Substance and Style

    Find Sponsors for Your Fundraising Event

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    While there are many possible revenue streams for fundraising events, most rely on sponsorships for the biggest chunk of change. Here are some tips for maximizing your sponsorship dollars:

    1. Have a good handle on the event’s tone before approaching sponsors. While sponsors do it for the cause, they also do it for the marketing and publicity. It’s important to know who will be the audience for the advertising exposure.
    2. Create different sponsorship levels for a range of prices. Typically, these can include: program ads of various sizes, event tickets, signage, social media acknowledgement, being listed in an annual report, etc. 
    3. Make sure you’re creating high quality graphics and/or working with reputable designers and printers so that sponsors are pleased with their ads and signs.
    4. Create a short pitch that emphasizes the benefits of sponsorship, your mission, and the impact sponsorship will have.
    5. Look for sponsorships from the people most likely to give them. It’s fine to reach and ask anyone and everyone you can think of, but spend the majority of your effort where you’re likely to have the most success:
      1. Vendors. The people your nonprofit gives its business to (banks, accountants, cleaning companies, insurance brokers, etc.) are by far the most likely people to say yes.
      2. Local businesses that sponsor other events. Take a look at other local nonprofits and see who they’re thanking. Sometimes these businesses have a particular connection to that nonprofit and won’t want to help you out; other times, they are just socially conscious people looking to help out their community.
      3. Your network. Reach out to the whole network of your Board, your staff, and your clients. Send out email blasts and advertise the event and sponsorship opportunities on all your social media channels. 
      4. People with similar missions. Reach out to anyone who is working toward the same goal you are.
      5. Big chains. Sometimes big chains do sponsor small events; it’s just a matter of finding one that prioritizes your mission. Grocery stores, large banks, and large corporations are all good places to look for corporate giving. Look at the websites of large chains that have local branches near you and find their corporate giving policies. Many allow you to apply for funds through a simple online application. Google “corporate sponsorships” or “corporate giving” for ideas near you.