“Stass is a pleasure to work with. She’s friendly, enthusiastic and empathetic, which are essential skills when working with case studies or people in general. She also always knows the right question to ask to get to the very heart of the story.”
Sophie Marsh, Royal Osteoporosis Society
Sophie Marsh
Royal Osteoporosis Society
Whether for PR, your website, the annual review, or a supporter magazine, powerful, well-writtencase studies illustrate the change your charity has made to someone’s life, building credibility and making the case for support.
I have a great deal of experience working for charities, collecting case studies,including ones for national media, BBC Children In Need, BBC Lifeline, and fundraising videos.
But there are some essential things that I have learnt over years of working with beneficiaries to write their story and prepare them for interviews:
- Being sensitive to the beneficiary and their experience –ensuring the person sharing their story feels in control and not pressured. This may be the first time they have talked throughwhat happened, and while it can sometimes be therapeutic, it can also be very upsetting. Being patient, explaining the process and ensuring they are supported and kept informed throughout is vital.
- Sourcing the proper examples – does the story evidence the point you are trying to make, is it relatable, is it recent, is it accurate, and is the person happy for it to be shared at that time?
- GDPR compliance – from accurate record-keeping to the importance of signed consent forms and document storage.
