By: Cathy Mann, CFRE

The Case Statement

What is a case statement?

Why should you care?

Who uses it?

Example

Real life outcomes

• Everyone in the organization began to think differently about what the organization did

• Everyone within the organization began to use a common language, e.g.:

• Support people• Build community• Facilitate collaboration

• Greater sense of pride about their accomplishments b/c they were more clearly articulated

What was missing?

Until we understood the “what and how”, it didn’t occur to us to ask “why”. “Why” is the most important question.

*Simon Sinek – “Start with Why”

Our “why”: We believe where you live should not limit your opportunities in life

What was missing?

2nd most important question:

“WIIFM”

We attempt to answer this donor question in the case statement, also.

Result?

(why) We believe where you live should not limit your opportunities in life.

(what) So we • Support people• Build community

(how)• By facilitating collaboration

(WIIFM)• We’re changing the way the charitable sector works and

we have created a model that leads to change.

For those who don’t get the lingo

Example

Outputs

A book describing the model

Outputs

Capital campaign brochure

Outputs

Capital campaign brochure

Outputs

Fast Facts

Home page

Outputs

The Storefront’s web site

It’s not perfect

• Few resources so look and feel is still not entirely consistent. Still contingent on who is delivering the message

• It’s a journey. No matter how well you do communications, it’s easy to get criticized.

• A good case statement can help you keep some of the diffusion contained.

THANK YOU!

416-778-1624 cathy@cathymann.cawww.cathymann.ca