SPONSORS

Many events reviewed in fundraising manuals suggest your fundraising committee secure sponsors for the event. Some events actually require sponsorship for success. Your invitation to sponsors will be successful only if you can demonstrate that there is a benefit to them in participating. This benefit is usually publicity. However, in the case of electronic media, state or provincial licensing authorities often require radio and TV stations to involve themselves in community service. Very often, a sponsor will become so well identified with a charity or an event that the community thinks positively of them all year long even though the event may only be in the public eye for a few weeks, or even a few hours, each year.

Sponsors can be asked to perform three functions. The first sponsor function is straight financial support. Once an estimate has been made of the total expense for the event, you should decide whether one or more sponsors should be asked to become involved financially to help defray some or all of the budgeted costs.

Potential sponsors will want to know all about your group. They will want to know who you are, what your principles are, the nature of the organization and the specific event, what the raised funds will be used for, and how much assistance you are seeking. They will also want to know how they can benefit by involving themselves financially with your event.

Impress upon them the benefits they will derive from being associated with a fun-filled and successful event that will be well thought of by the entire community. If the cause for which you are raising funds is in the community interest, point out the benefits to your prospective sponsor of aligning themselves to such a cause.

To put into perspective the concept of benefits to a participating sponsor, let me give you an example of a policy used by an airline of which I am aware. This particular airline is often approached to sponsor events and donate prizes, such as free trips. In deciding whether or not to sponsor a given event, the airline uses a “10:1 policy.” Their policy, in effect, demands that the value of the publicity they receive from sponsoring an event must be at least ten times the value of the product being given away. While not all sponsors have a formal policy such as this, they will all expect some value in return for their support.

The second possible sponsor function is promotional assistance. This assistance could, again, be strictly financial, but it may also include providing a staff member to take charge of, or assist with, promoting the event. If a sponsor does agree to this kind of involvement, all materials should be discussed with the sponsor prior to its use. The sponsor will likely be adamant about this; after all, it is their reputation on the line.

If your event is significantly large in size and/or scope, a sponsor could also be asked to assist in the administration and paperwork of the event in order to free up volunteers to perform other important functions.

It is possible that a single sponsor, sufficiently motivated, will undertake all three functions. It is, therefore, very important that you impress your prospective sponsor at your first meeting. You must appear organized and confident. A sponsor wants their name attached to an organized and successful event – they want to back a winner.