The Case for Support Playbook
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A behavioural science framework for fundraising that really works
Why this playbook? Why now?
We live in a world where attention is scarce, trust is fragile, and donors are overloaded. Traditional static case documents — rational, dense, inward-looking — no longer work. Most assume donors decide like economists: weighing evidence, studying data, comparing logical options.But decision science tells us this is simply untrue. Donor decisions are fast, emotional, intuitive — driven primarily by what Kahneman calls System 1, not System 2. If your messaging doesn’t speak to System 1, it won’t break through.A global track record behind the model
The playbook doesn’t rely on theory alone. It reflects lessons learned from:
- Writing over 100 cases for INGOS, NGOs, arts, cultural and heritage organisations, universities, and medical institutions.
- Analysing 250+ cases worldwide to establish common principles underpinning success and what makes for worthy failure.
- Testing the framework with the IFRC, UNHCR, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), CARE, World Animal Protection, MSI Reproductive Rights, UNICEF, NPR, Smile Train, Alzheimer’s Society, Stonewall, and more.
The framework
1. HEROES — Who is the protagonist?
Is the hero/heroine of your story…
- the beneficiary,
- the organisation, or
- the supporter?
The playbook explains when and why to choose each, and why donors only step into the story when they feel agency: the belief that their action changes the outcome.
2. AIM — Target the message with precision
AIM stands for: Audience • Impact • Messenger
Behavioural science teaches us that who delivers a message can be as powerful as the content itself. The book includes the famous NSPCC “cleaner as messenger” example to demonstrate how even unexpected voices can profoundly influence donor decisions.
3. The Four Story Structures — Risk, Crisis, Opportunity, Vision
This is the only case-for-support framework that gives fundraisers four distinct behavioural framings for the same proposition, recognising that different donors respond to different motivational triggers:
- Avoiding the Risk of loss
- Resolving immediate Crisis
- Seizing an Opportunity
- Building a long-term Vision
The book explains how to construct all four versions — and how to match them to donor psychology.
4. SUCCESS — How to make messages stick
Adapted from Chip & Dan Heath’s brilliant model, SUCCESS ensures your story is:
- Simple
- Unexpected
- Concrete
- Credible
- Emotional
- Story-driven
- Salient
The playbook includes extraordinary examples – from Bill Gates releasing mosquitoes to at a HNWI gathering to demonstrate malaria risk, to the famous Hemmingway six-word “baby shoes” story – showing how and why they work as a masterpieces in emotional precision These behavioural principles turn messages into memory
Who is the Playbook for?
This is a resource for:
- Fundraisers shaping major donor pitches
- Campaign teams building public appeals
- CEOs and trustees seeking alignment
- NGOs refining their global proposition
What makes this book different?
It’s grounded in behaviour, not opinion.
Every tool in the book is based on decision science — including cognitive biases, framing effects, social proof, loss aversion, messenger effects, and bounded rationality.
It’s built from real cases —successful and unsuccessful.
Over 100 cases written by the =mc consulting team, and 250 global cases studied for comparison, inform the playbook’s principles.
It’s designed for action.
Each chapter ends with specific “Action Points”, making the playbook as practical as a fundraising workshop.
How to get your copy
The Case for Support Playbook will be available from Amazon in January 2026, or direct from =mc consulting.
"A brilliant insight into how to create a genuinely creative case for support."
"An incredibly rich and generous resource. I’m sharing it with the wider team right now."
"Bernard offers a flexible and innovative way to create your case for support — super useful for any fundraising organisation."