Transforming Raw Data into a Funder-Ready Narrative
The Challenge
A national social justice organization had run a highly effective community health program for several years. Post-program surveys showed strong results. Follow-up data months later proved participants were sustaining new practices. Client testimonials were powerful and moving.
But it all sat in a Google doc.
The Chief Programs Officer (CPO) knew this evidence could unlock funding to expand the program into new communities—including seniors and other underserved groups. But with a small, stretched team, no one had capacity to transform raw data and stories into compelling collateral.
She needed a case study that would work on their website and in funding conversations. And it had to honour the dignity of low-income participants while making a strong case for the program's effectiveness.
The Approach
The Director of Communications had already conducted an initial interview with the CPO to understand the strategic direction and key messages for the case study. But with competing priorities and no bandwidth to write, she brought me in to transform that conversation and the raw materials into a finished piece.
Working from the director's notes and the Google doc of data and stories, I identified three strategic differentiators that made this program work where typical public health initiatives fall short:
Immediate application: Participants practiced new skills during sessions, not just heard about them
Agency over prescription: The program empowered participants to make choices that worked for their lives rather than dictating "right" answers
Community knowledge as asset: The program leveraged participants' experience and expertise rather than treating them as deficient
These weren't just feel-good principles—they were the reason the program succeeded where others failed.
I worked through the data to identify the most compelling proof points. Rather than overwhelming readers with every metric, I selected outcomes that demonstrated both immediate behaviour change and sustained impact months later.
Then came the most delicate work: integrating participant stories. These testimonials were powerful, but they required careful handling. The writing needed to centre participants' voices and agency while avoiding exploitative or saviour narratives. Every story had to reinforce dignity.
The Outcome
The final case study appeared on the organization's website and became their go-to document for funding conversations.
Community response was positive. Participants and community partners saw themselves reflected accurately and respectfully.
Funders responded. The case study provided the evidence and narrative they needed to greenlight program expansion into new communities and demographics, including seniors.
Most importantly, the CPO had a polished, strategic asset that elevated her voice in the sector—without having to carve out time her team didn't have.
Why It Worked
Strategic positioning: The case study didn't just report results—it articulated why the program succeeded where others fail, creating clear differentiation.
Dignity-centred storytelling: Participant voices were elevated without exploitation. The writing treated people experiencing poverty as experts in their own lives, not subjects of charity.
Funder-ready evidence: Data was curated and contextualized for impact, not just listed. Funders could quickly see both immediate outcomes and long-term sustainability.
Turnkey asset: The organization got a finished piece they could immediately deploy across multiple channels—no further editing, no internal bottlenecks.
