Writing a case for support is a key element that will form the foundation of your fundraising strategy, and how you adapt and share this with your community will play an important role in engaging different audiences in your cause.

Working with an international community can make this more challenging; many schools host events to share their case for support when kicking off a new fundraising project, and this might not be possible in the same format. However, considering your international audiences when planning your promotion could lead to greater reach and response. 

Use the ‘CASE’ acronym to ensure that your message is clear and relevant for your global audience and will encourage a response. 

Consider other cultures 

You can use your database to ascertain where large proportions of your community are living, and use this information to draw up a plan of how to adapt for each market. You may need to focus more on certain aspects of your case for support in certain markets, for example, focusing on the beneficiaries vs the actual impact of one donation. In addition, when planning how to promote your case for support and incite action, consider cultural practices; research showed that donors in Asia are least likely to attend fundraising events, while donors in Australia and New Zealand are most persuaded by email communications. 

Adapting your messaging

Your case for support will draw from your core organisational purpose, your previous work and your story. It will also include information about your fundraising goals, and clear plans for where the money raised will be spent. Once you have your full ‘case for support’, you may wish to cut this down into tailored versions that might be more appropriate for different audiences; e.g. a version with more information about your organisation for those that might not be familiar, and evidence of how previous donations have supported your cause for existing donors.

Segment your communications

As it may be more difficult to have face-to-face presentations or events with your international audiences, focusing on your digital channels is a good way to spread the word. Ensure that with each channel, you can track the level of engagement, and retarget those that are showing interest. One way to do this is to share your case for support via email, and then resend to those that didn’t open, and follow up with more information and an extra nudge for those that opened but didn’t take any action. 

Engage your audience

Your case for support will likely be a long document, and many potential donors may not have much time on their hands to fully digest the information. Creating different assets such as videos or infographics can be reshared on social media or on your community site, and may prompt more donors to read more information following this. Remember that your case for support should be treated as a piece of marketing material, with the core aim to make someone take an action after reading. Making your case for support as engaging as possible will be beneficial for encouraging action, so considering trialling a variety of formats and channels. 

Using a digital community to increase engagement is a great way to warm up your international audience to making a donation or becoming interested in reading your case for support. Find out how ToucanTech customers are building connected school communities that give back by speaking to a member of the team.