is extremely helpful for case statements as well. It helps ensure that all the players are on the same page, especially the solicitors. To it you would attach a timeline that shows the specific vehicles (published case statement, etc.) and delivery methods (direct mail, face-to-face, web page, etc.). Such a treatment is your creative plan for the case statement.
With the work done so far, you can probably answer all the early questions. The final section of the course will help with the last one: How will we convey our case? It's time to think about publishing a finished product.
Making It Real
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Gordon |
Can you bring me up to speed on how this material is settling into your real-life world? |
Uncomfortable Topics
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Priscilla |
Okay Gordon! First of all, thank you. This is an enormous help. I have never been an ED and the learning curve here is enormous. I was asked to take this position on by my board because I have truly felt led to do this work. And there have been no other choices because no one has been doing CRC support and advocacy. |
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Kim |
Did you see the article in the NonProfit Times (May 15) re. "Scare Ads" -- graphic ads re. breast cancer, etc. and the controversy they generate? I almost think this is the way you need to go -- certainly not a "scare" ad (didn't like that connotation, and I'm sure the advertisers didn't either) but something graphic and no-holds-barred that confronts inhibitions head on. PS - we have the same problem to a lesser degree. People love to support our kids programs, but the CMI, homeless addicted, etc. are a different story. Sad. |
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Erin |
I've been lurking here for a bit, the emails have been very helpful. I thought I should introduce myself, my name is Erin. I was appointed President of a small non-profit I volunteer for just last week. We provide street outreach for prostitutes. It's nothing huge, we go out 2 nights a week with food, toiletries, condoms, and a caring ear. I can relate to uncomfortable topics, prostitution is a big one. Most people can't understand why we care about these girls so much, it's difficult getting donations. We don't require much to operate right now, there are no paid positions and the volunteers use their own vehicles. I'm trying desperately to get us a van, but not having much luck. I would like to see the program develop to a point where we have a vehicle and a paid nurse or similar position. Right now our main goals are to keeping the program we have running right now afloat, retaining and recruiting new volunteers. If anyone has feedback on any of these areas, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm very new to this whole situation, I have no background in the social services field, aside from my volunteer work. It's all one big learning experience for me! |
Publishing the Case
From the process of building the case, it's time to move on to the product -- but don't worry, process will never be left entirely behind. As we examine various possibilities for publication, including new media such as laptop presentation and web sites, we will periodically check on how to sustain and strengthen our connections to donors.
This section of the course begins with an assumption: Your case is everything you do to convey the passion of your institution. Thus, the published case statement product must fit into your overall communications plan, both for the institution and the campaign, and equally, it will gain strength from parallel efforts in public relations and other communications with your constituents. Consequently, we will take a quick look at strategic communications planning (another course in itself) and a glossary of common campaign materials that should dovetail with our case. We'll discuss one of these in detail -- the white paper.
Then, we'll move on to the classic case statement, that is, an illustrated brochure. We'll examine issues surrounding structure and content, as well as graphics and design. The final posts will explore new directions in case statements, including electronic and on-demand distribution. If you're curious, we'll end on when and whether to get a consultant involved. Though I think any of you who has followed this course diligently should be able to do it yourself!
Exercise Five - The Communications Plan
The case statement is only one portion of the total communications you have with your constituencies. So it's necessary to see our case within that larger context.
The heart of a communications plan is a matrix showing how audience, message, and time interrelate. Who do you tell what, when? Here is my usual format:
Item Format Audience Message Time Frequency Circulation Notes
Sometimes it's helpful to lead with the audience or the message in the left column. For example, trustees often complain they get too much mail. Looking at just what goes to them will suggest how to adjust.
This matrix works well for mass communications, which have a regular circulation list and frequency. A case statement poses new questions driven by the 95/5 rule. I have held off until now to talk about something I start asking my clients from the moment I walk in the door: "How are you going to use the case?"
A case statement for young alumni is probably distributed via direct mail. Your $5 million prospect receives it ... in the mail??? I don't think so. Early in the cultivation process or at the moment of solicitation? Delivered by the major gifts officer or the chairman of the board? And, do top prospects receive the same case statement as lower-end donors? Certain constituents may even hit your matrix as individual names, not just "types." There are many nuances here.
Exercise Five
Who are your audiences for the case statement? How will you use it with them?
- List the key prospects (groups or individuals) for your campaign. Select two of them and share how you will deliver the case to them.
- What is the development context around these constituencies? (Private or group meeting, early or late in the cultivation cycle, specific solicitor, etc.)
- Will these constituencies need significant variations of message?
The Paradigm
Colleges have been raising money for a long time. Here's their traditional base segmentation of published case statements. Even if you are from an entirely different type of nonprofit, you should think about why this sequence so often works and how it might be adapted for you.
- Insiders. Trustees and prior major gifts donors (usually alumni). They are solicited early in the campaign during the "quiet" or "nucleus" phase via face-to-face conversations with institution leaders. Because they know the institution well, they understand (and perhaps embody) the passion. The messages they need most to hear are the more straightforward arguments of need, mission, and context. The case supporting these meetings is very simple, often in what is called a "white paper" form.
- Major Gifts Prospects. Others (often older alumni) who know the school and have capacity but are less intimately involved. They will be cultivated after the campaign has launched and their engagement will need to be strengthened. This will happen through a series of contacts that generally leads in several steps from group event to personal meeting. Consequently, messages directed to this group will feature the passion of the institution more prominently. At group events, video may be used. As the solicitation nears, these individuals will receive a highly polished, highly visual case brochure, the "case statement."
- Young Alumni. Or other prospects whose capacity is less. There may be events targeted for this group, but their solicitation will generally come late in the campaign via telephone or direct mail. A full, published case statement is probably too expensive to use in this effort, so the case will be condensed in a highly visual, but smaller brochure, the "mini-case."
Of course, this is simplified. Most institutions have other constituencies that need targeted materials. But appropriate solutions are often variations on this model.
How does your organization fit the paradigm? How doesn't it? Does the paradigm still hold after all these years? Is it time for a paradigm shift?
Glossary
I have posted a glossary of campaign communications vehicles on my web site. Besides defining the most commonly produced materials, it also contains a discussion of the strategy and timing of their use.
Take a look: http://www.rgtalley.com/html/resources/glossary.htm
Remember, from the class standpoint -- "building" the case -- any and all of these materials are a part of your total strategic plan for campaign communications. They reinforce each other, and the case itself (the argument) should flow throughout. For instance, if your case statement (the published brochure) pivots on the passion of student stories, there's no reason why the few you can include there can't be added to through a recurring column in the campaign newsletter. Etc.
Feel free to ask questions or comment on any of these vehicles (or others) that may relate to your real-world fund-raising effort. Meanwhile, I'll move the class discussion on to look at the white paper and how it can support your relationship with donors.
Erin's Case
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Erin |
Thank you so much everyone for all of your excellent suggestions! I'm getting very excited about our next meeting, I have printed out everything you have written. I won't reply on list anymore, but I had to thank everyone, you have all been amazingly helpful! I'm feeling very optimistic now. If we are going to raise any real kind of money, we need to find other donors. This is what I don't know how to do, or who to even target. Some of the previous suggestions have been so helpful, I'm going to start looking at them on Monday. |
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Gordon |
I'm renaming the thread so we can follow it a little easier. Let's take Erin's problem and see if we can find viable solutions. |
The White Paper
Throughout the course I've emphasized the process of building the case, especially, strengthening your relationship with donors. As we move into producing a finished product, we can apply the same philosophy. In fact, the first priority of publishing a case is to support the process. An excellent approach is to share drafts with key donors.
A white paper is an early draft of the case. The resource glossary http://www.rgtalley.com/html/resources/glossary.htm discusses the format (very simple), typical content, and uses. Think carefully about whom you will review it with -- do all interviewees need to see it? And how you will present it. For instance, this may be the time to shift institutional personality. Instead of the case writer returning to an interviewee, consider a major gifts officer bringing it to discuss. In this meeting you will be looking to hone the argument, flagging areas that raise questions as well as those that evoke a strong positive response. And you are continuing to send the message that you value the donor's input -- thus deepening the engagement. You are helping your donors own the case.
Some institutions use variations on the white paper: the feasibility study brief, an executive summary, a Q&A on the campaign, etc. Several I have worked with have created a campaign volunteer's handbook, which includes these materials and other sales and policy documents (such as a gift pyramid or gift crediting guidelines). Reviewing these materials in committee is part of bringing your campaign volunteers up to speed on the case. Listen to their feedback on how the arguments go over with their prospects, as well. You may need a second white paper before you move on to a full-fledged draft.
As the strategy section of the glossary suggests, white papers are the traditional key communications vehicle for the nucleus phase of a campaign. As you work with insiders, simple materials are best.
Think also about the relation of the white paper to the finished case statement. There are two issues here: content and presentation. The white paper is apt to focus most closely on the argument, with somewhat less emphasis on passion and personality. This is both because defining the arguments is the issue at hand in early drafts and because insiders need only brief reminders of the reasons they are associated with your cause. Insiders may also resent much money being spent on "impressing" them. They find the plain white paper format effective.
But, if the nucleus phase of the campaign reaches beyond the usual suspects, the white paper will be too passionless and its "unfinished" format may carry the message that you aren't serious. Yet, the arguments of the white paper, being finely tuned through review by donors, are succinct and strong.
What to do?
If you feel you need a transitional publication to finish off the nucleus phase, consider adding more typography and a few callouts to the white paper. Present it with a better cover and on a higher grade paper. I have seen several of these "augmented" white papers as Wire-o bound documents. They work well.
When you are ready for a full case statement, consider incorporating the white paper -- with a few changes -- directly into the piece. I have found that a "gray matter" area of the case, that is, a set-aside section with few visuals, can be very compelling. By contrast with the rest of the brochure, it tells donors that you are settling down to discuss the serious issues. Keep this idea in mind as we move on to look at various ways to structure a case statement.
Classic Case Statement
At last! We know the arguments, we've reviewed with donors, we know how we will deliver it. Let's publish our case statement.
The classic case statement is a large, highly graphic, glossy, four-color brochure. Is this necessary? No, not at all. I have seen simple two-color pamphlets that pulled my heart and lavishly illustrated, expensive brochures that left me cold. However, I've also seen the opposite -- amateurish cases that amazed me that the organization felt it deserved support; and coffee-table books that thrilled me. As you can guess from our course work so far, my view is that the key to a compelling case is not production values in themselves but solid reasons and heartfelt presentation. Basically, it's like a movie. If the story is well told, the special effects don't matter. But if both are done well ...
How to achieve it? I'm not going to be able to tell you. Your published case should fit your organization and your budget, be proportionate to your campaign, and work for your audience. Figuring out what that means is why they pay you the big bucks!
What we can discuss together are some issues for you to think about. The next set of posts will raise questions about structure, trends in modern communication, photography, design, language, a few tried and true tricks of the trade -- and what I call The Gift.
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Mary |
Gordon, I wait with bated breath for more info about photos. I recall a ways back you said something about panoramic photos. Then I started thinking about photos that were vertically panoramic -- showing a column of sky above the subject. Info or other resources would be greatly appreciated. |
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Gordon |
I've used panoramic photography twice. At New England Conservatory, our campaign special events featured a 360 degree wraparound of the interior of Jordan Hall. This was shot with a special motorized 35mm camera that rotates ... very similar to the way many 19th century panoramas were taken. |
Case Statement - Structure
There are any number of ways to put a case statement together. Typically, they open with a letter. That's generally from the president, chairman of the board, or campaign chair. It sets the theme or tone. Case statements often close with a call to action, perhaps in the form of another letter from whoever didn't write the first one. In between??
Could be anything: The stories you want to tell. The list of goals. Charts showing what the campaign will accomplish. Just state your case.
I suggest you keep this structure in mind: a case statement consists of evocation, argument, and goals.
By evocation I mean the passion, the stories that make your cause personal and bring it alive to the donor. It's quotes, pictures, good writing. This is the creative arena. Have fun.
The argument is the collection of reasons to believe, the context, the history and tradition (they may be part of the evocation, too). You can feel secure in your argument. You have developed it thoroughly through the white paper process.
The goals are the specifics about how you will put the money to use: your programs and projects. Not all the details need to go into the case statement; you can prepare proposals to be used in cultivation. But you will need to give an overview. Especially for large, comprehensive campaigns, I work to arrange the goals in ways that help the reader get the big picture. That might be by type of donation (endowment, capital, annual) or by program (outreach, education, services). The simplest is often best: use some variation on people, places, and things.
Your case does not have to take these elements in order. The argument can flow beside a story, with the goals worked into the copy, as well. But by the time you're done, you should have covered all three.
Case Statement - Trends In Communication
As you put your case statement together, consider how people absorb information. Reading is pretty far down the list.
Modern communication is, first of all, brief. People focus last on large blocks of type. Their eyes go to headlines, captions, and sidebars. (And pictures, which we'll discuss separately.) When they do read, they'll look for personality, not "thinking." They relish a twist of phrase. More and more, they want some interactivity, some way to take part or to emphasize.
The case statement I did for Buckingham Browne & Nichols School contained five large spreads, each devoted to what the Head of School saw as a defining characteristic of the school. Here is the entire copy -- just 205 words -- for the last of those spreads:
A Community of Learners - Yet, overall, what makes us who we are? All of us. Students, teachers, and parents form an intellectually engaged community. We ask tough questions of ourselves and of each other. We seek truth and knowledge what age us the passion, the depth, and the strength that are so completely ours. Working together, we strive to excel in programs not only for students, but for faculty, parents, and grandparents as well. Learning at BB&N extends for a lifetime.
[Quotes]
"The teachers are the greatest part of the School. They really help you and influence you, no matter what kind of problems you're having." Moonyoung Lee, 9th Grade
"The kids really want to work, want to learn, are curious. They are, in a sense, leading the learning forward."
Carol Strasburger, Middle School English
"Parents contribute to the pool of information and experience. It's exciting to have them share their expertise, helping out with the Chinese New Year, Kwanzaa, or Hanukkah or sharing their professional experience."
Elaine Dunn, 3rd Grade Teacher
[Sidebar]
Goals for the Future
Financial resources for
- Faculty development programs
- Seminars for parents and grandparents
- Guest artists and lecturers
"A Community of Learners" -- one of the BB&N characteristics, and therefore the main thing we want the reader to retain -- is in huge type that shifts position as it flows across the page. The rhythm of the body copy is repeated in all the spreads: long paragraph, long sentence, short sentence. Visually, these text blocks stair step on the page. The goals are
bulleted, and they run in the upper right corner (the same location on all spreads). The quotes circle the edges (also the same on all spreads). Most of the spread, of course, is pictures and color.
Case Statement - Photography
This is a visual age. Whatever else you do, get the photography right.
Very, very early in the process you should think about who and what you want to depict in the case statement. People engaged in the work you do is the simple answer. The more subtle issue is how, that is, what style.
Most organizations have a solid collection of stock photography taken over many years. I suggest you set that aside and spend the effort to look at your organization afresh. The question is not so much that you won't have some good pictures already. It's that you have an opportunity to shape your image at a critical time for your organization.
Stock photographs tend to the generic. How many campus shots with autumn leaves have you seen? More to the point, this stock photo here and that one there -- no matter how good -- express difference visual "eyes" and separate points of view. On a subtle level, using stock photographs tells the reader that you haven't decided who you are.
Think about hiring someone who will bring you a unique personality and a unified "look." For example, a few years ago Columbia University published a case built around black and white photography by Bruce Davidson. If you know his work, you know it's gritty, street-smart, New Yawk. Seeing Columbia through his eye gave a visceral sense that this particular place of learning is connected with the real world. (Davidson's work is also a little unsettling. I hope they tested it with donors. But one of the points is that a university is not a place to play safe!)
Case statement photography doesn't have to be journalistic. At the University of Rochester Medical Center, for a fund drive for research, we are art directing studio portraits of patients superimposed with DNA. The underlying message is that understanding medicine at the molecular level unleashes "The Healing Power of Knowledge" (our slogan). Like the Davidson photos, URMC photography will express a unified vision.
Photography is subjective. Feel free to disagree.
Case Statement - Design
Boy, are case statements stodgy! I can describe 75 percent of them to you: A column of 12 point type accompanied by two (no more) square cut photos and a callout quote. Some more venturous ones will fill half the spread with an environmental portrait (of the subject looking at you and smiling) and cut-in text sidebar.
Yawn. Yet, it's fund raising. Your donors are ancient, right? They learned to read in the 1930s. Don't let's confuse them.
Hate to break it to you, but half your big donors today are in their 40s. They read Wired and Fast Company. You may not want to go that far graphically, but it's time to loosen the reins a bit.
MIT has just published a case for its campaign that hits a nice balance. The text is in two uneven columns, and each main quote uses three or four sizes and weights of type. But it's not extreme, and it remains eminently legible.
If you already have an institutional graphic identity, should you fit in or create anew for the campaign? A campaign is a significant statement about a new direction for your organization. A fresh look often makes sense. A middle ground is to ask a designer who is doing good work for you to bring in a variant for the campaign.
At the University of Rochester Medical Center, after a serious look at some designers with national reputations, they decided to do the work through their in-house designer, Shirley Zimmer. She had already done some interesting things with four-color printing on semi-transparent vellum, and we are using that URMC trademark "look" in the case statement. However, Shirley is working up some fresh uses -- printing on both sides, for instance, and then placing the vellum over another page. The result is a layered effect that we feel supports the "DNA within" notion that is also driving the photography.
Case Statement - Language
Not much to say here. Literary style is ineffable. Try to write as one human to another, not as an institution. Stay away from fund-raising jargon. Check your drafts with your word processor's grammar checker. Microsoft Word's grammar tool kicks out a Flesch reading grade-level. Keep it low. People with money tend to be educated, but I get nervous when my copy goes above about grade 13. (This paragraph clocks in at grade 7.6. Great!)
Oh, yes. Avoid cliches like the plague and don't let your copy be put in passive voice.
Case Statement - Tried and True
For all my parodies of case statements in the last few posts, certain things work. Here are a few tips and techniques to consider:
Testimonials -- What could be better than a donor telling you why? It's a time-tested advertising technique, and there's nothing wrong with it for fund raising, either. Including donors in the case statement can be part of the cultivation process, as well. See the Beth Israel case statement on my web site:
http://www.rgtalley.com/html/samples/bi.htm
Letters from Leaders -- As discussed, the traditional way to open a case. Use this opportunity to set the theme (metaphor).
Leadership Lists -- People like to know who's associated with your organization. Since trustees may change before the campaign is over, the current practice is to publish these lists as an addendum to the main brochure. More on this idea later.
Charts -- Make the context visual. Charts work especially well for comparisons with your competitors. How does your endowment stack up to peer schools? The mere choice of whom you consider a peer sends a loud message. Deciding on charts is generally the time that you finally resolve what to say about your institution's finances. Get the CFO involved.
How-to-Give Info -- It's usually worth mentioning how you will accept gifts, particularly if donors can pledge over several years. I tend not to go into long detail in the case. All this is worked out with the donor in the deed of gift or spelled out on a pledge card.
Call to Action -- You all know the story about Henry Ford and the insurance salesman. Or, put another way: Bill Jacques here in Boston has a button he passes out that holds all the wisdom that's worth knowing about fund raising:
- Show up.
- Ask.
- Don't forget number 2.
Case Statement - The Gift
I can sum up almost all my thinking on case statements in one phrase: A case statement is a gift.
What I mean is that you should be honoring your donors. There seem to be two major reasons people give. To make a difference. And to feel good about themselves. Your campaign offers the opportunity for both.
Therefore, a case statement is more than a sales brochure. It is a way to engage your donors in your cause. It is an acknowledgment of the shared commitment of many individuals. But most of all, it is a request to join in a greater purpose. When you lay your case on the table, you are giving someone that gift.
Then there's the practical side. No one really wants to be reading these things. At the major gift level, donors are making their decision to support you on the basis of personality/leadership and personal contact. The case statement will confirm the reasons the cultivator/solicitor has brought to bear in their discussions; no more, no less. So why do you create one?
Think of it as a gift. Make it exceptionally nice. Include stories the donor might actually want to read. Make the photographs spectacular.
A case in point: At Phillips Academy we wrote the case as a series of first-person essays by students, faculty, the Head of School, and trustee/donors. If you are an alum, these are wonderful, thoughtful reminiscences. They are accompanied by lovely pictures and quotes from the Academy's Constitutions that remind you of values held deeply over generations. There is a letter signed by President Bush and other well-known alumni. This book is something you would keep on your coffee table and be proud to share with a visitor.
Another case: At the University of Rochester Medical Center, we are preparing a special version of the case statement for top end donors that will be presented in a portfolio box. It will include a hand-picked set of dry-mounted and signed photographs. Once again, a thank you gift for being integral to the effort.
What can you do to make your case a gift?
Budgeting
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Mary |
For little outfits like us with little budget to work with, are there books or other resources with information about marketing photos? |
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Gordon |
In this and the next post I'll take up Mary's question and use it as a transition into new directions in case statements.
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Budget Part 2
Let's look at the implications of what case statements can cost.
I have seen budgets in excess of $100,000 as follows: Editorial, $30-50K, Design, $40-60K, Photography, $15-25K, printing: $25-35K. Add a video or ancillary materials, and you will be at least at $150,000 and maybe pushing a quarter of a million dollars.
Against a campaign in the multi-multimillions, this isn't so bad. But look at it as most administrators do, in terms of unit cost. The problem here is the number of actual prospects you will use the case with. What if you have a large staff, say 10 gift officers, who are expected to cultivate and solicit 50 people per year each, over a three-year campaign? That's a total of 1500 prospects. Divide that into $150,000 and you get: $100 each. Ouch.
The usual solution -- in advanced administrative thinking -- is to order more books. If we print 4500 case statements, the cost is only $33. That's better, right? Plus, there's no risk of running out.
The waste is enormous. In fact, most major campaigns throw out cases of case statements at the end. Meanwhile, especially in long campaigns, the messages change over time. There has to be a better way.
Our next thread will look at new directions in case statements. As technology provides alternatives to the classic model, even small organizations can afford to publish targeted, effective materials.
New Directions - Individualization
In addition to the financial issues, other factors are moving case statements in new directions. Let's start with a functional approach.
The reality of fund raising remains the 95/5 rule. Gift officers have developed a whole methodology around cultivating and soliciting top donors. This was originally called "moves management" by Dave Dunlop and others at Cornell, where it was codified into a coherent set of activities that include linking donors with "natural partners" (that is, building a relationship with a volunteer or staff member), tracking meetings, planning future contacts, and so forth. Today, Dave would like us to think up a less dehumanizing term. After all, what you are really trying to do is personalize and individualize the relationship with each donor.
The logical thrust of individualization in fund raising is to create what I call "the case statement for an audience of one." Can you tailor your case to the interest and commitment of a single individual? If so, you might have the most effective possible case statement. And, it might be very inexpensive in the long run -- totally eliminating waste.
Have I told you the story of the cultivation that brought this home to me? At New England Conservatory, we were interested in the family that had originally funded Jordan Hall. They seemed logical prospects to help fund the Hall's restoration, some 90 years later. However, they had moved out of Boston decades ago. We needed to revive their interest. We got our president an interview with the matriarch. He arrived in Washington, D.C., with a scrapbook. We included historic photos of the Hall, famous performers, etc., and, of course, a brief discussion of our "Music from The Source" case, pivoting around the role of the Hall. Among the pictures was one of Eben Jordon's summer home, which had been designed by the same architect. Little did we know that the elderly prospect, Jordan's niece, would remember playing on the lawn when she was a little girl -- and didn't have a picture of the place. We received an immediate gift, an introduction to others in the family, and eventually more than $1 million toward the restoration.
This case statement was not "published" at all. Rather, it was created on a desktop computer and assembled by hand. The size of the prospective gift made taking the time worthwhile. Next, we'll look at ways technology allows us to carry the individualized approach economically to greater numbers.
P.S. If the idea of linking communications and moves management intrigues you, I will be exploring it more thoroughly in a session called "The Tailored Case: New Directions for Campaign Communications" at next winter's District One CASE conference in Quebec.
New Directions - On Demand
A convergence of technology is making individualization of case statements possible on a scale that can accommodate a whole campaign. The key is on-demand printing, such as business use for sales materials.
To get an example, call Fidelity Investments and ask to receive information on opening an account. You'll be sent a brochure with your name on the cover. Bound inside will be some basic information and just the forms you need for the type of account you asked about. Couldn't we tailor our case statements to our donors in the same way?
Four pieces of technology make it possible:
- Desktop publishing. Page layout programs have been around for a while, but they're complicated. Now, word processors are robust enough to take their place. By using pre-established templates, anyone can fill in the personalized data and print out.
- Digital printing. Color laser printers are now cheap enough that almost any office can afford to have one. The quality is adequate, as long as your designer plans for laser output from the start. For larger runs of, say 40 copies, such as you might need for a regional campaign event, use DocuTech or a similar small digital press. Kinko's has them.
- Bindery techniques. The de facto standard for business-to-business presentations is Wire-O binding, which can be assembled easily in house.
- Publish and subscribe. Word processing and layout programs include the possibility of immediate revision across an Intranet. This means that you can assemble an automatically updated document with the latest facts or wordsmithing. By structuring your case in components, you can tailor it easily for specific campaign goals, regions, even solicitors.
Small organizations won't need the entire system. But consider seriously in-house desktop printing. Preprint a splash of color on the paper you use (like letterhead), and even with a black & white printer you'll have a quality product that will gain you flexibility and eliminate waste. For the mass of your audience, which will donate 5 percent of the total, move immediately to a less expensive mini-case (see the glossary).
If, because of volume and your cultivation plan, you need to print a normal case statement, work in ways to tailor it. A flap or pocket in the back is common. This is the place to include your trustees list (which may change) and your named giving opportunities. By keeping gift ops in the on-demand, rather than the bulk-printed, section of the case, you can be sure that you are not showing a $5,000 opportunity to a $50,000 prospect.
At the Boston Symphony, our campaign package included a pocket folder that could accommodate both the case statement and a gift proposal. We created proposal packets with six covers (one for each goal) that could be imprinted with the donor's name. The bindery was even simpler than Wire-O. A rear cover was stapled to the proposal and folded back over itself to hide the staples.
The University of Rochester Medical Center incorporated on-demand elements throughout its case communications package. First, we developed a small brochure to be used for group meetings. This has a vellum over-wrap (characteristic of the campaign design) that is imprinted for each event. Consequently, the brochure serves as program and mini case statement all in one. Later, selected prospects are presented with the full case, which will be spiral bound and include information concentrated on a goal that interests the prospect. (There are actually two case statement texts, one for the local community of patients and another for alumni). Finally, a portfolio box with signed copies of the photographs is available for the very top donors.
How can you use on-demand techniques to save money and target your case?
New Directions - Web
Printing is not necessarily the only way to deliver your case. I'm already hearing stories of major gifts closed via email and cell phones. For mass audiences, especially young alumni, you'll want to create a web version of your case. For an excellent example, check out MIT's site:
By the way, MIT's "Knowing where to put the X" theme is a marvelous campaign metaphor.
PDF files, a dedicated FTP site for major prospects, executive summaries of the case that can be beamed to a Palm Pilot, PowerPoint presentations on gift officers' laptops. The potential is endless. Let your knowledge of your prospects guide you on which new media to employ.
I'm currently very intrigued by desktop video. A laptop video gets around the presentation problems I outlined in the glossary. Plus, the flexibility of desktop editing allows you quickly and easily to incorporate messages from leaders who can't be present, scenes from a faraway campus, and so forth. I have suggested to one client that they have students create a virtual reality cad rendering of a new building as a class project. Imagine sitting down with a donor and saying: "I'd like to show you what the students have put together."
As web and electronic communication becomes more common, donors will accept -- and even expect -- case statements delivered in new media. What have you tried?
Exercise Six: Use a Consultant?
With all the possibilities we've raised together in this class swirling in your head, I know you'll do a spectacular job building the case for your campaign. So why would you consider hiring a consultant?
If we were to revert to the original plan for this course, I would ask you to do ...
Exercise Six
Give three reasons to look for outside help and three reasons you should write your case internally.
The most common reasons to hire a consultant are:
- You are understaffed and can't make the time.
- There is a lot on the line, and you are seeking professional advice on all aspects of the campaign. A corollary: your trustees and campaign leadership feel more comfortable with a consultant; using one sends the message that you are acting professionally.
- You recognize a need for an objective viewpoint.
The most common reasons to do-it-yourself are:
- Budget.
- You have an excellent and trusted writer.
- No one understands your needs like you do.
My bias is that it is almost always best to do it in house. You really do understand the needs and context best. Moreover, building the case is about building relationships. Take advantage of the opportunity to bind your donors to someone on staff who can further the connection. Finally, I'm all in favor of staff learning the ins and outs of fund raising communications on the job (my first five case statements were written on staff). I think we have an obligation to the professional development of our employees.
If you choose to hire out, here are a few things to look for in a case writer.
- Experience specific to fund raising. If you're spending money, get someone who's done it before. As the course has shown, there are lots of nuances surrounding campaigns that keep them from being simply sales and marketing.
- Strategic support. I think a case should integrate with the entire campaign communications program. Be sure your consultant understands the big picture -- better yet, use the consultant to help you develop it. Communications planning and experience, more than the case writing in itself, is the reason to go to a consultant.
- Visual sense. I'll say it again: The single most important element of building the case is the process of connecting with donors. But the single most important element of the final product is the visuals. Get a writer who thinks in stories and pictures.
- Fluid style. Of course, the writing should be good.
- Curiosity. The writer needs to capture the excitement you feel in being associated with your organization.
- Sense of humor. How else will s/he survive the hard work and tough decisions?
- Chemistry. You've got to bring out the best in each other.
Final Thoughts
My thanks to all who participated in the discussions and sent off-list comments. I've come to have an immense respect for the work you do. The range of causes you are committed to has stretched my thinking. You've inspired me by your dedication. Thanks, too, to Christine and Gene of the FundClass staff, who encouraged and helped me many times behind the scenes.
As we move into summer recess, I've been wondering how to end the course. For some reason, this popped into my head.
I used to have three signs hanging in my office. One was from Fred Stott, my first mentor in fund raising, who is still vital and active having recently turned 80:
"Old Age and Treachery will Overcome Youth and Skill."
The second was provided by Alice Dragoon, my campus editor, whom I had been riding too hard:
"Speed. Quality. Price. Pick any two."
The last came from Alice Russell, wife of jazz composer George Russell, as I was helping them with a musical production that mounted about 150 players:
"There are no dancing bears yet, but there's still time."
So what relevance do these have? First, building a case takes shrewd thinking and experienced handling of donors. Second, publishing the final product is a compromise built out of limited means. Third, through it all, remain open to the spark of creativity. When conveyed with commitment and passion, your case presents an opportunity to better the world. It truly is a gift. Philanthropy is among the highest expressions of the human spirit. I wish you well in tapping its potential.
