Get Sponsorship for Fundraisers
You have agreed to chair the spring fundraising festival for your local nature center. Among your activities you want to offer food for sale, nature walks, T-shirts, music and an animal display. As ideas mount up, unfortunately, so do expenses. Finding sponsors for your program can have a substantial impact on your financial success. Several strategies for obtaining sponsors will make your fundraiser fun as well as profitable.
Instructions
1. Recruit volunteers willing to approach possible sponsors. A number and variety of volunteers will lessen your workload and increase the reach of your sponsor search. People with business connections are helpful, but so are those who are members of philanthropic organizations and community organizations and clubs. Six engineers can build a bridge. One engineer, a PTA vice president, a local car salesman, a Realtor, a bank teller who belongs to the Lions and a church vestry member may build a better fundraiser.
2. Brainstorm with your volunteers to identify sponsorship opportunities for various parts of your program. Your animal show (fee $600) is intended to teach children about native animals and birds. Label this "children," and identify child-friendly sponsors. These can range from the PTA to houses of worship to the local toy store. A bookstore may provide financial support in exchange for the opportunity to sell children's books about animals at the event. The bank teller is sure that Lions funds are committed this year but will speak to the bank's community relations vice president. Cars may seem to be positively hostile to nature, but the dealership has new energy-efficient models and a hybrid to show; a general contribution advances its corporate going-green reputation. Because the salesman plays golf with the manager of the supermarket next door, refreshments become sponsorable. The engineer will talk to the local music conservatory, where he and his jazz group practice, about a student string quartet. Protect volunteers who fear presuming on a friendship or business connection by sending a different volunteer.
3. Print materials for potential sponsors to read about your event and present to decision-making superiors. Make your goals clear and offer sponsorship options. Make clear your policies on sponsor recognition and displays. A personal solicitation is made more effective with print that can be left behind and considered by those authorized to make donations, whether at national headquarters or in the office upstairs. If they need a letter to a superior, provide it promptly. If they want to know who your other certain sponsors are, tell them, or at least indicate who is being approached. Some sponsors want to know the company they're keeping.
4. Schedule solicitations and provide backup support for volunteers. Allow enough time for potential sponsors to react to your request. This usually means soliciting funds at least eight weeks before the event, and volunteers may need to answer questions, provide additional materials or make return visits.
Ask volunteers to note the time constraints of potential sponsors ("sorry, we review all requests in April") so that they can be approached on their schedule in the future.
5. Create clear sponsor recognition strategies. This may include a "thank you" page in the event program or center newsletter. Business cards, advertising materials, banners, displays and mention in publicity need to be decided before sponsors are approached. Their sponsorship decision may be strongly related to the benefits they see for their company or group. You may have to make some decisions as questions arrive but general policies should be in place. A new landscaping firm wants to donate a rhododendron for you to raffle, and the new silk-screen firm wants to send catalogs along with your T-shirts,
6. Coach volunteers, if necessary, in approaching potential sponsors. They need to note names and contact numbers; if the manager is there only on Wednesdays, someone needs to pay a call on Wednesday. Monitor follow-up strategies; allow two weeks or the time specified by the potential donor before going back. Provide a printed certificate of appreciation that merchants or organizations can post ahead of the event. You receive publicity for the event, and their customers learn about their generous community involvement. Discuss gracious ways to handle refusals. Offering free guest passes is an economical way to thank them for thinking about you.
Tags: potential sponsors, bank teller, firm wants, sponsor recognition, Sponsorship Fundraisers, vice president, want know