How to get Rodeo sponsors?

How to get corporate sponsors

• What is the procedure to get corporate sponsors for profit businesses. We are a youth organization, and trying to get corporate sponsors for our events and website.

• Answer:

  Hellow, shihan-ga! Since I do not know the type of business your youth organization promotes, I am supplying you with some general recommendations that you can gear toward your particular needs. First and foremost, you need to identify the companies that would be most interested in identifying with and supporting your type of business. Seek companies committed to youth ventures (especially in your community) as well as companies that might have an interest or attachment to they type of business your are developing. Once you have identified those parameters, you can properly pick and choose helpful guidelines from the following suggestions! If you are a youth organization comprised of students from various schools or neighborhoods, a good direction is to approach business owners who graduated from the local schools in your area. They are more likely to have a vested interest in seeing youth from their own neighborhood succeed! Why Find a Corporate Sponsor? **************************** The following information was excerpted from the Rossetti Enterprises, Inc. website, and the article "Finding Corporate Sponsors." http://www.rosemariespeaks.com/meeting-planner/sponsors.cfm "A sponsor is a company or organization that can benefit from having exposure to your organization. Identify a sponsor based upon their need to be known and recognized to market their products or services to your group. It is possible to use more than one company or organization to co-sponsor a program. Sponsorship is a win-win situation! The sponsor receives exposure to their target market and you receive funding for the program!" 2. Write a script of what you plan to say when making the call or sending the letter. Why are they the logical sponsor? How many people will be exposed to the sponsor? How much money are you requesting? What will the money be used for? How much value will they be receiving for their investment? What is expected of the sponsor? What do they need to do before the program? What must they bring to the program? What must they do at the program What exposure and recognition will be provided to the sponsor that are benefits to the sponsor? Display banners in the meeting room Display table for literature or products Exhibit booth space, Listing on the web site Ads in newsletter or publications Distribution of promotional items (Ex. pens, bookmarks, key chains) Logo on all program related materials Attendee listing Opportunity to network with participants Recognition at the program for a representative of the group to stand Certificate of participation Mention of sponsorship in press releases ===== (Please be aware that corporations don't always seek a tangible benefit, other than the desire to help a group of youth. However, it is always important that you highlight their sponsorship, especially on their website, as a means of saying a public "thank you!" ==== Considerations *************** The following information is culled from an article about finding corporate sponsorship for the "Project del Rio" student river monitoring environmental project. Although the project is not a "profit business" as yours is, the information still provides some valuable suggestions. Excerpts from "Finding and Keeping Corporate Sponsors," by Craig Heacock. The Volunteer Monitor, Vol. 5, No. 2, Fall 1993 at http://www.epa.gov/volunteer/fall93/financ35.htm follow: An Investment, Not a Donation ============================= We try to recruit corporations that have a stake in the communities in our project area. Corporate leaders want to see their donations at work in the community, and respond favorably to our requests when we can point out that our work benefits the people who work for and support the corporation. In approaching potential sponsors, we emphasize that their donation is really an investment - an investment in the community and its future, and an investment in the company's image and public relations. Making Your Case ================= Before you approach potential corporate sponsors, you need to have a thorough vision of your project - not only in your mind, but also on paper. Prepare an easy-to-read written document, with bulleted main points and highlighted objectives, that explains your goals, specific work plans for reaching those goals, and precise monetary needs. Business people expect their clients and peers to be well organized and thoughtful in their plans and presentations. The written presentation should emphasize the program's "selling points. Contacting Sponsors ==================== New monitoring groups often discover that finding the first corporate donors is the hardest task. Recruiting new sponsors becomes much easier once well-known businesses are already on board. If you can link the new project to an established, respected project, corporate sponsors may be more willing to take the first plunge. For example, associating our new project with the well-known and successful GREEN Rouge River Project in Michigan helped us to convince General Motors to sign on as our original sponsor As frustrated telemarketers and neophyte fundraisers know, "cold calls" are an extremely difficult way to make connections. Therefore, we always try to use our current sponsors to help find and recruit new corporations. Lisa LaRocque, Project del Rio Director, points out that "corporations get many requests for funding. They're more likely to listen to a request from a peer than from another solicitor." A little name-dropping never hurts. For example, a letter can start out, "Joe Smith, one of our project's sponsors, suggested that I write to tell you about our project." Include a "cc: Joe Smith, CEO, Company X" at the bottom of the letter. Often corporate decision makers are hidden behind a maze of secretaries and closed doors. Industry and trade associations meetings offer a prime opportunity for current supporters to avoid such barriers and network directly with potential new sponsors. Maintaining Support =================== The key to maintaining corporate support is to keep corporate sponsors closely informed of how their money is being spent to help the community, and appropriately acknowledge their support. At Project del Rio we try to link sponsors with specific schools or projects, so the company can tangibly see the fruits of their contribution. Sponsors might be invited to a monitoring day with "their" school or asked to join a specific advisory committee. Publicity is one of the major benefits that a monitoring project can offer to sponsors. Effective approaches used at Project del Rio include mentioning sponsors in interim and annual reports, publicizing a corporation as the major sponsor of a workshop, having the company name mentioned in newspaper articles, and producing T-shirts with sponsors' names on them. We offer sponsors a four-tiered system in which the amount of public and private acknowledgement a corporation receives is tied to its level of giving (see figure). We include a copy of this chart in our funding requests to help sponsors choose their level of investment. The higher-level donations usually come either from very large corporations or from company-associated foundations. We have found that keeping up with our corporate sponsors is a huge task, so large that we recently decided to hire a new fulltime staff member to handle public relations. The job involves promoting Project del Rio not only from the project's perspective but also from the sponsors' perspective - that is, making sure sponsors are acknowledged in articles, press releases, and reports. Communicating with sponsors - thanking them, updating them on program activities and progress, sending them special invitations to events - is another big part of the job. Finally, the public relations staffperson needs to assist in the sponsors' own publicity efforts by providing their public relations departments with photographs or materials for presentations, arranging special promotional activities, and so on. Staying Objective =================== We are sometimes asked whether Project del Rio's reliance on corporate sponsors affects our agenda or inhibits our actions. LaRocque says, "I don't feel we've had to compromise. We might not have the support we do if we took an aggressive approach to advocacy. But we look at advocacy as conflict resolution." ===== Ideas to consider when seeking corporate sponsorship **************************************************** The following was taken from the article, "Principles of Successful Corporate Sponsorship." Sponsorship Strategies, LLC. http://www.sponsorshipstrategies.com/principals_article.html "Properties seeking new corporate alliances and sponsorship can this use list as a guideline for establishing a new system for program development, partner recruitment and activation." Develop a plan: Be smart, strategic and thorough in considering how to package and deliver benefits to sponsors. Create a plan, work the plan and revise the plan as needed. Know your assets: Creatively consider how you can leverage the most valuable assets of your organization and property to provide true value to corporate sponsors. Dig deep and consider all options. Find benefits for all involved: As you devise a plan and conduct due diligence, identify methods for everyone involved to receive benefit from corporate sponsorship support. This can include direct revenue sharing or provision of other benefits such as advertising support, volunteers or access to corporate contacts. Determine methods of business development: Find ways to deliver direct business to corporate sponsors. If you can illustrate methods for sponsors to directly offset their investment in your organization, you will see corporate doors open when you come forward. Provide media: If your organization buys or uses media in any way to promote activities and programs, be sure to offer sponsors integration opportunities. If media is not a normal communication platform for you, consider developing media partnerships before pursuing corporate sponsors. Build in community extensions: Whether you represent a for-profit or not-for-profit organization, creating extensions for the sponsorship into the community is essential for maximizing sponsorship development success. Have a single point of contact: Centralize sponsorship development activity so that messages are consistent and appropriate. Corporate contacts will not respond well to organizations that have multiple people making contacts with the same or similar sponsorship packages. Leverage community relationships: The best way to establish viable corporate contacts is to utilize relationships that exist between members of your constituent community and the corporations doing business in your area. Someone having a direct contact with the local fast food franchise owner is a better route into the parent company than sending a "cold" proposal to the fast food company headquarters. Find internal advocates: Find someone within a prospective corporate sponsor company who has affinity for your organization. Finding someone at a level of authority with some knowledge of, and belief in, your organization can accelerate consideration of your offering at the right level within the corporation. Target appropriate companies: Knowing your constituency and assets is the first step in being able to identify the type of companies that should be approached with a sponsorship proposal. Read business publications and trade magazines to better understand the target markets of companies you plan to contact. Be honest with yourself about what companies may be interested in what your organization can offer. Sell using the "Three P's": Once you have a defined plan, sponsorship program communications materials and a qualified contact list, make your contacts with professionalism, patience and persistence. There are a plethora of other organizations out there seeking a slice of a finite pie. Those organizations whose proposals rise to the top of the stack are the ones presenting viable business opportunities communicated in a professional manner. Practicing "patient persistence" in making contact with prospects will lead to dialogue and, eventually, new corporate sponsors. Always deliver on commitments: Once you have a sponsor, be sure to fully deliver on all commitments and, where possible, offer additional benefits at no added cost. This will endear your organization to the sponsor company, providing a great source for additional corporate contacts and valuable testimonials. Start thinking renewal as soon as the first contract starts. Keeping current sponsors is a lot easier than finding new ones. === Find a Sponsor via a Website Listing Service ********************************************* Companies such as SponsorDirect help to link organizations and businesses with corporate sponsors via their website. IEG SponsorDirect http://www.iegsponsordirect.com/index.asp Fees: http://www.iegsponsordirect.com/marketing/fees.asp Example of a Sponsorship Opportunity Listing: http://www.iegsponsordirect.com/marketing/enhanced_listinginfo.asp ===== Corporate Sponsorship Listings ****************************** Some possible sources of corporate sponsorship money may be available by wading through the extensive list of sponsors at "The Foundation Center." The list is lengthy, and provides the particular focus of each company when providing sponsorship, so you can easily weed out the companies which would not consider your organization. See "Websites of Corporate Grantmakers." The Foundation Center. http://fdncenter.org/funders/grantmaker/gws_corp/corp_i.html ==== Sponsorship Guideline Suggestions ********************************** The following is taken from information provided by "Waterwatch Australia" at http://www.waterwatch.org.au/library/sponsorship.html What is Sponsorship? ===================== Sponsorship is an effective marketing and communication tool used by many businesses, organisations and government agencies, regardless of their size. Sponsorship is often mistakenly regarded as a form of corporate generosity. However, sponsorships are not donations, the sponsor expects their sponsorship will provide a measurable financial return. The worthiness of your organisation or cause is not enough in itself to convince an organisation to sponsor you. When a business is approached with a sponsorship request, they are looking to see a solid business proposal that will help them to achieve their business goals. The general aim of sponsorship is to raise the profile of the sponsoring organisation, to sell more products or services and to reach particular target audiences. Sponsorship also promotes a positive awareness of the organisation with customers, potential customers and the community. In large organisations, sponsorship decisions are typically made by marketing, advertising or corporate communication teams. Some organisations even have their own personnel or teams responsible for managing sponsorships. In smaller companies, the owner may make most sponsorship decisions. Most sponsorships are structured in the form of direct financial assistance, but this is not the only form of sponsorship. A second form is "in kind" sponsorship, which involves the sponsor providing equipment or resources. (e.g a hotel chain might offer discount or free accommodation as a form of 'in kind' support) You also should remember that all sponsorship comes with conditions and obligations, for instance, your sponsoring organisation may: wish to be a sole or major sponsor request that their logos, slogans or graphics appear on your promotional material review your budget, strategic plan or other documents wish to know about current or past sponsors need to approve press releases and other material Finding a Sponsor ================= Begin by looking at organisations in the local region.... You will probably be less likely to secure sponsorship from national or international organisations, as larger organisations generally favour sponsoring a handful of high profile events. However, if a large organisation has headquarters or a large regional presence in your area, you should always consider approaching them for support. When you approach an organisation to gain sponsorship, they will check that your activities and aims are consistent with their company. Likewise, you should thoroughly research your potential sponsors - and make sure that you actually want to be involved with them. A poor sponsor could detrimentally affect the credibility and reputation of your Waterwatch group Many publicly listed companies are required by law to produce an annual report, which can provide valuable background on a company, its aims, philosophy and major business areas. Press releases, advertisements and other promotional material can also provide useful background on how an organisation is positioning itself. Thorough background research will help you determine if you want to become involved with a company, and if you do, it will provide a good basis for customising and 'pitching' your sponsorship proposal. At some point, you will need to balance the costs and the benefits of any sponsorship. Some sponsors are quite relaxed, while others are more demanding. In any case, time and effort will need to be spent looking after the needs of your sponsor or sponsors. You will have to balance this effort against the resources, money or assistance that you sponsor offers. Contacting Potential Sponsors Unless you are very lucky, or have an extremely high profile project, it is unlikely that you will be approached by an organisation willing to offer you sponsorship. You will have to make the first step. Usually, you would call or write to the organisation, and ask about their sponsorship policy. You might also obtain the correct name and address of the person responsible for handling sponsorships, and deadlines for sending sponsorship proposals. Many larger organisations have pre-existing sponsorship guidelines which they will happily send to you. The most commonly accepted way of seeking sponsorship is by writing a sponsorship proposal and forwarding it to potential sponsors. It is possible to present a verbal case for sponsorship, but a written proposal is much easier for the prospective sponsor to review and analyse. List the Benefits ================= Your first step in putting together a sponsorship package is determining what, within your group, is "marketable". List every tangible and intangible benefit you could potentially offer a sponsor. You are unlikely to promote all the benefits on your list, but it will help you begin to understand what you have to offer to a sponsor. Value your sponsorship on merit, rather than on what you would like to receive. When initially approaching a sponsor, there may be some value in asking for slightly less than market rate for your sponsorship. Remember that you are asking the sponsor to take a risk on your organisation, and you are looking to establish a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship. Writing a Sponsorship Proposal =============================== Each organisation you approach will have different requirements, and will ask that you provide specific information in your proposal. Remember to follow any sponsorship guidelines provided by a potential sponsor. Your mission when writing a sponsorship proposal is to succinctly introduce your organisation, provide some background on your organisation, and to present a logical, well researched argument on why your organisation is worth sponsoring. Remember that the person reading your proposal may not have heard of your organisation, so never assume that they know who your are, or what you do. Try to create a proposal that is creative, unique and attention grabbing, without being smart or cute. The sponsorship proposal is essentially a business pitch, so it should be professionally presented in terms of content and layout. You should always try to keep it as brief as possible, and try to address the following basic points: Provide a concise overview of your organisation. Include your location, main activities and goals, a brief history of your organisation... Include the benefits that your organisation can offer a sponsor, and demonstrate how these benefits relate to the sponsor's ethos, business goals and activities. List the credentials of your organisation and key personnel. The sponsor needs to know that they will be dealing with experienced and reputable individuals. Supply a list of current and past sponsors (if applicable). The organisation you are approaching will want to review the background of existing sponsors, and check that you are not being sponsored by a competitor. Provide references or endorsements from past sponsors (if possible). It is in your interest to establish a track record of successfully dealing with other sponsors. Outline any rights that you are prepared to offer the sponsor. Will the organisation be an exclusive or major sponsor? Alternatively, will it be one of many sponsors? Are you offering the organisation naming rights? (this is when the sponsor's name is incorporated into the title of your group) Explain the nature and extent of any favourable media coverage your group has received, and include brief examples. Supply a realistic estimate of the amount of people who regularly participate in or who aid the sponsored activities. Demonstrate the current level of community support and awareness for your project. Sponsors have a strong interest in supporting projects that have wide community support *** (Please read the remainder of the article about working with and retaining your sponsors, and avoiding common mistakes!) === As suggested, I would identify those companies who would seem most interested in your particular business venture. You can also target wealthy individuals within your community who would like to see local youth succeed, rather than focus solely on corporations. Also, remember that sponsors provide money for a variety of reasons. They do not always want financial gain, themselves. Often, sponsors contribute money strictly for personal satisfaction. Keep that in mind when writing letters and approaching individuals! And, always remember to provide a public "Thank you," via a newspaper, brochure, or website!! That is extremely important. I hope this provides enough information for you to gain some valuable direction! Let me know if you need additional clarification. I will be more than happy to help if I can. umiat-ga Google Search Strategy finding corporate sponsors developing a youth business corporate sponsors for Youth business projects