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You finally get the meeting. The one you’ve been hoping for.
You’re sitting across from someone who gets it. The problem you’re working to solve? It’s the same one that keeps them up at night. They care. They have the capacity to make a real difference. And they have a history of being generous.
This is the moment.
But here’s where a lot of nonprofit leaders get stuck. Do you lay out every detail of your work? Try to convince them? Ask for money and hope it doesn’t feel uncomfortable?
Here’s the truth. When you focus on inspiring generosity instead of asking for money, everything shifts. It becomes a conversation, not a transaction. An invitation, not a pitch.
The Key to Engaging Giving Partners
So how do you make the most of that moment? How do you guide the conversation with confidence and clarity?
That’s where the ENGAGE part of my DREAMS™ framework comes in. It starts with really listening—not just hearing, but listening with curiosity and an open heart. When you sit down with a potential giving partner, you're not there to convince or persuade. You're there to understand.
This means asking thoughtful discovery questions, the kind that don’t just skim the surface but invite real, meaningful conversation. Your job isn’t to guess what matters to them. It’s to get curious, ask, and create space for them to tell you. Because generosity isn’t just about money. It’s about impact, values, and the deep human need to contribute to something bigger than ourselves.
And once you know their goals align with your mission, the next step is to communicate that alignment with clarity and confidence.
A lot of nonprofit leaders start with what they do, but that’s not what sparks real connection. What truly matters is why you do it.
Why does your work make a difference? What’s at stake? Why are you uniquely positioned to take this on? And here’s the big one—what would happen if your organization didn’t exist?
This isn’t about pitching. It’s about inviting them into a story that’s real, meaningful, and deeply human. One they can see themselves in. Your job isn’t just to share facts. It’s to help them understand, both in their head and their heart, why this work matters and why they want to be part of it.
How a Visual Case for Support Helps
It’s so much easier when you have a Visual Case for Support.
In fundraising, a case for support is supposed to be the go-to document that clearly lays out why your work matters. It serves as a foundation for campaigns, appeals, grant proposals, and conversations with giving partners.
But here’s the thing. If you ask most nonprofit leaders for theirs, they’ll either say they don’t have one or admit it’s buried in a drawer somewhere, collecting dust.
I first heard about the Visual Case for Support from Tammy Zonker at MovieMondays.com, and it immediately clicked. It was such a simple yet powerful way to make your mission clear, compelling, and actionable.
Imagine sitting down with a potential giving partner and instead of trying to remember what you're supposed to say, you have it right in front of you. Pictures, graphs, and a few key numbers that bring your work to life.
And here’s the best part. It’s not just for you. Your leadership team, staff, board members, and volunteers can use it too. It gives them a clear, confident way to talk about your work and invite others in. (You’ll hear more about that in M for MULTIPLY.)
It also keeps everyone on the same page. No matter who’s sharing the story, it’s consistent, compelling, and inspiring—true to your mission in a way that moves people to action.
And just as importantly, it’s something your potential giving partner can take with them. It gives them a way to reflect on your conversation, review key points on their own time, or share it with their spouse, business partner, or trusted advisor. When generosity is a shared decision, having something tangible to revisit makes all the difference.
How to Create a Visual Case for Support
If you want people to invest in your work, you have to help them see it, feel it, and believe in it. That’s where a Visual Case for Support changes everything.
Step 1: Start with the Heart
Before you dive into data, budgets, or strategies, begin with what really matters. Start with why. What’s at stake? Who’s being impacted? What problem are you solving? This isn’t about statistics. It’s about stories. The kind that make people pause, lean in, and care. Because generosity isn’t transactional. It’s deeply human.
Step 2: Paint the Picture
People don’t connect with spreadsheets. They connect with images, colors, and design that spark emotion. A Visual Case for Support takes the heart of your mission and brings it to life. Think photos, bold statements, clear takeaways. Less text, more clarity. If they can see it, they can believe in it.
Step 3: Define the Problem Without Overwhelming
This is where a lot of nonprofits get stuck. They either sugarcoat the issue or pile on so many statistics that people shut down. Instead, name the problem clearly and honestly. What’s happening? Why does it matter? And most importantly—what happens if nothing changes? The goal isn’t to make people feel helpless. It’s to show them where they fit into the solution.
Step 4: Show the Transformation
This is where the magic happens. What does success look like? What’s possible because of your work? Instead of just saying, “We serve 500 families a year,” tell a story about one family and how their life changed. When people see the impact in a real, tangible way, they don’t just understand it—they feel it.
Step 5: Make the Invitation Clear
This is where a lot of nonprofit leaders get awkward. They over-explain, tiptoe around the invitation, or bury it under too much information.
But here’s the truth. When you’re talking to the right person, when you’ve built real trust, when you’ve created the conditions for generosity to unfold, inviting them in isn’t awkward. It’s just the next right thing.
People want to be part of something meaningful. They just need to know how. Keep it simple, clear, and natural.
Instead of “Would you consider a gift in the amount of $___?”, try “Here’s how you can be part of this change.”
Give them a next step that feels like an invitation, not a transaction.
Step 6: Keep It Alive
Your Visual Case for Support isn’t meant to sit in a file. It’s a living, breathing tool. Use it in one-on-one conversations, share it at events, and integrate it into your website.
The goal is to create something so clear and compelling that it naturally sparks action.
Where Generosity Begins
At the end of the day, a case for support isn’t about fundraising. It’s about sparking generosity by telling a story that connects, resonates, and inspires action.
When people can see the impact, they can believe in the possibility.
And belief is where generosity begins.
Your Invitation
If traditional fundraising isn’t getting you the results you want and you’re ready to inspire extraordinary generosity, come on over to inspire-generosity.com. This is your invitation.
