Case for support guidance for churches
16 September 2020
Regardless of which funder or donor you approach, you will need to have a clear and compelling case for support. This will act as a foundation for all your fundraising and is key to achieving successful applications.
Why a case for support is so important
Your grant application will need to be persuasive and show how this financial support will make a difference, to help give your application the best chance of success.
It is important to create a narrative about your church and its work that inspires potential donors. This should also provide detailed information about the specific projects that need funding.
Your case for support will form the backbone of your approaches to all major donors, funding bodies, and the local community, so it is well worth investing time and resource to get it right. It should draw on the voices of key people in your church and be a live document that is regularly updated.
Developing your case for support: the basics
As a simple guide, you can position your case for support around three basic questions:
- What is the need?
- What is the solution?
- What will the outcome be?
These questions can be used to create a quick and punchy fundraising message on your donation forms, newsletters, fundraising posters, crowdfunding pages. They will also provide the background when you write your detailed case for support.
Developing your case for support: the detail
The following questions will help you think about how to express your case for support; some of the possible responses may not apply to your church but they should give you some ideas to work from. Although funders’ questions will vary, they're typically based on the following:
Bringing together your case for support
Considering the questions above will help you to develop your case for support.
Once developed, you can use it as a starting point for applications to donors and funders. It's important to bear in mind that each funder has different areas of interest, so you should adapt and tweak your case to fit with each funders interests and requirements.
Remember to regularly review and update your case as your fundraising progresses. This will help you to present a more successful case for support to potential funders.