How to Get Sponsors for Your Event

Whether you're hosting a charity event, a community fair or a conference for business professionals, securing sponsors for your event can help defray your costs. Sponsorships can cover costs for everything from food and beverages to event marketing. Event sponsorships are mutually beneficial. Individuals, businesses and organizations that help sponsor events can increase their brand awareness, improve their reputations and foster community relationships. Getting sponsors for your event entails educating potential sponsors about the benefits of sponsoring and supporting your event.

Instructions

1. Identify the mission, values and purpose associated with the event you're planning, as well as the target market the event will attract. This information will help you pinpoint the types of individuals, businesses and organizations that may be interested in sponsoring the event. For example, if you're hosting a football training camp for inner-city youth, you may reach out to teachers, local sports trainers and coaches, sporting supplies and equipment stores and other businesses that share an interest in children, sports or education.

2. Use local business directories to pinpoint which businesses you'll approach for sponsorships. Find out the names of the key decision makers, as well as each company's mailing address, phone number and email address. You can find business information through your local Chamber of Commerce website and through other local professional and networking organizations.

3. List the various types of sponsorship opportunities you want to offer. Examples include: donating food, supplies or equipment; providing services such as printing, Web design or writing; and paying to advertise in the event program or on the event website. If a business sells a specific product or service, you can ask the owner to sponsor your event by providing that specific product or service.

4. Create sponsorship levels, based on the types of sponsorship opportunities you want to make available. For example, a "Platinum Level Sponsor" may receive five tickets to the event, gift bag inclusion, and the company's name and logo added to all event communications. Meanwhile, a "Gold Level Sponsor" might receive three tickets to the event, inclusion in the event gift bag and a business card-size advertisement in the event program.

5. Create a website for your event. At minimum, the website should feature an "About Us" page that outlines the purpose of the organization, plus the event's date, time and location. Include a "Sponsor Us" page that details the types of sponsorship opportunities available and how to become a sponsor, plus a blog to keep people updated with event news and developments.

6. Craft a sponsorship letter that details the name, date, time, target market, location and purpose of your event. Use the letter to convince potential donors that sponsoring the event will benefit their businesses or organizations. Include information on each sponsorship level, or request specific sponsorships, as discussed above in Step 3.

7. Provide potential sponsors with a link to your organization's website, instructions for signing up to become a sponsor, and the deadline for submitting sponsorship information. At the end of your letter, let potential sponsors know that you plan to follow up within a week to see if they have any questions. Mail or email the letters to potential sponsors.

8. Follow up a week after sending your sponsorship letters, so you can answer questions and finalize your list of sponsors. After the event is over, send a thank you note to each sponsor and file their contact information, so you can reach out to them in the future.

References

• "Entrepreneur" Magazine; Tips for Event Sponsorship; Kim T. Gordon; March 2006
• Inc.: Corporate Sponsorship
• "Entrepreneur" Magazine; How to Attract Corporate Sponsors; Eve Gumpel; February 2010

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish