Slide Decks
The Case for a Case of Slides
A slide deck—whether produced in PowerPoint or some other software—is an increasingly popular format for a fundraising case statement, especially for the preliminary case (often called the prospectus) that introduces a campaign planning study. If done well, a slide deck can be concise, clear, compelling, and attractive but not fancy—just what you need to engage prospective donors and their influencers.
With slides, you get a lot for your investment, since an experienced writer can often integrate images and a simple layout into the text without requiring the services of a graphic designer. The result may not be "high-end," but your supporters don't want gloss and froth from you anyway; they want a concise, clear, compelling case that's easy on the eye but not fancy.
Slide Deck Makeovers
You know what you need to say and you've given it your best shot, but you want people to sit up and take notice and, so far, they just aren't. One client comes to mind who needed to impress a grant-making board of major donors who had seen it all and weren't easily swayed, to say the least. He knew his slides weren't going to do the job. We worked together to make them better. A few days later he walked out of that presentation with the biggest grant the funders had ever given.
Slides and Scripts
Organizations, especially non-profits, often spend far more than necessary to create an effective presentation. A simple PowerPoint with a solid script and appealing images has the advantage of total flexibility. If you want to add something, you can do it.
If your situation (your campaign goal, for example) changes tomorrow, you can update the show quickly and easily. Funders will appreciate your frugality, staff will appreciate the simple production process, and you'll have money left over to spend on something else.
Can I produce a full-blown video with music, voices and sound effects that rise and fall? Sure, and I've done plenty of them, but for most purposes, you probably don't need all that jazz.
Contact me (Gail Terry Grimes) to talk about your next presentation using PowerPoint or other slideware.