CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS

 Do you currently have corporate support? Introductions

What is a sponsorship? Sponsorship

Sponsorship for YOU (the nonprofit)  Opportunity to develop relationships in the community  Opportunity to pay for your event  Opportunity to build support Sponsorship for Corporate Partners  Marketing / direct customer contact  A fee for benefits  Advertising

 Sponsorship: fee in exchange for benefits (cash or in-kind) and are not tax deductible  Philanthropy: giving with no benefit (during appeal or campaign) Definitions

 Activation: promotion of the sponsor, ways to engage sponsor and consumer  In-Kind: covering the cost of service instead of exchange of cash Definitions

 A marriage  Commitment  Partnership  Time  Energy  Effort Relationships

 Why people give  People give to people  Because of the relationship  Brand alignment  Social benefits  Special treatment benefits Relationships

Sponsorship Proposal What should your proposal contain? Take a moment and make a list

Letter of Introduction  Ask for sponsorship  Introduce the event  Introduce the organization  Identify how to follow up  Include contact information About the Organization  Mission statement  Who you are, what you do, and who you serve  Demographic of service  Important numbers, milestones Sponsorship Proposal What should your sponsorship proposal contain?

About the Event  Who, what, when, where, why, how  Include audience demographics Sponsorship Levels  Include benefits and amounts Confirmation Form  Sponsorship level identification  Sponsor contact information  Payment information Sponsorship Proposal What should your sponsorship proposal contain?

Sponsorship Proposal Is it?  Clear  Concise  Clever  Confident

Timing  Be considerate of their time  Don’t always ask for money  Give your sponsors time  Smaller sponsors should be days out  Larger sponsors need to be in annual budgets, solicit one year out  Standard fiscal years March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31 When should you solicit?

Timing  Umbrella sponsorships, multiple engagements, events, program  Ask them which specific pieces they want to put together  Multi-year commitment

 Build on the relationship  Send the proposal  Follow up with a call AND  Set a meeting The Ask

 Set a goal for the meeting  ASK / open ended questions  Get a contract/MOU/ confirmation The Ask

 Getting them confirmed  Meeting, , phone  Being a good partner  You are an equal partner in the conversation  Details are important  The contract  Invoicing / follow up

The Sponsorship Commitment  Following up on the promised commitments  Speaking pitfalls at an event – don’t let sponsors go on and on  The risk of giving away sponsorships  Don’t make sponsors do the work  Guest appreciation at an event

Thank You  Evaluation for sponsors  What did they receive  Fulfillment package  Wrap up meeting (thank you and valuation)  Don’t include an ask for next sponsorship

Retaining Sponsors  Recognition  Thank you  A hand written note  Social media  Wrap up packet  Thank you meeting  Calendar – build on the relationship  Set strategy for next year

Remember, it is all about relationships, not lists

THANK YOU! Dwight Adkins