Every nonprofit needs an internal case statement. These slides provide a step-by-step guide to the creation of a case for support.

1. The Internal Case
Statement
Purposes and
Process
Provided by:
Brydon M. DeWitt, President
DeWitt & Associates, Inc.
Richmond, VA 23233
Telephone: (804) 364-0145
Email: bdewitt@dewittandassociates.com

2. From Ugly Duckling
to Beautiful Swan

3. What We’ll Cover
• What is a case statement?
– Internal?
– External?
• Why is a case statement important?
• For whom is it written?
• How is it created?
• How is it used?

4. Defining Development
Development is a process
designed to build commitment to the
mission and purpose of your nonprofit
organization through nurturing lasting and
mutually satisfying relationships with your
logical constituency

5. Are You Ready to Write the
Case?
• Mission statement – current and compelling?
• Current strategic plan?
Or
• Board approved priorities?
• Identification of “value propositions”
• Identification of your target audiences

6. The Value Proposition
• “A marketing offer (value proposition) is a proposal
by a marketer to make available to a target
audience a value proposition consisting of a
desirable combination of positive and negative
consequences if, and only if, the target audience
undertakes a desired action.” -- Kotler

7. The Value Proposition
• Positive consequences
– Getting a needed or
desired product
– Getting a needed or
desired service
– Facilitating one or both
of the above
• Negative consequences
– Costs the target audience
has to pay
• BCOS Factors
(Behavioral Drivers)
– Benefits
– Costs
– Others
– Self-assurance

8. Centrality of the Target
Audience
• What the target audience members think, want,
and how they act determine how you try to
influence them.
• Marketing research MUST find out:
– What they are like
– What they will respond to
– What is keeping them from responding as the
marketer wants them to

9. • Who Are Your Target Audiences?
• How does your nonprofit meet
one or more of their needs (value
propositions)?

10. What Is an Internal Case
Statement?
Ugly Duckling
Beautiful Swan

11. Purposes of the Internal Case
Statement
• Obtain internal consensus about the goals and
objectives of the nonprofit

12. Purposes of the Internal Case
Statement
• Serve as a resource and a basis for marketing and
fundraising publications, marketing materials, and
proposals (external case brochure, etc.)
• Executive Summary
– Recruit and inspire volunteer leadership
– Play a key role in market-testing
– Assist in raising major gifts

13. The Case Statement is the
Organization’s Clear Statement
About . . .
• Its programs and goals
• The goals of the fundraising program to support
the organization:
– What will the funds enable?
– How will the success of the program strengthen the
organization?
– Why is the reaching of the goals vital to society and
particularly to the target audiences of the organization?
• Ways in which the organization will remain significantly
productive in the next 3-5 years.

14. Answers the Central
Question. . .
. . .“If you didn’t exist, would
somebody invent you?”

15. The Purpose of the Internal Case
Statement
• Getting a consensus about the
organization’s:
• How the organization will be described
to target audiences and the general
public
• Priorities – program and funding
• the directions envisioned

16. The Purpose and Use of the
Internal Case Statement
• The resources deemed most crucial
• The avenues of service to be stressed and
opened up
• The thrust in its service area.

17. The Purpose and Use of the
Internal Case Statement
• Testing the market with the executive
summary:
– Obtaining reaction of leaders and opinion molders as to
the direction of the organization is taking and the priorities
established.
– Determine how leaders feel about gift requirements.
– Receive input on projected timing of capital fundraising
– Gain information about who might support program with
major gifts and assist in carrying out the program.

18. The Purpose and Use of the
Internal Case Statement
• Identifying/recruiting Board members and
other key volunteers
• Recruiting volunteer leadership for the
solicitation of major gifts.
• Obtaining major gifts early in a capital
program

19. What the Internal Case Includes
• Begin at the beginning
– How did your organization begin?
– Who did you serve and why?
– What prominent person or group of persons were
involved?
– Role in society, in education, etc.
– What were your early significant accomplishments?
– If you have changed -- how and why?

20. What the Internal Case Includes
• What must be preserved – and why?
• If your organization did not exist,
would somebody invent it? (Value
propositions)

21. What the Internal Case Includes
• Current, correct, and memorable
mission statement
• How is the organization fulfilling an
important role in your community -- in
society?
• How is it distinctive?
• What are its recent significant
accomplishments?

22. What the Internal Case Includes
• What are the measures of current
success? How successful is the
organization?
• What impact is being made on the
community, on society, on the
church, etc.?

23. What the Internal Case Includes
• What have been the physical developments of the
organization?
• How has the physical plant developed and in response to
what need(s)?
• How has the (faculty, staff) grown and improved its ability to
serve?
• Is the client/student base growing or stable? What are the
projections for the next 3-5 years?
• Has the organization traditionally operated in a fiscally
sound manner?
• Have financial resources been provided by the
organization’s constituency in the past when the
organization needed that support?

24. What the Internal Case Includes
• What does the nonprofit need to do in the
next 3 years to move toward fulfilling its
mission?
• How were the organization’s development
priorities determined?
• What are the challenges must be faced and
overcome?
• What opportunities are there?
• What weaknesses and threats must be addressed?

25. What the Internal Case Includes
• How much money will must be raised and for
what purposes?
– Operating/current program support?
– New construction and/or renovation?
– Building endowment?
• How will these objectives be accomplished?
• What is the time frame in which each objective
should be completed?

26. Supporting Materials
• List of the kinds of gifts that will be accepted
• List of the opportunities to name physical
facilities and endowed funds
• Year-by-year overview of the development
program
• Summary of financial information for previous
three to five years
• Summary of endowment growth over previous
five to ten years
• Summary of fund-raising progress over previous
five years

27. Supporting Materials
• Summary of enrollment data for previous five years
(colleges and schools)
• Summary of clients served for previous five years
(social service agencies, health care organizations, etc.)
• Examples of achievement by alumni(ae), faculty,
physicians, researchers, professional staff, etc
• Lists of the Board of Directors/Trustees, Advisory
Groups, and any other significant volunteer
participation

28. Process of Creating the Internal
Case
• Strategic planning is important; at the
least, Board must have defined major
objectives
• Creation of the Case Statement Committee
(may include Executive Director, chief
development officer, top staff members,
Board chair, Board development chair)
• Creating the action steps and time line

29. Process of Creating the Internal
Case
• One person writes first draft.
– Knowledgeable about all aspects of
organization
– Talks to administrators, faculty, medical staff,
other staff, students, Board members, etc.
– Understands audience for which statement is
written
– Relinquishes pride of authorship

30. Preparing Printed Materials
• Forms of the printed material
– Executive summary
– Presentational case for individual prospects and group
presentations
– Brochure for the capital gifts program or campaign
– Pamphlet on organizational facts
– Brochure on ways to give
– Newsletter on estate planning
– Special materials for one particular prospect
– Brochure on memorials

31. Questions. . . .
Ask questions by phoning Brydon at (804) 364-0145, texting to (804) 387-9451, or
emailing bdewitt@dewittandassociates.com.
All questions and inquiries will be answered.