How to Customize a Corporate Sponsorship Proposal
Whether it's football bowl games, the Olympics or a local fund-raiser, corporate sponsorships seem to be everywhere. They're good publicity for the corporation, and help the event organizers stay in the black. To attract a sponsor for your event, tailor your sponsorship proposal to the businesses you want to attract.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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1
Decide how big an event you're going to hold. If you're organizing the Fiesta Bowl or a Winter Olympic event, you may be able to target major corporations. Otherwise you'll probably want to focus on smaller, regional or local businesses (see Resources below).
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2
Draw up a list of possible sponsors. If you're raising funds for an animal shelter, think about pet stores, veterinarians and dog-training schools; if it's for a new computer lab at the high school, talk to computer businesses, parents of students and alumni who manage local businesses.
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3
List all the possible benefits you can offer. These can include ads in the program, banners, T-shirts and trinkets with logos (don't forget to price them, too!). Make sure you have a wide range to offer something for every budget.
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4
Think about who your sponsors would like to meet. A pet food company or a veterinarian might be thrilled to know someone from the local zoo will attend your event.
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5
Research potential corporate sponsors. Draw up lists of possible donors and look into their past philanthropic activities. You can find this in newspaper stories, annual reports, corporate websites and through networking.
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6
Customize your proposal for each sponsor. Show how sponsorship fits with their past projects, how it will benefit their particular business and how they can handle it without busting their budget.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Don't lose touch. If someone expresses interest, follow up if they don't call back. Send a thank-you letter once they commit to supporting you, and treat them like a partner, not a cash cow.
Learn when you can overcome a "no" and when you can't. If the price of corporate sponsorship is an issue, you may have room to negotiate; if they don't support your cause or your kind of event, you may have to cross them off your list.
