Case for Support: A Tale of Two Meanings

‘Case for support’ is a centerpiece of a major fundraising campaign. But it’s a phrase with two distinct meanings. A fundraising case for support is a white paper, typically for background use, written by your fundraising counsel. A marketing case for support is an inspiring, outward-facing brochure that tells the story of your need. You need both.

Here are 5 ways they differ:

A marketing case is a marketing tool, written and designed to tell an inspiring story to donors and prospects. A fundraising case typically addresses the facts and figures of your campaign’s feasibility.
A marketing case is written for a busy reader by containing lots of entry points, such as headers, sidebars, lists, captions and other devices that make skimming easy. A fundraising case is many pages of dense narrative.
A marketing case is outward-facing, created for your top prospects and donors and often carried over on your microsite in digital form. A fundraising case is inward-facing, written for insiders such as management, staff, and your board.
A marketing case is visually arresting, filled with beautiful photos and perhaps renderings of a forthcoming project. A fundraising case is not visual.
A marketing case serves as a leave-behind for a donor meeting. Few donors would read a fundraising case, which is more like a campaign report than it is a persuasive story about why they should support your mission.