b'FEATURED ARTICLEUltimately, the decision to make a substantial gift is anThe work doesnt end when the case is completed. We emotional process. People give to people they trust.must socialise the case into the culture of the school. Making the decision on who to involve in the final stagesGuide leadership, staff and volunteers to find their own of an ask is of paramount importance.words to tell the story. The case needs to be viewed as a generative document, refreshing the narrative with up-to-date information, progress and campaign heroes telling The most influential person to involve is a respectedtheir stories. All of this will keep the campaign alive. I have peer of the prospects, preferably someone who hasnever had a prospect read a case for support and decide on already made an impactful gift.Remember the threea gift merely by what is written. Giving happens after I and most powerful words in philanthropy: Please Join Me.volunteers present the case in our own words, sharing our passion and school culture. Your case is your anthem, but you must give it voice. Building an effective case for supportWhen it comes to the case for support, I have foundPreparing to make the ask involves a combination of the Mark Twain quote to be appropriate: I didnt haveintuition and tangible steps. When all of these steps are time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long onetaken, the final question remains: Is there anything else that instead. In other words, it is far more challenging to putcan be done to improve the chances of a positive outcome? your schools bold vision and plans into a tight, succinctIf the answer is no, then you have done your job.You are document, but doing so will make it so much moreready to make the ask. powerful. The case needs to cut to the chase, and it needs to be in the style of the school via its culture. The show must indeed go on.Never before has our work in An effective case: educating these young minds and securing our schools for the future been more important than now.begins with the schools missionwhat do we stand for? focuses on the visionwhat do we seek to accomplish? and2016rallies the communityhow will we get there?2018As Charlie Melichar states eloquently, the case needs2021to represent something bold and visionary, not merely list needs. It needs to convey a sense of urgency, not desperation. It needs to represent a leap forward, notTaylor Stockdale incremental improvements. And it needs to be aligned Head of Schoolswith donor interests.The Webb Schools CA USA82 FACE 2 FACE MAGAZINE'