How to write impactful case studies

What’s your charity’s mission? How does it aim to change the world? What difference does it make in your communities? These are all questions that potential donors and supporters want answering before they part with their cash.  

 

You could answer them with some sharp copy, infographics, and stock images. But the most direct and emotive way to get your message across is through the people who know first-hand – your service users. 

 

 

Sourcing your stories 

 

To find good stories, it is worth building a process into your day-to-day work. Have a system in place across your organisation which colleagues can update if they come across a volunteer or service user who has a great story to share. This means that when you need stories for your annual report or some hard-hitting quotes for a social media campaign, you’ll already have them to hand.  

 

For smaller charities, the process could be as simple as having a shared folder in which colleagues can add details of any potential storytellers. Just be careful that any information you keep is compliant with GDPR and use a consent form to ensure you have permission to tell their story later (CharityComms has a free template).

 

 

Carry out an effective interview 

 

Preparing open questions, checking your equipment works beforehand, and carefully listening to all your storyteller says are key to a successful interview.  

 

Read our article on how to interview storytellers for more detailed tips on how to get the best out of them. And most importantly, really listen to what you’re being told. Your storyteller will sense if you’re genuinely attentive and interested in what they’re saying, and that can help them to open up more.  

 

 

Transcribing the interview 

 

Transcribing can be laborious. To speed things up you could use a transcription app, like otter.ai. Just make sure you look out for any oddities – transcription software still isn’t perfect.  

 

There’s also a lot to be said for re-listening to your conversation as often you’ll pick up nuances. As you go through, highlight any comments that really jump out at you. They can be useful when putting a structure together for your story, or can be used as pull quotes that emphasise the key points you’re trying to get across.  

 

 

Turning your transcript into a story 

 

Before writing, remind yourself of who the audience is and what you want them to know. Having that at the front of your mind can help to focus your story and messaging.  

 

It’s likely that you’ll want the story to demonstrate your charity’s impact. To do so, a ‘Before – During – After’ approach is simple and works well.  

 

For example: 

• Before. How was the person’s life before using your service? 
• During. How did they hear about the charity and what services did/do they use? 
• After. How is their life different now as a result? 

 

 

Keep the storyteller’s voice 

 

While you’ll need to heavily edit the story, don’t be tempted to use your house style or tone of voice. Even changing a few words can shift personality.  

 

This is all about the storyteller having a direct connection with your reader. You don’t want to get in the way.   

 

 

Grab the reader’s attention  

 

It can be tempting to start a case study with the nuts and bolts of who the interviewee is and their background. But starting with a direct quote will have more impact, engage your reader, and get them to read on.  

 

Similarly, scatter pull quotes throughout the story to draw in people who are casually scrolling through the article.  

 

There’s lots of useful information out there about how to craft your story, including Speed Read: Storytelling for Impact, which gives thorough guidance and lots of helpful tips.  

 

 

Include the detail 

 

Weaving in details throughout the story can bring credibility and immediacy to your article. For example, you might interview someone about a postnatal support group, and your interviewee picks up the phone telling you: “The baby just didn’t sleep last night. He almost dosed off once, but then the postman rang the doorbell and that was game over."

 

Using those throwaway comments within your article can help it feel genuine and paint a real picture of what life is like for them. 

 

 

Using your story in different formats 

 

When you’ve finished writing the story, send your storyteller a draft, asking them to check any facts and make sure they’re happy with the way it reads.  

 

When you have that agreed copy, you might want to draw out any quotes or stats that could be useful as social media posts or headlines for campaigns.  

 

It’s always a good gesture to share the finished article with them when it’s designed and/or gone live – and a great chance to thank them again for their generosity in sharing their story.