Does your charity have a defined case for support? In countless conversations with non-profit leaders, I have heard many express how crucial they felt it was for their organizations to have a standard “elevator pitch”. Yet few ever mention the importance of possessing an official case for ‘why’ anyone should support their cause.
A big reason for this is executive directors and board members – especially among grassroots charities – are unfamiliar with the differences between the terms. So, let’s clarify the meanings for each:
· An elevator pitch is a quick 30-45 second narrative consisting of 3-4 bullet points that showcase compelling aspects of a charity’s programs, history, outcomes and values that its representatives share wither others during social, networking and community outreach conversations. The objective when delivering elevator pitches is make connections with prospective donors, volunteers, community partners and others who may potentially advance their non-profit’s mission.
· A case for support is an organization’s primary fundraising communication resource that goes beyond simply describing its programs and desired outcomes. It is a comprehensive document that contains every reason why anyone should philanthropically invest in any aspect of a charity’s work.
In short, a case of support is one large “copy & paste” tool from which we extract relevant information that we need when developing or composing any piece of fundraising-related literature. Therefore, an elevator pitch is merely a derivative of a case for support.
Now let’s take things a step further and explain why every charity must have an official case for support:
1) They are all-encompassing. As indicated above, a case for support provides every coherent argument as to why anyone should support a particular charity’s programs and activities that produce the positive change. Charity leaders can apply these arguments when preparing grant proposals for operational, capital and program needs to various funding bodies. Arguments and information contained in a case for support can also be used when creating other important fund development documents such as capital campaign promotional materials, direct mail letters and executive summaries for major gift prospects.
2) They ensure consistent messaging. When submitting multiple grant proposals and penning other types of fundraising literature throughout the year, it is paramount for organizations to articulate the same clear and concise message every time. Arguments can easily become severely distorted within a relatively short timeframe if they are slightly modified with each successive grant proposal or fundraising letter. Extracting and using the phrasing from a case for support prevents this occurrence and safeguards the clarity and essence of the arguments.
3) They save time and energy. Although the construction of a case for support involves a tremendous amount of sweat equity up front, it enables a non-profit to mass produce fundraising-relevant materials once it’s finalized. Grant proposals that ordinarily require 50-100 hours to complete can be devised and submitted in a fraction of that time. Appeal letters may be composed in a matter of minutes by simply extracting the necessary phrasing. Best of all, finite staff and volunteer resources are not fruitlessly depleted.
4) They ensure the functionality of a charity’s fundraising strategy. A case for support is a key part of every non-profit’s fund development infrastructure. Together with key infrastructural components – including a fundraising volunteer roster, donor data management software, stewardship and recognition strategy, and gift processing systems – its usage enhances the effectiveness of all fundraising events and resource-generating activities.
Elevator pitches are indeed strong effective conversation-starters. However, they’re only a partial solution to an organization’s communication challenges. A case for support keeps every conversation with donors vibrant and strengthens their relationships with the charity.
Non-profits that operate without an official case for support will continually struggle with conveying their message clearly, accurately and forcefully with the greater community. Consequently, cultivating a committed and passionate donor base would be extraordinarily difficult and long-term sustainability would be unattainable.
