Posted by Jennie Winton on April 6th, 2016
Posted in Blog, Capital Campaign, Fundraising Case, Fundraising Case For Support, Nonprofit Branding, Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Design, Nonprofit Fundraising, Storytelling Tags: best practices, Capital Campaigns, Case for Support, design, fundraising, Nonprofit Branding, Nonprofit Fundraising
We can’t reiterate this enough–injecting emotion into your next capital campaign is essential to its success. Emotion, after all, is a key element in our equation for a great case for support.
Rationale + Urgency + Emotion = Great Case
Once you’ve written a great case statement, your next job is to make sure it isn’t a chore to read.
At Mission Minded, we make sure every fundraising case brochure we design–whether for an annual campaign, capital or endowment campaign–passes the “I’m too busy to read” test.
For us, that means imagining that a prospective donor never actually reads the text.
We picture her flipping through the brochure, looking at the headlines, the call-out copy, and the photos. She’ll absorb the primary message at only the highest level. She’ll get a feeling from what she sees. But what if she never actually reads the words? Will she still be inclined to donate?
I asked Mission Minded Partner and Creative Director Rod Lemaire to highlight some of the best practices our team employs to design a fundraising case that stokes donor engagement. Use these four tips to create a compelling case for support brochure for your next campaign.
1. Make the Cover Irresistible
The cover of your case should cause a double take. Avoid the urge to simply put your organization’s name or a rendering of your new building on the cover. That won’t create the “WOW” moment you need to draw your donor in.
Instead:
Take a look at some case for support covers created for Mission Minded clients.
2. Make the Copy Digestible
Eight pages of running copy is a snooze. And, quite frankly, many people are unlikely to read every word written in your case. Instead, use design to present the most important ideas in a clear way.
Approach your content this way:
Look how we made the copy digestible for OLE Health and San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Notice how the content is broken up. Even if you didn’t read the paragraphs, you would come away with the big ideas just by reading the bits of information that jump out from the page.
3. Choose Photos That Engage
Thou shalt not use boring photos! That picture of you and your colleagues smiling proudly at this year’s gala may conjure up warm memories for you, but probably won’t for your reader. Photography is a great way to make an emotional connection.
Instead show:
Don’t show:
Here are examples from Los Angeles LGBT Center and Pets Unlimited. Aren’t these much more compelling than a photo of a building?
4. Embrace the Infographic
We get it. Some of your donors are the-proof-is-in-the-pudding kind of folks. And you may need to include some statistics and data in your case to connect with them.
Here’s how to do it well:
Here is an example of how a strong infographic can help and not bog down your fundraising case for support.
Follow these design tips to create an emotional connection with your audience. You’ll get your point across, even for those who are too busy to read the entire fundraising case.
For more tips, download our marketing guide on using design to engage your audience.
Jennie Winton is a Founding Partner of Mission Minded, a 25-year marketing veteran sought for her expertise in branding nonprofit organizations, and a one-on-one leadership coach.
See all posts by Jennie Winton