A case for support is not a brochure. It is the document that decides whether a funder reads on or moves to the next application. This guide breaks down what funders look for and how to structure yours so it gets read.
Why most cases for support fail
Funders read hundreds of these. Most are written to impress rather than to inform. They open with organisational history, pack in adjectives, and bury the ask on page six. The result is a document that says everything and communicates nothing. A strong case for support answers three questions in the first page: what are you asking for, what will it achieve, and why should this funder care.
A strong case for support answers three questions in the first page: what are you asking for, what will it achieve, and why should this funder care.
Start with the problem, not your organisation
Funders fund problems, not organisations. Open with the need you exist to address, backed by evidence. Use local data where you can: the number of people in your area who experience the issue, the gap in provision, the cost of inaction. Move from the general problem to the specific gap your project fills. Only then introduce your organisation as the vehicle, not the subject.
Make the ask specific and early
State the amount you need, what it will fund, and what happens if you do not get it. Vague asks create vague applications. If you need fifty thousand pounds for a two-year programme serving two hundred young people, say so on page one. Include a simple budget summary: staff, premises, delivery costs, and the outcome each line enables.
Show evidence, not just intention
Funders want to know your approach works. Include what you have done before, what changed as a result, and what you learned. If you do not have outcome data from your own work, use published evidence from similar programmes. Reference it briefly: a statistic with a source is more persuasive than a paragraph of aspiration.
A statistic with a source is more persuasive than a paragraph of aspiration.
End with clarity, not a flourish
Restate the ask, the impact, and the timeline. Thank the funder for considering you. Do not add a generic paragraph about how grateful you will be. Professionalism is the tone that gets funded.
Make your next application faster
Fundleaf holds your case for support text as a reusable content block, so every application starts with your best version already loaded.