You have a case for support. Maybe it’s a formal document. Maybe it’s the language on your website. Maybe it’s just the words you use when talking to donors.
But is it working?
A case for support isn’t just words on paper. It’s the argument for why anyone should give to you instead of the thousands of other organizations competing for their attention. If that argument isn’t compelling, everything else in your fundraising gets harder.
These five questions will help you audit your case honestly. They’re designed to be uncomfortable. A case that passes all five is ready to raise money. A case that fails any of them needs work.
Question 1: Does It Start with a Person or a Program?
Pull up your case for support or the main description of your work on your website. Look at the first sentence.
Does it start with a human being in a specific situation? Or does it start with your organization, your programs, or a statistic?
Program-first opening: “The Metro City Literacy Project provides free reading tutoring to adults who struggle with literacy.”
Person-first opening: “James is 45 years old. He’s held the same warehouse job for 20 years because it’s the only work he can do without being able to read.”
The program-first version is accurate but flat. The person-first version creates immediate emotional engagement.
If your case starts with your organization, revise it to start with a person. You can introduce your organization after you’ve established why anyone should care.
Question 2: Would a Stranger Understand Why This Matters?
Show your case to someone who knows nothing about your cause. A neighbor. A relative who lives in another state. Someone with no context.
Ask them to read it and then tell you, in their own words, why your work matters.
If they can articulate it clearly, your case is working. If they stumble, summarize your programs, or say something generic like “helping people,” your case isn’t landing.
The problem is usually abstraction. You’re so close to your work that you forget outsiders need concrete details to understand it.
“Housing instability” doesn’t mean anything to someone who’s never experienced it. “A mom and two kids sleeping in their car because they got evicted” creates understanding.
When you test your case on strangers, listen for confusion. That’s where the revisions need to happen.
Question 3: Does It Answer “So What?” at Every Turn?
Read through your case sentence by sentence. After each sentence, ask yourself: “So what? Why does this matter?”
If any sentence doesn’t have a clear answer, it’s either unnecessary or needs to be connected to something that matters.
Sentence: “We served 500 families last year.”
So what? On its own, this is just a number. It needs context.
Revised: “We served 500 families last year. That’s 500 families who didn’t have to choose between paying rent and buying groceries.”
Sentence: “Our program uses evidence-based curriculum.”
So what? Donors don’t care about methodology. They care about results.
Revised: “Our approach works. 85% of participants find jobs within six months.”
Every sentence in your case should either create an emotional response or answer the “so what?” of the previous sentence. If it does neither, cut it or revise it.
Question 4: Can You Say It Out Loud Without Sounding Like a Brochure?
Read your case for support out loud. All of it.
Does it sound like something a human being would actually say? Or does it sound like marketing copy?
Listen for phrases like:
- “Comprehensive supportive services”
- “Holistic approach”
- “Wraparound care”
- “Evidence-based best practices”
- “Vulnerable populations”
- “Capacity building”
These phrases are common in nonprofit writing. They’re also empty. They sound professional but communicate nothing.
If you wouldn’t say it in a conversation with a friend, don’t put it in your case. Rewrite every sentence in plain language that a sixth grader would understand.
Your case should sound like you’re telling someone about work you care deeply about. It shouldn’t sound like it was written by a committee.
Question 5: Would It Make Someone Lean In or Tune Out?
This is the ultimate test.
Imagine someone reading your case for the first time. They have no prior connection to your organization. They’re mildly interested but easily distracted.
After reading the first paragraph, would they want to keep reading? Or would they skim to the end or click away entirely?
Be honest with yourself. If your opening doesn’t create curiosity or emotion within the first few sentences, you’ll lose most readers before they get to the good stuff.
The test isn’t whether your case contains good information. It’s whether that information is presented in a way that makes people care.
Scoring Your Case
Give your case one point for each question it passes. Be honest.
5 points: Your case is ready. It will serve you well in appeals, conversations, and grant applications.
3-4 points: Your case is functional but has weak spots. Focus your revision on the questions you failed.
1-2 points: Your case needs significant work. Don’t use it in fundraising until you’ve revised it.
0 points: Start over. Your current case is probably hurting more than helping.
The Assignment
Print out your current case for support or the main “about” text from your website.
Work through all five questions. Mark where your case passes and where it fails.
For each failure, draft a revision that addresses the specific problem. Test the revised version against the same question.
A case that passes all five questions becomes the foundation for everything else in your fundraising. It’s worth getting right.
