Non-ProfitFree
Case for Support Writer for Nonprofits
Share what you are raising money for and why now. Get a complete case for support, plus a one-page summary for donor meetings.
River's case for support writer drafts the document that explains why someone should give to your organisation now. Share what you are raising money for, the need behind it and anything you already have, such as a strategic plan or old brochure. River writes a complete case that answers the questions every serious donor asks: what is the problem, what will you do, why you, why now, what will it cost, and what will a gift make possible. A one-page summary follows.
Many case templates produce a brochure full of adjectives and mission language that could belong to any charity. Experienced donors skim past that. A strong case is specific to one organisation and one moment, uses real numbers, and makes the reader part of the outcome. This draft is built only from your facts, with a marked gap wherever a number is missing. When the case is ready, major donor cultivation plans the conversations it supports for each prospect.
This is for executive directors and development directors preparing a capital campaign, an endowment drive, a major expansion or a stronger annual fund. Use it before feasibility interviews or the quiet phase, and give it to board members so everyone tells the same story. Pieces of the case feed other work: the year-end appeal letter writer borrows its story, and the foundation grant proposal writer adapts its need and plan for a funder's questions.
What a strong case for support contains
A case for support is the argument for giving, written down once so everyone uses it. It usually exists in two forms: a fuller internal document that holds every fact, figure and answer to likely questions, and shorter external pieces drawn from it, such as a brochure, a proposal or a one-page summary. Writing the full version first keeps the shorter pieces consistent, and it shows quickly which facts the organisation does not yet have.
The strongest cases answer four questions plainly. Why this: the need, described through the people affected and backed by local figures. Why you: the track record and capacity that make your solution credible. Why now: the deadline, opportunity or risk that makes delay costly. And what will a gift do: the plan, the budget and the concrete results at different gift levels. Donors considering large gifts tend to test each of these answers in conversation.
Keep the numbers checkable. Serious donors and their advisors often read your Form 990, which the IRS publishes among its copies of exempt organization returns, alongside the audited financial statements. Revenue, program spending and campaign figures in the case should match those documents. A campaign case should also show the total budget, how much is already committed, and the plan for running costs after construction, because a building that cannot be staffed is a question every major donor will raise.
How it works
Share your material
Describe the campaign or need, or attach a strategic plan, budget, feasibility study or old brochure.
Name the readers
Optionally say who will read it, such as board members, major donor prospects or foundations.
River writes the case
You get the full case and a one-page summary, written only from your facts with gaps marked.
Shape it in chat
Shorten it into a brochure, adapt it for a foundation, or draft answers to tough donor questions.
What you get
- A complete case for support answering why this, why you, why now and what a gift does
- A need section built on your local facts, written through the people your organisation serves
- The plan and budget in plain language, with any committed funds and remaining gap shown
- Named giving levels or opportunities tied to concrete results, based only on your figures
- A one-page summary for donor meetings and board members to carry into conversations
- A list of missing facts and likely donor questions the case cannot yet answer
Common questions
What is the difference between a case for support and a case statement?
They are usually the same thing. Some fundraisers use case for support for the full internal document holding every fact and argument, and case statement for the shorter public version drawn from it. River writes the full version first, then a one-page summary, so you can produce brochures and proposals that all say the same thing.
How long should a case for support be?
Long enough to answer every question a serious donor would ask, and no longer. The full internal case often runs several pages, while public pieces are much shorter. River keeps the main case tight and puts supporting detail in clearly labelled sections, so you can cut it down for a brochure without losing any facts.
Do I need a feasibility study first?
Not to draft the case. A draft is often what you test in feasibility interviews, and donor reactions then improve it. If you already have a study, attach it, and River uses its themes and any reservations donors raised. River does not set your campaign goal; that comes from your own planning and counsel.
Can it suggest giving levels?
It can describe what gifts achieve at levels you give it, such as naming a dental suite or funding a year of a program, using your costs. It will not invent prices for naming opportunities. If you want a gift range chart, River lays one out from your goal and labels it as a planning assumption to test with counsel.
Will it work for an annual fund rather than a campaign?
Yes. An annual fund case focuses on ongoing need and what unrestricted support makes possible, rather than a building or a deadline. Choose that option and River shapes the why-now around this year's demand and results. The same case then feeds your year-end appeal letter and donor conversations.
Built by
Chandler Supple
Co-founder & CEO, River
Chandler has spent the last six years working in AI, building tools for millions of users and Fortune 100 companies. In 2025, he co-founded River to build a new kind of operating system for AI agents.
Case for Support Writer for Nonprofits
Describe what you need, add any files you have, and your workspace opens with the work already underway.