Sometimes drumming up sponsorship means going about things the old-fashioned way — by making telephone calls and writing letters.
- Make lots of phone calls. Call local businesses and find out if they are interested in reaching your market. Come up with a 20-second or less pitch that explains the event, the audience and the benefits to the company you are pitching. If they are interested, you can go into more detail.
- Calls will vary. The type of companies you reach out to will vary in size. If you talk to small businesses, you will likely speak to the owner of the business about your event. At medium-sized companies, you may speak to a marketing department rep. Large companies get sponsorship requests frequently and may have a sponsorship request guideline to follow. You may have to submit this months ahead of your event.
- Tap agencies. Try contacting public relations or advertising agencies to see if any of their clients might be interested in sponsorship at your event.
- Look at your competition. Find any similar events to yours and review their sponsors.
- Send proposal letters. Keep the letter short and focused on what the solicited company will receive for their money.
- Customize the letter. Make your potential sponsors feel like you are talking to them directly, not like they are reading a mass mailing.
- Be specific. Request a particular level of funding from each potential sponsor and tell them what that will get them.
- Be clear. Make sure your sponsor benefits are easily found and easy to understand in your letter.
- Personal touch. Hand sign each letter and include a short description or additional brochure about what your organization does.
Read more about these tips condensed from an article originally authored by Rebecca Mojica and posted on idealist.org
