Strategic Casemaking is a deliberate process. Taking 30 minutes to think through these questions before you start will produce dramatically better outputs than filling in the forms cold. You can print this page or save it as a PDF to work through offline.
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Ground Game
Know your target before you build your case
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Your name and organization How you want to be identified throughout the platform
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Target stakeholder — full name and role Be specific: "Maria Lopez, Deputy Commissioner, County Health Dept." not just "a county official"
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The specific action you need them to take One concrete ask: approve a budget line, sign a letter, attend a meeting, commit funding
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The adaptive challenge — the big-picture problem The systemic issue your ask is trying to address, beyond this one transaction
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Level of power: Internal Staff, Gatekeeper, or Broader Public This shapes how the case is framed throughout all modules
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Act 1 — Craft the Vision
Values, aspirations, and shared stake
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One core value you and your stakeholder genuinely share Not what you wish they valued — what they actually care about. Dignity, opportunity, safety, belonging, fiscal responsibility
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Your vision of a thriving community 10–15 years from now Sensory and specific — what does it look like, feel like, sound like? Avoid policy language
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The everyday heroes already doing this work Name people, not organizations — teachers, coaches, neighbors, parents, community health workers
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Shared history or common ground with your stakeholder A past moment, shared challenge, or mutual experience that creates a "Big WE"
Do not mention the problem, the crisis, or the ask in Act 1. This module is values and vision only.
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Act 2 — Name the Obstacles
Systemic villain, dominant narratives, urgency
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The issue and geographic context Specific enough to drive real research — "adolescent mental health in rural Western New York" not just "mental health"
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The common myth your stakeholder believes The "bedtime story" — the narrative that creates a barrier to action. You won't repeat it, but you need to know it
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The failing system, policy, or incentive structure The structural villain — never a person or group. What was designed in a way that fails people even when individuals try their best?
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Three things your stakeholder is afraid to lose if nothing changes Think about their role, reputation, and what they're accountable for — not what you think should matter to them
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What makes this urgent right now A current event, funding window, policy change, or data point that creates a genuine moment
Act 2 takes the longest to get right. The research module will pull external data, but your inputs about this specific stakeholder's fears are irreplaceable.
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Act 3 — Present the Breakthrough
Proof points, value proposition, and the ask
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A concrete proof point where this solution has already worked Anywhere, any scale — a specific community, program, or initiative with real outcomes
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Your organization or coalition's unique assets Relationships, infrastructure, credibility, track record — things that can't be bought or built quickly
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Short-term metrics of success What does year one look like? Specific, measurable, credible
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Long-term metrics of success The 3–5 year horizon — the systemic change you're working toward
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Your specific ask Dollar amount, time commitment, policy action — as precise as possible
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A Social Math anchor — a relatable consumer expense Something your stakeholder spends money on that can be compared to your ask — monthly internet bill, a family dinner out, a car payment
Act 3 is where credentials belong — but only after the case for the issue has already been made. Don't lead with "about us."