Top tips for getting case studies
Read our top tips below to help you get more case studies using the askCHARITY Answer Service:
1. Think carefully about how you word requests
The way you word requests has a real impact on the response you get from charities. Initially they may only have this to go on when thinking about your final piece or how you might treat their case studies.
When you write a request you effectively construct the person you are looking for, with this in mind think about how you label people and what parts you give them to play in your story.
One of the most frequent complaints that we get from charities is that journalists' requests aren't aimed at the voluntary sector, so please keep your audience in mind.
2. Use the askCHARITY search when dealing with sensitive requests
Charities often deal with some of society's most vulnerable people. With this in mind, if your request is very sensitive then it's sometimes best to use the askCHARITY search - to find the most relevant organisations to call directly.
3. Tell charities how they benefit from helping you
Charities can be under-resourced and short of time so they need to see it's worth their while to help you. Why not offer to: raise important issues, give a name check, make a donation to the charity or include their helpline number or website address.
4. Don't send the same request too many times
Journalists are limited to two requests per day meaning you'll be able to choose eight different charity categories. This ensures you reach thousands of contacts in one go.
Some journalists send the same request out over a matter of days so they can reach all of the charity categories. However, most of the charities on askCHARITY belong to more than one category, meaning they may receive multiple copies of your requests. With this in mind, in most cases it is best to send a maximum of two identical requests.
How to get help from us
Please email Emma or call her on 020 7426 8877.
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