The internal case statement – purpose and process slide share
- 1. The Internal Case Statement Purposes and Process Provided by: Brydon M. DeWitt, President DeWitt & Associates, Inc. Richmond, VA 23233 Telephone: (804) 364-0145 Email: bdewitt@dewittandassociates.com
- 2. From Ugly Duckling to Beautiful Swan
- 3. What We’ll Cover • What is a case statement? – Internal? – External? • Why is a case statement important? • For whom is it written? • How is it created? • How is it used?
- 4. Defining Development Development is a process designed to build commitment to the mission and purpose of your nonprofit organization through nurturing lasting and mutually satisfying relationships with your logical constituency
- 5. Are You Ready to Write the Case? • Mission statement – current and compelling? • Current strategic plan? Or • Board approved priorities? • Identification of “value propositions” • Identification of your target audiences
- 6. The Value Proposition • “A marketing offer (value proposition) is a proposal by a marketer to make available to a target audience a value proposition consisting of a desirable combination of positive and negative consequences if, and only if, the target audience undertakes a desired action.” -- Kotler
- 7. The Value Proposition • Positive consequences – Getting a needed or desired product – Getting a needed or desired service – Facilitating one or both of the above • Negative consequences – Costs the target audience has to pay • BCOS Factors (Behavioral Drivers) – Benefits – Costs – Others – Self-assurance
- 8. Centrality of the Target Audience • What the target audience members think, want, and how they act determine how you try to influence them. • Marketing research MUST find out: – What they are like – What they will respond to – What is keeping them from responding as the marketer wants them to
- 9. • Who Are Your Target Audiences? • How does your nonprofit meet one or more of their needs (value propositions)?
- 10. What Is an Internal Case Statement? Ugly Duckling Beautiful Swan
- 11. Purposes of the Internal Case Statement • Obtain internal consensus about the goals and objectives of the nonprofit
- 12. Purposes of the Internal Case Statement • Serve as a resource and a basis for marketing and fundraising publications, marketing materials, and proposals (external case brochure, etc.) • Executive Summary – Recruit and inspire volunteer leadership – Play a key role in market-testing – Assist in raising major gifts
- 13. The Case Statement is the Organization’s Clear Statement About . . . • Its programs and goals • The goals of the fundraising program to support the organization: – What will the funds enable? – How will the success of the program strengthen the organization? – Why is the reaching of the goals vital to society and particularly to the target audiences of the organization? • Ways in which the organization will remain significantly productive in the next 3-5 years.
- 14. Answers the Central Question. . . . . .“If you didn’t exist, would somebody invent you?”
- 15. The Purpose of the Internal Case Statement • Getting a consensus about the organization’s: • How the organization will be described to target audiences and the general public • Priorities – program and funding • the directions envisioned
- 16. The Purpose and Use of the Internal Case Statement • The resources deemed most crucial • The avenues of service to be stressed and opened up • The thrust in its service area.
- 17. The Purpose and Use of the Internal Case Statement • Testing the market with the executive summary: – Obtaining reaction of leaders and opinion molders as to the direction of the organization is taking and the priorities established. – Determine how leaders feel about gift requirements. – Receive input on projected timing of capital fundraising – Gain information about who might support program with major gifts and assist in carrying out the program.
- 18. The Purpose and Use of the Internal Case Statement • Identifying/recruiting Board members and other key volunteers • Recruiting volunteer leadership for the solicitation of major gifts. • Obtaining major gifts early in a capital program
- 19. What the Internal Case Includes • Begin at the beginning – How did your organization begin? – Who did you serve and why? – What prominent person or group of persons were involved? – Role in society, in education, etc. – What were your early significant accomplishments? – If you have changed -- how and why?
- 20. What the Internal Case Includes • What must be preserved – and why? • If your organization did not exist, would somebody invent it? (Value propositions)
- 21. What the Internal Case Includes • Current, correct, and memorable mission statement • How is the organization fulfilling an important role in your community -- in society? • How is it distinctive? • What are its recent significant accomplishments?
- 22. What the Internal Case Includes • What are the measures of current success? How successful is the organization? • What impact is being made on the community, on society, on the church, etc.?
- 23. What the Internal Case Includes • What have been the physical developments of the organization? • How has the physical plant developed and in response to what need(s)? • How has the (faculty, staff) grown and improved its ability to serve? • Is the client/student base growing or stable? What are the projections for the next 3-5 years? • Has the organization traditionally operated in a fiscally sound manner? • Have financial resources been provided by the organization’s constituency in the past when the organization needed that support?
- 24. What the Internal Case Includes • What does the nonprofit need to do in the next 3 years to move toward fulfilling its mission? • How were the organization’s development priorities determined? • What are the challenges must be faced and overcome? • What opportunities are there? • What weaknesses and threats must be addressed?
- 25. What the Internal Case Includes • How much money will must be raised and for what purposes? – Operating/current program support? – New construction and/or renovation? – Building endowment? • How will these objectives be accomplished? • What is the time frame in which each objective should be completed?
- 26. Supporting Materials • List of the kinds of gifts that will be accepted • List of the opportunities to name physical facilities and endowed funds • Year-by-year overview of the development program • Summary of financial information for previous three to five years • Summary of endowment growth over previous five to ten years • Summary of fund-raising progress over previous five years
- 27. Supporting Materials • Summary of enrollment data for previous five years (colleges and schools) • Summary of clients served for previous five years (social service agencies, health care organizations, etc.) • Examples of achievement by alumni(ae), faculty, physicians, researchers, professional staff, etc • Lists of the Board of Directors/Trustees, Advisory Groups, and any other significant volunteer participation
- 28. Process of Creating the Internal Case • Strategic planning is important; at the least, Board must have defined major objectives • Creation of the Case Statement Committee (may include Executive Director, chief development officer, top staff members, Board chair, Board development chair) • Creating the action steps and time line
- 29. Process of Creating the Internal Case • One person writes first draft. – Knowledgeable about all aspects of organization – Talks to administrators, faculty, medical staff, other staff, students, Board members, etc. – Understands audience for which statement is written – Relinquishes pride of authorship
- 30. Preparing Printed Materials • Forms of the printed material – Executive summary – Presentational case for individual prospects and group presentations – Brochure for the capital gifts program or campaign – Pamphlet on organizational facts – Brochure on ways to give – Newsletter on estate planning – Special materials for one particular prospect – Brochure on memorials
- 31. Questions. . . . Ask questions by phoning Brydon at (804) 364-0145, texting to (804) 387-9451, or emailing bdewitt@dewittandassociates.com. All questions and inquiries will be answered.