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Johnson Matthey: Aligning Strategy with Purpose

Creating and delivering a global community impact programme.

Project snapshot

Johnson Matthey

Providing advisory services, grantmaking and financial products

To design and deliver a programme that aligns with their purpose and vision

Impact Advisory Grantmaking

The creation and delivery of Johnson Matthey's Science and Me Programme is one way in which CAF helps them to deliver impact in line with their vision for a cleaner and healthier world.

The objectives

As a leader in sustainable technologies, applying cutting-edge science and chemistry to creative solutions, Johnson Matthey strives for a cleaner, healthier world today and for future generations.  Their pioneering spirit and peerless knowledge of complex chemistry have never been more relevant than they are today. With their strong DNA of science and innovation, they are enabling and accelerating the big transitions to decarbonise transport, energy and the process industries. But Johnson Matthey recognised that their contribution to society should not be limited to their scientific capabilities or the impact of their products. They wanted to extend their impact by investing more strategically in their communities and looked to CAF to make this happen. 

Our support

Designing a framework.

CAF took Johnson Matthey’s desire for greater community impact and challenged their initial thinking, working with them to identify a core objective based on their vision and their needs. This formed the foundation for their global community impact programme.  With science playing a key role in tackling global challenges such as climate change and health pandemics, many more scientists, engineers and technologists are needed in the global workforce. With this in mind, Johnson Matthey’s resulting objective was ‘to improve access to quality science education for all’. Our research into the social needs surrounding access and quality of science education identified several core barriers: attitudes of young people and influencers, a lack of diversity and social mobility, inspiring teachers and teaching, progressive career pathways and informed careers advice. These issues informed the focus areas for achieving their goal through the programme. We helped Johnson Matthey design the global flagship programme, Science and Me, using a £1 million fund created as part of their Covid-19 commitments made in 2020. This gives their sites access to funds to run science education projects in their communities with local partners through a grant scheme. And because science inclusion is at the heart of Science and Me, the programme is aimed at empowering diverse learners to positively identify with science and science careers.   This is achieved by:

• making science learning more inclusive, targeting learners who are typically excluded from opportunities due to their gender, ethnicity and/or socio-economic background
• building science capital, by helping people to better connect with science through positive and inspiring experiences and understand how it can help tackle the planet’s biggest challenges
• inspiring world-changing careers, by promoting science as vital to creating a more sustainable future and inspiring the next generation of scientists to make the world cleaner and healthier    

To help inform the direction of the Science and Me programme, we created an impact model or ‘theory of change’, an essential tool in understanding how to achieve the intended impact and outcomes of a programme and being able to prove its success.  We also worked with internal stakeholders and charity partners to identify and test ways of measuring the impact of science education, to form a consolidated list of metrics to be used for measuring their projects.  In addition to the flagship Science and Me programme, Johnson Matthey aims to increase their global impact through a new corporate-level charity partnership. 

Providing guidance and support for executing the strategy

CAF’s support continued by providing the practical guidance for Johnson Matthey’s local sites for engaging with the Science and Me programme. This included:

• supporting the development of guidance for identifying suitable charity partners and supplying eligibility and partner criteria guidance
• identifying prospective partners and establishing relationships with them
• understanding local purpose to provide opportunity for their sites to support pressing local issues in their communities in addition to the Science and Me programme
• measuring and reviewing the effectiveness of projects 
• delivering grantmaking support

With our help, Johnson Matthey launched its Science and Me grantmaking programme in April 2021. With an initial annual budget of £500,000, the grantmaking programme offers grants ranging from £250 to £20,000 to global organisations that work to improve access to quality science education.

CAF products and services used:

• Grantmaking
• Impact Advisory
• Company Account

Johnson Matthey has committed to investing at least £1 million every year in community engagement to address the needs of their local communities and fund their flagship programme Science and Me across hundreds of sites around the world. Their global volunteering programme entitles employees two paid volunteering days a year, aiming to achieve 6,000 days of corporate volunteering a year by 2030. Their match funding programme also doubles the money that staff raise for charity up to £1,000 a year per employee. Despite the pandemic, Johnson Matthey was able to run its first set of projects online in 2020, connecting with young people. These included volunteer activities in which colleagues connected with students through online chat forums to answer their science questions and developed science activity packs for disadvantaged children to use at home. They also provided mentoring and skills and careers talks for young people around the world. Throughout the year, over 200 employees took part in their online activities and they reached more than 1,500 students. They will continue to run virtual events to supplement face-to-face activities, as they’ve proved highly effective. Johnson Matthey’s Virtual Work Experience Week won them Best Online External Event Award at the 2020 Covid Comms Awards. During the week, more than 100 UK students worked online, completing team and individual activities set and run by more than 45 employees, including their Chief Executive. Still in its early stages, the grant programme is yet to realise its long-term impact, but will aim to see £500,000 in its first year alone being put towards key community projects improving access to science education. So far ten grants have been awarded, with several more in the decision stage. 

“CAF is helping Johnson Matthey inspire the next generation of diverse scientists, engineers and technologists through Science and Me. We learned from CAF’s research that there are common issues across geographical borders, but each country has their own unique problems to overcome. The structure of our grant scheme empowers employees to address the science education needs in their communities with local partners, all within the programme’s common set of impact areas and reporting metrics. This approach, we believe, is the right way to create lasting change and build strong community links.” Johnson Matthey

Project takeaways

Aligning strategy with purpose.

We were able to guide Johnson Matthey to bring their community impact programme in line with their corporate offering of striving for a cleaner and healthier world. Encouraging strategic thinking and a robust approach to their giving not only benefits the students they work with, but adds value to the scientific community by providing a more diverse and wider workforce. 

Providing constructive challenge

As an independent, experienced partner with a strong commitment to community impact, CAF is able to challenge assumptions of the best course of action. We were able to push Johnson Matthey further at every step of the way to challenge their ideas, expand their offering and maximise their impact.

Need help putting your purpose into practice?

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Leading Effective Change in Charities: A Case Study

On 3 november shoosmiths broadcasted to a live audience our conversation with paul bott, chief executive of saint john of god (sjog), a national charity based in the north east, which provides people with the skills and the support to gain control of their own lives..

We wanted to learn more about the cultural and systemic changes that SJOG has undergone in the last two years, a transformation recently recognised by the award of ‘Change Project of the Year’ at the National Charity Times Awards and in receiving four nominations (including one award for Finance Team of the Year) at the Third Sector Awards.   Paul had been singled out for involving colleagues on the frontline and for his ability to manage change effectively through good leadership. Leadership is clearly of the utmost importance at this time when charities have to manage what is within their control, by being the best they possibly can be, at the same time as campaigning for more resources to meet increased demand as we enter our second national lockdown.   St John of God was a homeless Portuguese soldier and started to provide help to others from a doorway in Granada, attracted followers, then developed a hospital. Paul explained that John’s fundraising approach would no doubt have attracted censure from our Fundraising Regulator – he asked a wealthy man to pay for the burial of a poor man. Upon refusing, the next day the rich man found a corpse at his front door which he quickly arranged to bury.

The followers continued to meet need where they found it. After John’s death they were recognised as a religious community and over the next 500 years the Brothers expanded their works and are now in 52 countries. The Brothers have been in the UK since the 1880s and St John of God Hospitaller Services - now ‘SJOG’ - grew out from the Order.

When Paul joined SJOG in late 2018 it was losing nearly £2million a year on annual turnover of £15 and 20 of its 26 services were loss-making. He explained that various things needed doing all at once to turn the situation around. Paul went on a tour around the country to meet the people who worked for SJOG and the people they support. He recruited a new executive team; built trust with his board by providing it with clear information; and showed his trustees there were examples of successful organisations so that decline wasn’t inevitable. Above all, he set in train a process where SJOG listened to all its stakeholders – its staff and volunteers and the people they serve – to ask them what was important to them (“what makes your life worthwhile?”) and what they thought SJOG should be doing to advance its charitable objects – essentially the relief of poverty, sickness, old age, distress and disabled people.

Over 400 people made their voices heard and SJOG produced a draft strategy document which it ran back past those stakeholders and tweaked on the basis of the further feedback received – in particular to emphasise the importance of the charity’s volunteer base.

This resulted in a clear purpose for SJOG (consistent with its charitable objects), ‘We’re here to help’ and that means meeting need wherever it is found, underpinned by core values, of hospitality, compassion and respect, and the formulation of 12 strategic messages – including the notion that SJOG are guests in people’s lives, will help people gain control over their lives, will be a living wage employer and will receive a fair price for the care the organisation provides.

These strategic messages are the basis of SJOG’s business plan – to which everyone in the organisation commits and by which they are measured.

Paul explained that the strategy is a living thing, not just a glossy document because everyone commits to “ Living Our Values Every Day ” (“L-O-V-E-D). LOVED is also the programme of non-pay benefits that people said were important to them. This is just one of the ways that SJOG shows it respects all staff and volunteers, and in return people give of their best because they feel respected.

Though significant change has taken place, there was little resistance to change because the people in SJOG were co-opted in deciding what they wanted SJOG to be.  Additional trustees have been (openly) recruited and the board is clear on its role to challenge in a constructive way, as well as to support the executive team.

SJOG has developed new services, in particular supporting people who are homeless and those who are victims of modern day slavery or trafficking. Working in partnership with a number of organisations, its services support migrants, street homeless men and women, victims of modern slavery and trafficking, tuberculosis patients and homeless people on discharge from hospitals, all deemed vulnerable due to a range of factors which may also include substance misuse and poor mental and/or physical health. Nearly half of the people the charity supports in its modern days slavery services have no recourse to public funds.

The pandemic has obviously impacted upon SJOG, as it has upon everyone else to a greater or lesser degree. Some of its services are changing, with services closing and being repurposed to meet a new need, but the organisation is also still rolling out new services. SJOG is adapting to our uncertain times because it has a clear purpose - to meet need wherever that is found, emulating the work of its founder.

SJOG was founded by a saint, run for 500 years as a religious order, is a member of Caritas Social Action Network, four of its trustees are Brothers of the Order (themselves professionally trained, in psychiatric and disability nursing, physiotherapy and teaching) and its charitable objects require SJOG to adhere to Catholic doctrine, so we asked how the charity delivers its mission in a secular society while remaining true to its origins.

Paul explained that SJOG is there to meet need of anyone, of all faiths and none. The charity is underpinned by Catholic social teaching but these seven principles – dignity, solidarity, the common good, care of the poor, peace, care for our world and the dignity of work and participation – are, he suggested, universal values that most of us would accept.

Funding remains tight and as we enter a second national lockdown very difficult times lie ahead – food prices are likely to increase going into next year, to exacerbate the food poverty many people are already experiencing - but SJOG is clear about its purpose to continue to meet need and will continue to adapt to fulfil it, working to increase its share of earned income, growing and replicating service models that are successful.

This information is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given. Please contact us for specific advice on your circumstances. © Shoosmiths LLP 2024.

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Leading Effective Change in Charities

Hosted by Robert Nieri of Shoosmiths & Paul Bott of SJOG Hospitaller Services on 3 November 2020.

Read the latest articles and commentary from Shoosmiths or you can explore our full insights library.  

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Fundraising Isn’t Transactional — 3 Case Studies That Solidify the Importance of Strategy and Relationships

I am constantly inspired by the generosity and leadership of incredible professionals and volunteers. Philanthropy is indeed life-changing and life-saving.

Yet, I find myself frustrated by the nonprofit sector and the fundraising profession. For decades, giving has been a relatively stagnant percentage of gross domestic product. Too often, there’s a scarcity mentality instead of blue-sky thinking. This thinking limits potential giving and leads to unnecessary competition among organizations and even within organizations.

While we have many superstars in the nonprofit arena, too many professionals don’t understand the art, science and nuances of nonprofit leadership — boards, strategic planning, program evaluation and fundraising — and too many others aren’t willing to insist on proven best practices.

Take higher education, for example. Although I’ve seen many leaders carefully research, plan, and properly strategize and implement fundraising, others just fall far short of their potential by not understanding the numbers or implementing effective fundraising strategies.

Today, too many institutions take a sales approach to fundraising. But fundraising isn't transactional, it's transformational. All donors have a season in their lives when they are not able to support an organization as strongly as they would desire, whether this is for personal, financial, health, family or other considerations — including a lack of connectivity to the institution or the project.

Case Study No. 1: Leadership Troubles

One major institution’s president had a public falling-out with its most beloved leader. As a result, many donors pulled out and pledged not to give again until there was a change in the presidency. With a new president, these donors returned. Several of the university’s colleges engaged in capital campaigns and staffing at the university-level increased dramatically. But while giving increased, the university was unable to peel back the layers, analyze where the money was coming from  — and why — or assess whether the capacity-building was effective. In this case, a new sales focus on the bottom line caused many donor relationships to suffer — and many effective longtime staff with deep relationships to leave.

A healthy culture is vital. And it is essential that higher education and beyond hire for excellence and then work to keep their staff. People stay where they feel valued and can grow.

Case Study No. 2: Lack of Fundraising Strategy

Recently, I read a news release about a university’s capital project. The release, which announced a $1 million gift, simply concluded by asking interested donors to contact them. This reeked of no strategy. Since I had a friend who was on the campaign committee, I dug deeper:

• Was there a campaign plan? No.
• Who staffed the campaign? The college’s chief advancement officer, who had no significant campaign experience.
• Was the campaign supported by the university’s advancement office? As a committee member, my friend never met with anyone from the central office in support of the committee.

I then asked, based on the news release, “Am I right in guessing that you haven’t raised much after a year into the campaign?” I guessed correctly — they had raised just $2 million total — including the trumpeted $1 million gift — toward a $26 million goal one year into the campaign, following four to five years of cultivation.

Using a sales approach to fundraising hampers relationships. Fundraising is a long game. At one institution in the closing months of the fiscal year, the top advancement professionals gave their staff this directive regarding their fundraising expectations: “Don’t embarrass us.” Ouch!

Case Study No. 3: Impersonal Relationships

Another institution’s vice president began handling all million-dollar donor prospects, seeing himself as more of a major gifts officer than a leader whose job was to empower and inspire. In one notable instance, his sales approach backfired, prompting the loss of a potential seven-figure gift that the college had been working for years to cultivate. The would-be donor expressed frustration over the vice president’s repeated missteps, including taking the project away from the people and the college that understood it best and with whom they had a relationship. A focus on long-term relationships and the use of moves management to include staff and volunteers as primary and secondary players is vital to a transformational experience.

At the same institution, a donor who had funded a $1 million program received a past due letter — electronically signed by the vice president — requesting the second installment of an additional $50,000 gift. As it turned out, the institution had not properly recorded or understood the timing of the gift. It’s bad enough that this mix-up happened, given that the $1 million gift had already been fulfilled. But, just as important, no donor should ever receive a bill stating that a gift is past due! If this delinquent status didn’t trigger follow-up research or if the vice president didn’t have time to call the donor — no matter how large the institution — there is a significant issue.

Maximizing success and deepening a culture of philanthropy takes time and effort. This includes gathering research based on an unbiased campaign planning study. You should also create a campaign plan that incorporates clear strategy, milestones and accountability — including proven best practices, such as sequential giving, as well as securing leadership gifts from the campaign committee when donors are recruited.

Be sure to have a donor-focused fundraising program and invest in all donor relationships in the most appropriate and personal way possible. Fundraising success is a team endeavor — not a Lone Ranger affair where it’s all about the credit. With any donor, be sure several staff or volunteers are engaged in the relationship to ensure it transcends turnover.

The right strategy and a genuine focus on deepening donor relationships — at all levels — will be an incredible asset to your institution and its vital mission in the short and long term to ensure fundraising isn't transactional.

Looking for Jeff? You'll find him either on the lake, laughing with good friends, or helping nonprofits develop to their full potential.

Jeff believes that successful fundraising is built on a bedrock of relevant, consistent messaging; sound practices; the nurturing of relationships; and impeccable stewardship. And that organizations that adhere to those standards serve as beacons to others that aspire to them. The Bedrocks & Beacons blog will provide strategic information to help nonprofits be both.

Jeff has more than 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience and is a member of the NonProfit PRO Editorial Advisory Board.

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The cycle of good impact practice: Case studies

Home » Resource hub » The cycle of good impact practice: Case studies

Case studies look in-depth at particular cases. They are commonly used in a communications or fundraising context, but can also be used to understand your impact by seeking to explore how change occurs and under which circumstances. They are well suited for outcome and impact data.

Here we explain how to develop case studies for understanding your impact.

Why use case studies?

• Gives a detailed understanding of a particular setting or process
• Allows for comparisons, for example, between individual experiences, service delivery settings, or geographical areas
• Can be a powerful storytelling tool

Limitations

• Examples need to be selected and handled carefully as they will not be representative
• Can be time consuming

How to develop case studies

1. design and conduct your research.

Select your case studies Case studies for understanding impact require a different approach to marketing or fundraising case studies. Rather than looking for stories about people who most dramatically illustrate the needs and benefits of your service, look for stories that give a more balanced view. You want to explore both the typical and the range of experiences of people who use your service, to gain a better understanding of the difference your programme is making and how people experience it.

Conduct your case study interviews Use the guidance outlined in the previous section on interviews to conduct your research. In addition, bear in mind the following:

• Your focus should be on the difference that has been achieved. Evidence is important for justifying your claims about impact, as is an understanding of context.
• Participants need to understand the role they will play and the ways in which their story may be used, before giving written approval via a consent form. Explain what you’re trying to achieve. Reassure them that their contact details will not be shared without their consent. Check if they are happy to use their real name or whether they would prefer to use a pseudonym. Ask about which types of media they would be happy to be featured in. Get their written approval on the notes you prepare and a consent form, to confirm what’s been agreed.
• Ask for any high-quality photos the case study participant is willing to share with you. If they don’t have any, check whether they’d be happy to be photographed and be clear about how the photos will be used.

2. Writing your case studies

Once you have your aim and evidence, you need to weave your story together. How you write your case studies will depend on how they will be used. A few general principles can help:

• Think about your audience: What information would they like to know and how would they like that to be presented to them? What style and tone will they find engaging?
• Reflect on the positive and negative learnings: It is as useful to learn from your story as it is to convey the good things. This also helps to make your case study feel more genuine and honest.
• Consider the structure and format:  Make sure your case study is comprehensive by covering the background, the issues and problems faced, the actions taken, the outcomes, and the lessons learned. Keep it as short as possible, but make sure you include enough evidence to support your story. Include quotes throughout to add authenticity.
• Review your case study:  Think about what your work has achieved that hasn’t been evidenced sufficiently. Ask a colleague to read through your case study to help identify any gaps.

Adapted from content NCVO

The cycle of good impact practice defines what impact practice is and articulates a clear path to success. It follows a four-step cycle. This page is part of Do, the second step in the cycle.

This webpage has been adapted from the Inspiring Impact programme, which ran from 2011 until early 2022 and supported voluntary organisations to improve their impact practice. More information about the Inspiring Impact programme .

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Webinar on Oct. 28: Activate Philanthropy’s Meaningful Middle Donors

Strengthening fundraising capacity to grow private philanthropy for the world’s hunger specialist

Opportunity

• In 2018, Action Against Hunger, the first and only nonprofit exclusively dedicated to ending hunger globally, sought a fundraising partner who offered both customized strategy and implementation to expand its private philanthropy portfolio.
• The organization needed to develop a strong pipeline of corporate, foundation and individual prospects with the tools required to effectively steward donors.
• Conducted a development assessment to analyze competitive capabilities, readiness to grow revenue and existing opportunities.
• Created a corporate case for support and turnkey employee engagement offerings.
• Identified, qualified and made contact with more than 50 foundation and corporate prospects.
• Reengaged lapsed midlevel and major individual donors.
• Established a Board engagement program with the Development Committee, working directly with each Board member to expand engagement around private philanthropy.
• Designed and launched the COVID-19 Relief Fund and hosted a series of promotions including a fireside chat.
• Visited programs in Ethiopia to inform fundraising needs and planning.
• Traveled to Kenya to train East Africa staff on private fundraising to encourage a culture of philanthropy.
• Connected the organization with more than 300 public and private sector campaigns through Global Impact’s Charity Alliance .
• Promoted Action Against Hunger across key workplace technology platforms, helping the organization gain access to sustainable, low-cost, unrestricted employee giving donations.
• Designed a 12-month fundraising framework and augmented Action Against Hunger’s fundraising capacity by acting as development staff to cultivate a pipeline of prospects.
• Over $1 million pledged from private donors including gifts to the COVID-19 Relief Fund.
• Private revenue grew significantly from $10 million annually in 2019 to $20 million annually in 2021.
• Secured a larger budget for investments in private fundraising efforts.
• Continuing work to this day, and actively managing the Board engagement program and strategies to grow private revenue during times of crisis and beyond.

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To achieve results like these, reach out to us!

Global Impact serves as a trusted philanthropy advisor, intermediary, and nonprofit partner for greater giving. We offer advisory and infrastructure services that drive strategic philanthropy for our nonprofit, public, and private sectors clients. With close to 70 years of experience, we have raised nearly $2.5 billion with our partners for global causes. 

Global Impact is part of Global Impact Ventures, a family of mission-driven organizations that serve all of philanthropy for a better world.

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How to write a charity case study

Pro tips to create case studies with personality.

Charity case studies are an effective and essential part of the charity copywriter’s job. A well-written and impact charity case study explains the life-changing impact that your charity has, which can inspire others to give, get involved and support you. 

Search online and you’ll be able to find thousands of charity case studies, so what sets out the best from the rest? A compelling case study not only captures the impact of your charity’s work but also connects on a human level, establishing an emotional connection with your audience. At 42group, we call this building human connections – and it’s at the core of great charity copywriting, content and case studies. 

In this blog post, we’re going to explore what makes a great charity case study, look at some of our favourites and provide a basic checklist of everything you need to include in a case study for your charity. 

Why write charity case studies?

Charity case studies capture the core of what you do and establish a strong connection with your audience on many levels. Here are some reasons why charity case studies are effective and a core part of every charity marketing strategy.

Create an emotional connection

• Humanising the cause : Case studies that focus on individual stories enable potential donors to see the real human impact of their contributions. While every charity says it helps people, case studies show it. A case study that presents the challenges, struggles, and triumphs of real people can evoke empathy and compassion and compel readers to take action. They’re highly powerful.
• Relatability : Case studies challenge and change perceptions. When potential donors can position themselves in the stories shared, the cause becomes personal. Relatability is a clear and strong motivator for financial support.

Demonstrate impact

• Tangible outcomes : Charity case studies that clearly illustrate the outcomes of your work provide a clear illustration of where your money is going – and the lives it’s changing. For example, a case study that shows how £100 can fund a food bank to provide essential supplies for a family in need for a month makes the impact of a donation tangible.
• Success stories : Success stories about the impact of previous donations – and the positive outcomes that this funding can have –  can motivate new donors. Knowing that their money will contribute to a proven track record of success is critical. Case studies are as important for new charities as well as old ones. Motivating donors to continue contributing can be just as challenging as inspiring new donors.

Build trust

• Transparency : We exist in an era where trust is declining in charities and they face a battle to maintain it. Detailed case studies that explain how funds are used can build trust with potential donors. For example, by breaking down expenses and showing the direct correlation between donations and outcomes, charities can tackle and alleviate concerns about financial mismanagement.
• Accountability : Regular updates and follow-up case studies focusing on ongoing projects can demonstrate a charity’s commitment to accountability. They build trust and transparency – key to establishing relationships with donors. That’s importance because: see above.

Creating urgency

• Highlighting ongoing needs : While showcasing achievements, case studies can also highlight crucialongoing funding needs and challenges. This can create a sense of urgency, prompting potential donors to act without delay.
• Drive specific campaigns : Case studies can be tied to specific campaigns or time-sensitive projects to motivate donors to give immediately. It’s especially effective when donations are time-limited and contribute to a larger goal. Case studies can help establish targets and provide relevance for readers.
• Involvement beyond money : People are more likely to donate if they feel they are joining a collective effort rather than acting in isolation. Case studies can establish and communicate this sense of community – ensuring individual donors of any size can understand they’re part of something larger.

The building blocks of a charity case study

Charity case studies are more than narrative accounts, they’re strategic tools to express impact. It’s a critical difference that the best charity copywriters understand.

Case studies can be written in several ways:

• As narrative accounts
• Broken down into sections
• In the first person
• In the third-person
• As Q&As

Whatever style you want to us for your case study, here are some of the core components you must include.

• Introduction : Set the scene by providing background information on the charity, the problem and the affected individuals or communities.
• Challenge : It’s important to identify and communicate the specific challenges or needs that the charity addresses. This section provides information about why the charity’s involvement was critical.
• Action : This is where we get unto the meat of your content! Briefly detail the response to the challenge and specifically what the charity did, keeping things grounded in reality. It’s up to you how you approach it,, but this could include the strategies employed, activities undertaken and resources allocated. Keep things brief and conversational rather than too detailed.
• Outcome and impact : We think it’s critical to explain the outcome the involvement of the charity had and showcases its impact. You’ll want to mix up quantitative data (like numbers served or funds raised) with qualitative insights (like personal stories) to create a rational and an emotional connection with readers. 
• Testimonials and endorsements : Readers want validation that they’re reading the trust. Including testimonials from other donors, partners or contributors – especially those who have been directly impacted by the charity’s work – provide credibility among your readers. 
• Reflection and future outlook : Charities are always needed so a case study reflects a point in time. In your case, be sure to reflect on lessons you’ve learned – including any challenges that remain – and how they’re going to shape the future of your work. Acknowledging problems increases trust, transparency and confidence.
• Clear and direct CTA : Case studies are powerful tools  to inspire action, so always end with a clear, direct call to action. That might be encouraging them to donate, learn more or something else. Make it easy for your readers to follow instructions.

Will following these rule help you write a great case study? Yes – but you should alos trust your instincts and insights into your audience. The best – and highest performing – case studies have personality and are written with a direct purpose. Here are some examples that we like…

Our favourite UK charity case studies

Here are some of our favourite charity case studies that encompass the elements that we’ve outlined above. These charity copywriters here have found a unique and compelling way to communicate their stories.

We’ve included these here to showcase great practice and provide inspiration.

The British Heart Foundation’s Personal Stories

The British Heart Foundation effectively uses personal stories to highlight the impact of their research and support for patients with heart problems. 

They know that these case studies create an emotional connection with readers, highlighting the life changing work of the charityand the impact of donations. 

Key Takeaway : The BHF does an incredible job of personalising the impact of donation. Using real stories is always the best way to do this – as the BHF example shows.

Oxfam’s Impact Reports

Oxfam is a globally recognised charity that has established a unique tone of voice and communications approach. It’s impact reports provide detail about their work backed up by robust data and interspersed with personal stories. Oxfam’s impact reports provide information non its impact and a compelling reason for donations. 

Key Takeaway : Data matters to donators. Incorporating data and personal stories is powerful, as Ofam show.

The Royal British Legion’s Remembrance Campaigns

The Royal British Legion uses case studies to create emotional connections with veterans and their families. Every year the Royal British Legion adds new stories and personal refelctions on what remembrance means, which ensures the charity remains relevant.

Key Takeaway : The Royal British Legion create connections with donors by reflection on history and ensuring its modern-day relevance. 

Crafting Your Charity Case Study: A Step-by-Step Guide

OK, so you want to create a case study (or series of case studies) but don’t know where to start? We’re going to walk you through how 42group approaches every charity case study project. We don’t sit down and start writing, but spend a large amount of time on research, planning and reflection to ensure it’s going to deliver the outcomes you want. 

Here’s 42group’s step-by-step guide to creating a charity case study:

Create a case study strategy

A case study is one part of a wider communications and engagement strategy. Before we write, we understand what part the case study will play in your plan and where in the giving funnel it’s going to land. 

Are your readers aware of what the charity does? What are they looking for in a case study? What’s motivated previous donors? What campaigns have been successful? What are similar charities doing? What’s sector best practice?

There are lots of questions but the process can be completed quickly. The idea is to help us build a picture of your audience and understand the kind of content that will be effective.

Identify your story

You’ll need to choose a story that exemplifies your charity’s mission and impact. If we work with you, we’re going to look for narratives that have a strong emotional core and clear outcomes. We’ll want to ensure that sources are able to speak to us and that we can share both the personal story and quantify the impact (ideally through data).

Gather information

Before we begin to write, we gather information. This could include directly conducting interviews or identifying suitable secondary sources. The idea is to understand your case study from as many perspectives as possible – which enables us to communicate its impact. At 42group, we record all interviews and transcribe them, which ensures we’re able to capture the case study with clarity and also avoid any misunderstandings or issues.

Dig into data

Interviews and personal perspectives are essential, but we really want data too. We’ll work with you to identify several sources of data (which enables us to validate it), and analyse it to pull out the relevant facts and figures to support the claims that we make in your case study. All sources must be referenced and validated before we’re confident using them in a public case study.

Build a strong structure

We’re going to start writing now, right? Not quite. We don’t write complete case studies until we’ve developed a structure and an approach and had this agreed. We’ll sketch out the skeleton structure of the case, dropping in stats and stories in the outline. In some cases, we’ll even write the intro to provide a sample of how the case study will be. 

This part of the process is critical as it ensures the case study will deliver the impact and outcomes that you want. Not every agency does this and this can result in unfocused on unclear case studies that don’t deliver impact.

Write with empathy and insight

Case studies can sometimes feel a little mechanical, especially if they’re created to conform to a template. This is where the art of a charity copywriter comes in. At 42group, we specialise in using empathetic language to tell your story. This isn’t about being emotionally manipulative, but treating everyone involved with dignity and respect – as well as communicating with clarity the outcomes and impact.

Incorporate media

Case studies are words on a page (or a screen) but the best incorporate medica. We always recommend that you enhance your case study with photos, videos and infographics where possible to make it more engaging and accessible.

Review and revise

Once written, your case study should be reviewed by all relevant stakeholders, including those involved in the process. In most cases, this is up to you to manage. We recommend one round of edits before producing the final case study (but in the real world, this can often become multiple rounds of amends…). 

However long it takes, the aim is to create a case study that’s both accurate and engaging. There’s a tension sometimes for stakeholders to dull content, removing personality to kep it plan – but we’ll always fight the corner for content that’s going to inform, inspire and create human connections.

Analyse, review and refine

When they’re completed case studies are done, right? We always recommend reviewing and updating case studies basedon feedback. This could be stats generated by web analytics or data on donations. As an agency, we’ll work with you to review and refine your case studies to ensure they remain relevant.

Create great charity case studies with 42group

We know creating charity case studies is hard, but we do it anyway because we love it. Contact us today and we’ll work with you to create unique case studies with personality that get results.

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Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) 5 Year Strategic Plan

ACF’s 5 Year Strategic Plan will help Charitable Foundations and Independent Grant Makers Work Together for Social Good

Eastside People ACF Association of Charitable Foundations Case Study

• Project: Strategy development, 5 year Strategic Plan
• Project duration: 10 months
• Number of Eastside People team members involved: 3 – project led by consultant Ruth Dwight with support from senior team member Rosie Chadwick ; account manager Richard Litchfield .

Behind every great organisational strategy lies an enormous amount of research, consultation and thought. As the CEO of the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) , Carol Mack , embarked upon developing a new strategy for 2023-27, she knew that the support of an external consultancy would be useful to carry out “a thorough and effective process”.

ACF is a membership organisation for foundations and independent grant makers across the UK. Its 440 members collectively hold assets of around £50bn and they give more than £2.5bn every year.

Out of all the consultants that expressed interest in supporting ACF, Eastside People stood out for their flexible outlook, ‘double diamond’ approach (which allows challenges to be defined and solutions refined) and focus on engaging stakeholders. “The other consultants had more of a cookie cutter approach,” says Carol. “I liked Eastside People’s style, which went down well with the board, and their emphasis on consultation which works well for us as a membership organisation.”

She adds: “We wanted a consultancy to come with a framework, and to challenge us to come up with new ideas.”

We wanted a consultancy to come with a framework, and to challenge us to come up with new ideas.

Carol Mack, CEO, ACF

The strategy development project ran from November 2021 until September 2022. It encompassed consulting with members, sector infrastructure bodies and other civil society organisations using different techniques. For example, during a month-long online conversation, a different question went live on ACF’s website every week and responses were invited. After each week concluded, Carol wrote a blog to share some of the feedback. Members were also invited to focus groups to share their thoughts on ACF’s emerging ambitions and goals.

ACF’s board was engaged throughout the process, including a special board away-day.

“Eastside People helped with the diversity of interactions we had,” says Carol. “These included internal meetings, staff away days, telephone interviews with members, member workshops and board meetings.”

She adds that, as an external consultancy, Eastside People brought a fresh pair of eyes, the ability to challenge, and a unique approach to facilitating conversations about questions such as the organisation’s strengths and weaknesses, or what role ACF should play for its members. “They have a repertoire of tools for this,” says Carol.

ACF also engaged another consultancy to focus specifically on diversity, equity and inclusion. “Eastside People were really keen to work alongside these consultants,” says Carol. “The interaction was seamless.”

Once all the ideas are gathered in a strategy review, finding a way forward can sometimes appear overwhelmingly difficult. As Eastside People’s Ruth Dwight puts it: “It’s messy in the middle.”

The role of a consultant at this stage is to draw on their experience to guide an organisation onwards. “The Eastside People team were reassuring about the challenges, for example, when there is no consensus about what all the data means or what the next steps will be,” says Carol.

“We can provide an objective viewpoint,” says Ruth, “and provide the confidence that we will get through it.”

In January 2023, ACF launched a concise, ten-page strategy to guide its work over the next five years. “Our members were telling us about the challenges they see, specifically around addressing inequalities, the cost-of-living crisis and the ongoing impact of the pandemic,” says Carol. “They also want to respond to the climate crisis, act more on diversity, equity and inclusion and work together on stronger grant-making and investment practice.”

ACF is committed to “strengthening trusts and foundations so they can rise to the challenges of our times”, she says, so the strategy “sets out ACF’s vision of diverse, vibrant and effective foundations working together for social good”.

Now ACF is working on an implementation plan for the strategy as well as a theory of change, with input from Eastside People. ACF is at a “point of acceleration”, says Carol. “It’s a shift in momentum.”

Read the Association of Charitable Foundations’ (ACF) Strategic Plan .

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