Growing a Foundation

Have you made your case?

Before you ask someone for a gift, one should be able to answer the following questions:

• How much do you want?
• What are you going to do with it?
• What benefit does the donor receive?
• Why are you asking this person for this specific amount of money? 

These are all components of what is called in school foundation language as the “case statement.” The case is the expression of the cause, or all the reasons why the school’s community should desire to give to that cause.

You must know the answers to these questions and more and be able to answer them passionately to be successful asking for financial support.

A well developed and thought out case statement will help school foundation/fundraising personnel develop their:

• brochure(s)
• grant writing proposals
• appeal letters
• news releases
• newsletter articles
• web site
• speeches to your public
• face to face “asks”