A Case for the Humble Timeline
Infographics, data visualizations, and even simple charts and graphs are excellent ways to present a lot of information concisely.
Timelines are particularly effective at making long stories shorter, like the one I created for Swarthmore College in 2020. Their Dining and Community Commons (DCC) — part renovation, part new construction — is a project decades in the making. Sharing the history behind it was essential to making a strong case for support.
Graphic design by Lisa Spiller, SteegeThomson Communications, 2020. Information in the timeline may have changed and is used here solely for the purposes of this case study.
In a single two-page spread within a 12-page designed publication, the timeline quickly and concisely conveys more than half a dozen important pieces of information:
The age of the building now in need of renovation
The loss of an essential student social space on campus
The strategic plan directly links the academic experience to infrastructure
The campus master plan reinforces the strategic plan
Other new campus spaces demonstrate the College’s commitment to following through on those plans
Dining and community space were identified as high priority needs in a campus-wide study
A lead gift has been secured
An architect has been selected and plans are underway to begin construction
Could I have written all of that out in detailed narrative form? Sure, but in a highly visual case for support (which you want for a capital project so people can envision the space) you don't want to shortchange imagery by cramming in a lot of text.
Other ways to convey more with less:
Use stakeholder quotes to convey need.
Always label architectural renderings so that donors understand they aren’t necessarily final designs, such as “Pre-design concept drawing; final design is subject to change.”
Don’t bog down your case with a long list of naming opportunities. Those work better in a separate and more easily editable supplemental publication, such as a PowerPoint deck with images or a single-page list where you can easily indicate which opportunities have been claimed.
Want even more tips on writing a case for support? Download our free guide: 10 Questions to Answer in Your Case for Support.