Offering and securing a variety of sponsorship opportunities for a fundraising event can be one of the most important measurements of success. Yet, soliciting and securing sponsorships is one of the most intimidating parts of the job.
We often feel nervous making the ask—coming right out and putting a dollar value on our request for support.
Before you go into your next sponsorship meeting, consider the additional value to offer potential sponsors with online and customized sponsorship opportunities.
Practice your pitch for each type of sponsorship to improve your chances for success when you are face to face with your prospective sponsor.
Tips for Courting Sponsors
Remember, your nonprofit has a huge amount of value to offer in exchange for sponsorship dollars. You’re not seeking charity; you’re seeking a mutually beneficial partnership. You’re providing marketing, exposure to your audience, and the opportunity to build trust within the community.
The most important thing you can do in a meeting with a potential sponsor? Listen. Ask them what they would like to get out of the partnership, and assess what your organization can deliver on.
One of the biggest draws for a business or donor to sponsor a nonprofit benefit event is exposure to the audience, and building a trusted reputation within a community.
As a nonprofit, you are a respected voice. Show your sponsors how you’ll use that voice to propagate their message.
Online Sponsorship Opportunities
Exposure is one of the primary tools in the nonprofit arsenal for signing sponsors. Expanding that potential for exposure is key to boosting your value-add.
While preparing your pitch, consider ways you can increase your sponsors’ reach at your event—both in terms of giving a single touch the greatest impact possible, and developing trust and brand awareness.
If you’re using Greater Giving Online Bidding at your upcoming event, you’re already in possession of a whole box of sponsor promotion tools you can market during the solicitation process.
So how does it work?
Online Bidding places sponsor logos in front of guests as they bid—on the mobile device, on the leader board during your paddle raise, and on your website.
Online Bidding gives the ability to offer varying degrees of exposure, depending on the level your sponsor is comfortable committing. Place smaller logos for sponsors who commit at lower levels, and fill larger placements with big sponsors. That way, you have something to offer everyone.
