What is a Case for Support – and Why Your Charity Needs One

If you've ever struggled to explain exactly what your charity does, why it matters, and why people should invest in your work, then you need a Case for Support.

Think of it as your fundraising north star: a clear, compelling story that explains your mission, the problem you're solving, the impact you're making, and how donors can help make it happen.

What is a Case for Support?

A Case for Support is a cornerstone fundraising document. It's part business plan, part storytelling piece, part invitation to change the world with you.

It answers three essential donor questions:

1. Why this cause? – What's the problem and why does it matter?

2. Why your organisation? – What makes you uniquely positioned to solve it?

3. Why now? – What difference can a donor make today?

Why it Matters

Without a strong Case for Support, fundraising can feel scattershot. Each grant application, donor meeting, or campaign ends up being rewritten from scratch, with inconsistent messaging.

With a Case for Support, you create a unifying narrative that can be adapted across:

• Grant applications

• Major donor proposals

• Corporate partnership pitches

• Campaign websites and appeals

• Staff, board, and volunteer conversations

In other words, it ensures everyone is telling the same story – and telling it well.

What Goes Into a Good Case for Support?

A strong Case for Support blends facts and feelings, combining evidence with emotion. While the structure can vary, most effective cases include:

• The Problem: Who is affected, what's at stake, and what happens if nothing changes.

• The Solution: How your organisation is addressing the problem in practical, innovative ways.

• Impact: The outcomes and long-term change your work creates.

• Track Record: Why you can be trusted to deliver (your history, credibility, and past successes).

• The Ask: What you're asking donors to invest in, how much you need, and why now.

• Inspiration: Stories, quotes, and images that bring the cause to life.

How to Use It

Your Case for Support is not a static PDF that sits in a drawer. It's a living tool. Use it to brief new staff and board members, to create consistent copy for campaigns, and to adapt into pitches, grant applications, or donor proposals.

Think of it as the backbone of all your fundraising communication.

Final Thoughts

At its heart, a Case for Support is about telling a clear, compelling, and consistent story of why your cause matters, why your organisation is the right one to deliver, and how donors can help make change possible.

Get it right, and you'll have a tool that not only helps you raise funds, but also inspires belief, confidence, and commitment in everyone who encounters your organisation.

✨ Pro Tip: If you haven't written one yet, start small. Draft a simple one-pager with your problem, solution, impact, and ask. You can always build it out over time into a polished donor-facing document. 

Do you have a case for support ready to go? Need help developing one that's customised for your organisation? I can help. Book your free consultation here.