The latest writings from our team
How to do Corporate Sponsorship Badly! Part One
The goal of this post is simple: learn from my mistakes! I have been doing corporate sponsorship deals for charities, private companies, and associations and not for profits for a long time and I have had some great successes but I have also had some disastrous corporate sponsorship deals gone wrong.
How do I sell sponsorship for…?
I get this question or a variation of it every day, multiple times a day and at every speaking event, workshop and webinar that I run.
How to Secure Mega Sponsorships for Your Fundraising Event!
Events can be great. They can engage your donors, show off your cause, increase revenue and, most important of all (in my highly biased opinion) drive sponsorship dollars. Sponsorship sales can be a major revenue source from events. With a little effort, you can make your next event a sponsor’s dream!
7 Things to do to Prepare for the Holidays…and still bring in sponsorship dollars!
7 Things to do to Prepare for the Holidays… and still bring in sponsorship dollars! The holidays are a weird time! A mixture of excitement for some time off with family, daily invites to networking holiday parties and the pressure of year end all rolled into one. As you get closer and closer to the holidays people start to put things off to “the new year,” a magical time in the distant future where all of your tasks lie waiting. Here are nine things that you can do in December to keep the momentum going for your sponsorship program:
How to Get Sponsorship Dollars This Fall
Many corporate entities make decisions for the following calendar year by the end of October/early November, which means that now is the time to act or you could leave some money on the table. Try these techniques and strategies for the next 30 days and you will be surprised at how much money comes in during the winter and spring as a result! Tip #1: Think Partnership, Not Philanthropy This one is less of a technique than it is a shift in mindset. Is your cause important? Absolutely! Will it come up in a meeting with a corporate prospect? Definitely! But if you spend the majority of the meeting talking about your programs and your cause, you may be in trouble. As a charity, you exist to achieve your mission. You mission and programs are your product and how you measure success for your shareholders (donors, board and volunteers). Companies exist to make a profit, that’s how they measure success and how their boards and shareholders measure their success. In all likelihood you are pitching to a marketing, business development or HR person, all of whom are being measured and held accountable for their budget. Good causes are important, but […]
What I Wish I Knew at the Beginning of My Sponsorship Career
One of my personal heroes is Ira Glass, the longtime radio producer and NPR reporter. He’s turned the radio show into a modern art form, built for the podcast age before podcasts were even a thing. One of my favourite quotes about creativity comes from Glass. It’s a bit long, but I promise, it’s worth the read: “For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good… But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you… Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have… And if you’re just starting out, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work… You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”
The Sponsorship Journey Infographic
Check out our updated infographic all about the sponsorship process, from start to finish. Share this infographic on LinkedIn and help us get the word out!
7 Ways to Get Your Board on Board With Sponsorship
Following on from Chris’ excellent article on what boards need to know about sponsorship, here are a few extra tips on how you can make it much easier for your board members to become more comfortable with supporting your sponsorship efforts.
Goldilocks and the Three Sponsorship Packages
The practice of sponsorship sales isn’t complicated, when you focus on the right activities. Unfortunately, the sector has become obsessed with the sponsorship package as the primary sales tool, which is definitely not the right activity! While the sector spends more and more time perfecting their standardized sponsorship packages, brands (ie sponsors) care less and less about sponsorship packages. In fact, most brands throw sponsorship packages in the garbage without ever reading them. There is definitely a disconnect between sponsorship properties (ie sponsorship seekers) and those looking to invest in sponsorship.