Ideas for sponsorship

I work for a non-profit, and we have two big fundraising campaigns every year.

First, pay attention to events that go on in your community. A lot of the time you'll see banners/marketing material that say "Thank you to our generous sponsors." Make note of those companies because they have $$$ to donate.

Second, SOLICIT. We send out letters asking for help. In the letter we include a brief blurb on our organization, our mission statement, our organization's accomplishments so far, and a brief detail of the event we're seeking funding for. If there's an event flyer, we include that too. The Children's Miracle Network is a widely known organization, so by emphasizing that, hopefully you can convince them to donate!

Ditto what the others have said about soliciting help from national HQ of large corporations. You might want to stick to something locally. Do you have a close relationship with your alum chapter? If so, ask if they have any contacts in the community and if they'd be willing to co-sign the solicitation letter. In the non-profit I work for, we have a dedicated bunch of Board of Directors from different sectors in the community, and that generates a lot of donations.

Finally, FOLLOW UP. Make that phone call. Sometimes things get lost in the mail or they overlook it. Sometimes they might have questions. The worst they can say is "no," right?

[jwright25]

Originally Posted by OTW

Second, SOLICIT. We send out letters asking for help. In the letter we include a brief blurb on our organization, our mission statement, our organization's accomplishments so far, and a brief detail of the event we're seeking funding for. If there's an event flyer, we include that too. The Children's Miracle Network is a widely known organization, so by emphasizing that, hopefully you can convince them to donate!

Absolutely. And I'm sure this goes without saying, but make absolutely sure that EVERYTHING you send out is prepared professionally. You don't have to pay a PR firm - surely you have a sister or close friend to the sorority who is majoring in graphic design or PR and can coordinate the packet. Brand your event (logo, colors, fonts, etc.) and stick to it. Call me a graphic design snob, but something put together in Word with TimesNewRoman and low resolution artwork printed off in the campus computer lab on 20# bond will turn me off when I'm looking at solicitation materials.

I suggest you also create "levels" of sponsorship: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum - or anything that goes along with your brand/theme. Make a list of what the companies will receive with each level and include that in your packet. If companies have a guideline to go by and know what kind of exposure they will get in return, they might be more likely to fork over the cash.

[PhiMucutie87]

Thanks for everyone who replied to my thread. I definitely like the idea of going to local businesses and handing out a very professional information packet. Since its a basketball tournament, I'm going to go to Dick's, Champs, and Finish Line since I live near a huge mall. Then, I will try to contact Gatorade too and see how that works.

Much Love and Happy New Year!

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by PhiMucutie87

Thanks for everyone who replied to my thread. I definitely like the idea of going to local businesses and handing out a very professional information packet. Since its a basketball tournament, I'm going to go to Dick's, Champs, and Finish Line since I live near a huge mall. Then, I will try to contact Gatorade too and see how that works.

Much Love and Happy New Year!

Go to all of the stores, not just the sports ones.

[DGTess]

Use your local alumnae, too. Many of them will have contacts or connections with companies you wouldn't think to approach.