Capital campaign case for support explained (+ examples)

A strong case for support is essential when raising money for a capital campaign. This document forms the basis for all of the marketing materials you will develop in the fundraising process. You will also use it when reaching out to prospective donors in the private phase of your campaign.

Capital campaigns are generally initiated when you need significant funds for a new building or wing, or to launch a new program. This makes a solid explanatory document essential. 

A case for support or case statement can also be developed for other types of campaigns—such as your annual fundraising campaign. When writing for a capital campaign specifically, it is vital to back up your goals with clear data, plans, and projections (rather than general information about your organization) to give people the confidence they need to make especially large gifts.

What is a case for support?

A capital campaign case for support (a.k.a. case statement) outlines the needs, nature, and benefits of your nonprofit’s intended capital project. It should focus on a specific capital campaign.

This document must include the nonprofit’s mission and vision to introduce your organization to the reader. It then places special focus on the quantified and qualified details of the project. The best cases for support weave together the image of the nonprofit, its role in the community, and how this fundraising initiative will benefit its users and the community in general. 

Why a compelling case statement is important

70% of the total capital campaign goal typically comes from the top 20 gifts, according to “The State of Capital Campaigns Benchmark Report 2024” from Capital Campaign Pro. You need a strong case statement to convince major donors to support your fundraising push.

How case statements are used

Your case statement provides a “depot” that you can pull from for campaign materials like newsletters, brochures, grant requests, and video scripts. For example, if your nonprofit needs to write a grant request, the information from the case for support can be cut and pasted into the request with the foundation’s areas of interest woven into the response.

When to write your case for support

A case for support should be generated during your capital campaign planning study. Information gathered from the study is integrated into the case elements. Through the study, a nonprofit should define its image, its role in the community, and how it benefits the community. These elements all become key parts of the case for support. 

Who should write your case for support

A case for support is ideally generated by internal staff along with community leaders and donors. It is important to include internal and community leaders’ perspectives. If you only have the internal perspective, you may miss the case’s key selling points from the potential donor’s perspective. 

If your team is pressed for time, you can produce a compelling first draft in one-sixteenth of the time using a generative AI tool for nonprofits.

How to write a capital campaign case statement

Writing a capital campaign case statement is a multi-step process.

1. Gather a team. This should include your campaign leaders, key fundraising and/or development staff, and preferably a board member or organizational leader.
2. Clarify the goal. Establish the basic details of the capital campaign: the practical objectives, the amount you need to raise, and when you need the money.
3. Plan out the document. Write a bullet list of things to include. Be sure to include the essential elements (more on this below).
4. Write a first draft. Write a few concise sentences addressing each point. A clear, to-the-point case statement will be much easier for potential donors to follow than an essay.
5. Review the draft. Read through the draft. Check that it makes sense and ties back clearly to your nonprofit’s mission. Add in any key details or statistics to support your project’s impact.
6. Seek feedback. Share the draft with other team members, including marketers, other fundraisers, and leaders in your organization, as well as with community leaders and key donors as part of your capital campaign feasibility study. Use their feedback to improve the draft.
7. Get buy-in from leadership. Present the revised draft to leadership for their feedback and final approval. This step is essential to avoid having to recall or reprint campaign materials later on.
8. Save the final document. Save the approved version of the document in a centralized location where all of the relevant stakeholders can access it (including fundraisers, marketers, your major gift officer, and so on). It’s best to set the document to “anyone with the link can comment” to prevent accidental (or intentional) changes.

Essential elements of a case statement

A thorough capital campaign case statement includes these elements:

• Overview: A brief historic overview of the nonprofit—when did it open, who does it serve, how does it benefit the community, and accolades.
• Mission and vision: Defines the organization’s purpose and long-term goals, guiding all programs and inspiring donors to support its future impact.
• Administration and board of directors: Outlines leadership structure, highlighting experienced staff and dedicated board members ensuring accountability, strategic direction, and campaign success.
• Challenge/current situation: What operating/programmatic/infrastructure shortfall(s) brought about the nonprofit’s desire to begin a capital campaign? This is the nonprofit’s “need.”
• Opportunity/solution to the current situation: Once the capital is raised, how will the nonprofit’s users and the service region be improved? This is the nonprofit’s “benefit.”
• Project budget and business plan: The project budget is the total cost of improvements and how those financial obligations will be met (savings, campaign, bond, etc.). The business plan is needed if staffing or expenses are increasing. This shows financial readiness or break-even point. 
• Project timeline: When will the project begin and end? Include time for fundraising.
• Summary: A blending of overview, challenge, and opportunity that summarizes the needs and benefits of reaching the capital goal. Focus more on benefits; donors give more to solutions rather than challenges.
• Contact and donation details: How can interested donors contact you? How can they donate?

Tone

A case for support can be written in the first or third person, although writing in the third person gives it a more objective tone. Many nonprofits err in focusing too much of their case on emotion. Donors are making an investment. Their return on investment is in helping a nonprofit realize a solution. Tell a compelling story to get their attention but use facts and figures to get them to invest.

Examples

The following real-world case statements provide effective examples.

WildCare’s $24 million capital improvements campaign

Read WildCare’s full case statement here.

What we love about this case statement:

• The campaign has a clear objective, dollar amount, and timeline.
• Diagrams show exactly what the building will look like.
• The case for support clearly explains the nonprofit’s mission and provides concise figures showing its impact so far.
• The need and reason why the project is urgent are clearly articulated.
• The founder is introduced with a photo and quote.
• A complete timeline of the organization’s development is provided, building trust.
• Strategic testimonials placed throughout emphasize the importance of the project and strengthen confidence in the real-world impact of the organization.
• The content is made easily digestible with infographics, photos, bullet lists, and the use of color.

Marathon City’s Community Capital Campaign

Read Marathon City’s full case statement here.

What we love about this case statement:

• The document is short and to the point.
• The text clearly states the current situation, the need, and how this need will be met.
• Photos show exactly how the park currently benefits the community.
• Figures demonstrate exactly how Marathon City plans to fund the new park.
• Clear contact and “how to donate” information is provided at the end.

Common mistakes

There are several common mistakes organizations make when writing a case for support for their capital project.

Lack of clarity

A case for support must present the key details clearly and concisely: 

• What is the need?
• What is your fundraising goal?
• What is the deadline for your goal?
• How will the money be used?
• How will this benefit the community? 

Avoid saying things like: “If we raise X amount, we will do this, but if we raise Y amount, we will do that.” This confuses readers and comes across as weak. Be confident and emphasize the need and benefit. The right donors will happily come on board when they can see you know exactly what you’re doing (and have the track record to prove it).

No sense of urgency

Communicate the pressing need and set a firm timeline for the campaign. When donors understand why this project is urgent, they will be more motivated to support it generously.

No clear call to action

Tell the reader exactly what you need them to do, when, and how. Provide contact and “how to donate” information either at the start or end of the document, or both.

Overemphasis on the donor, the community, or the organization

A case for support needs to balance its focus among the organization, the community, and the donor.

• Your organization: Present crystal clear figures and statistics to demonstrate your organization’s successful track record. Introduce your founder and provide a brief timeline of your nonprofit’s development.
• The community: Provide compelling testimonies from community members to show how your projects have made a real impact in the past, and how much this new project is needed and wanted by your primary beneficiaries.
• The donor: Tell the donor clearly what their money will achieve. I.e. “A donation of [amount] will pay for uniforms and sports equipment for the entire new girls’ soccer team” or “A donation of [amount] will fund the purchase of a state-of-the-art diagnostics machine to help us serve up to 5,000 patients in our rural clinic.” Use emotional appeals but don’t focus on these at the cost of concrete information. 

Presuming the initial document is enough

Your case for support is the main resource from which you will draw for a wide range of communications tied to your capital project. However, it’s critical not to stop there. 

You need to:

• Create specific materials tailored to different audiences (major donors, corporate partners, and community members) and communication channels (website, email, video ads, print materials, radio, television)
• Adapt the document for specific major donors, to include a dollar amount that matches their capacity to give (You can find this information with a prospect research tool.)
• Accompany the document with a personal visit and phone calls when raising funds in the private phase.

Give your campaign the support it needs

A strong case for support is the backbone of any capital campaign. Draft this document carefully, involve all of the key internal and external stakeholders, and adjust the draft based on feedback during the development process.

Your case for support must be clear, easy to understand, and include pertinent visuals to support the text. Use this document to create tailored communications for different audiences, using prospect research software to pitch these right and maximize the success of your campaign.

Contributor:
Kevin Wallace

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Bre Alexander

Bre Alexander is a writer and marketer focused on helping nonprofits, healthcare organizations and higher-education institutions improve their fundraising and advancement efforts to fuel their mission.