Template · Fundraising
Case for support worksheet
Fill-in questions that gather the facts, stories and numbers for your case for support, with a source log and a one-page draft to finish.
Three editable formats: Word (.docx), Rich Text (.rtf) and plain text (.txt). Reviewed October 21, 2026.
How to use this template
- Download it as a Word file (.docx), which opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice, or as Rich Text (.rtf) or plain text (.txt). All three are editable.
- Fill in every blank. Blanks are in square brackets, like [ORGANIZATION NAME], and are highlighted in the preview below. Delete any bracketed notes you don't need.
- Make it yours. Check it against your bylaws and your state's rules, and change anything that doesn't fit. Have your board approve it where it says so.
- Printing? Print this page: the printout leaves out the site's menus and shows the template with lines for the blanks.
A case for support is the core explanation of why your charity matters and why someone should give. Our guide to writing a case for support explains the six parts and how to use them. This worksheet is the step before: a set of questions to fill in with your board or team, so that when you sit down to write, the facts, stories and numbers are already in one place.
How to use it
- Fill it in together. Ask two or three people, such as a board member, a program lead and a volunteer, to answer separately, then compare. The differences are often the most useful part.
- Write short answers. Bullet points are fine. You'll polish the words later.
- Log every fact. Each number goes in the source log with where it came from and the date you checked it. If you can't source it, leave it out.
- Use public data carefully. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey is a common source of local figures. The Census Bureau's guidance says 1-year estimates cover areas with populations of 65,000 or more, while 5-year estimates cover all areas and have the largest sample, so small towns and neighborhoods usually need 5-year figures. Say which you used.
- Protect people. Use stories only with written permission, and never in a way that could identify someone who hasn't agreed. Our photo and story consent form helps.
- Update it once a year, before your year-end appeal.
Preview
Case for support worksheet: [ORGANIZATION NAME]
Completed by: [NAMES]
Date: [DATE]
Part 1: The need
1. In one sentence, what problem do you exist to solve, and for whom?
[ANSWER]
2. Where? Name the place as precisely as you can (neighborhood, town, county).
[ANSWER]
3. What evidence shows the need is real? List up to three facts, each with its source (see the source log).
[FACT 1]
[FACT 2]
[FACT 3]
4. What happens to people if nobody acts?
[ANSWER]
Part 2: Your approach
5. What do you do, in plain words a neighbor would understand?
[ANSWER]
6. Why this way? What makes your approach right for these people and this place?
[ANSWER]
7. Who else works on this problem nearby, and how are you different or complementary?
[ANSWER]
Part 3: Results so far
8. What have you done so far? (Outputs: people served, sessions held, meals delivered.)
[ANSWER]
9. What has changed for people because of it? (Outcomes, and how you know.)
[ANSWER]
10. One true story, shared with permission, that shows the change:
[STORY: WHO, WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT CHANGED]
11. What hasn't worked, and what did you learn?
[ANSWER]
Part 4: What a gift does
12. What does it cost to deliver your work for one person, or for one week or month? Show how you worked it out.
[ANSWER AND CALCULATION]
13. Three or four gift levels and what each one makes possible. Each must be true.
| Gift | What it does |
|---|---|
| $[AMOUNT] | [WHAT IT PAYS FOR] |
| $[AMOUNT] | [WHAT IT PAYS FOR] |
| $[AMOUNT] | [WHAT IT PAYS FOR] |
14. If you're raising for something specific (a van, a new program), what is it, what does it cost, and what's already raised?
[ANSWER]
Part 5: Why now
15. Why does this need support now, rather than next year?
[ANSWER: A DEADLINE, A MATCH, A GROWING WAITLIST, A NEW OPPORTUNITY, ALL TRUE]
Part 6: Who you are
16. When and why did you start? One or two sentences.
[ANSWER]
17. Who runs the work, and who's on the board?
[ANSWER]
18. How do you look after donors' money? (For example: board oversight, annual financial review or audit, Form 990 filed, how you keep spending honest.)
[ANSWER]
Source log
| Fact or number | Where it came from (title and web address) | Date checked | Who checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| [FACT] | [SOURCE] | [DATE] | [NAME] |
| [FACT] | [SOURCE] | [DATE] | [NAME] |
| [FACT] | [SOURCE] | [DATE] | [NAME] |
One-page draft
Use your answers to write a first draft of no more than one page.
Headline: [ONE SENTENCE: THE CHANGE YOU MAKE, FOR WHOM]
The need: [TWO OR THREE SENTENCES, WITH ONE SOURCED FACT]
What we do: [TWO SENTENCES]
What's changed: [ONE RESULT AND ONE SHORT STORY]
What your gift does: [YOUR GIFT LEVELS]
Why now: [ONE SENTENCE]
Who we are: [ONE OR TWO SENTENCES]
How to give: [WEBSITE, ADDRESS, CONTACT]
Template from Golden Hint: goldenhint.org/resources/templates/case-for-support-worksheet. Reviewed October 21, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.
Keep going
- GuideBuilding a donor baseHow to find your first 50 donors, ask with confidence, keep people giving year after year, and grow toward monthly giving with a simple donor list.
- GuideOnline fundraising and crowdfundingDonate buttons, crowdfunding and peer-to-peer pages compared, plus fees to check, state registration, receipts, and raising money for one person.
- GuidePrivate foundation, donor-advised fund or giving directly?For donors thinking of starting a foundation: how a private foundation, a donor-advised fund and direct gifts compare on control, cost and rules.
- Founder pathwayLaunching your charitySimple branding, a basic website, a first fundraising plan, thanking donors well, and your first local grant applications.
Sources
Checked on October 21, 2026. Rules and fees change, so follow the links for the current version.
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