Many small businesses are the target of a large number of non-profits, sports teams, groups and other local organizations in need of support.
There are 2 sides to these conversations – the small business and the small organization in need of support. The reality is – there will always be more of a need to support community organizations than the cability to support them.
Using some examples from the small businesses that I work with, I will present both sides of the discussion. I try to encourage using the donation letters and emails to start a conversation as many times, a business does not fit into a tier of Bronze, Silver, or Gold sponsorship. That then means you are mostly looking for a donation – money that there is limited return on investment.
That is what the small business needs – a return on investment. In the recent economic climate, it is rare for a business that can just hand out money without accountability. But, it seems that is the expectation.
For the organization requesting sponsorship – here is a list of do/don’t style considerations when asking for sponsorship.
Reaching out:
DON’T – just shotgun email a BCC’d list of companies with your generic sponsorship letter as an attachment without any body to the email at all. It shows that you are putting in the least amount of effort. Think of the email body as a resume cover letter.
DO – include relevant connectivity between you and the request.
Your sponsorship request letter can be generic, but this is your opportunity to show you have done some homework on the company you are asking for support. For example – highlight proximity of your teams home field to the location of the business, if your team members have been or are customers etc.
LOGO placement – using “exposure” as the valued asset.
DON’T – highlight exposure or promotion without a means of walking the talk. Be more specific of how the logo can and will be placed in a location that is viable for the company. Telling a small business that has an operating radius of 50 miles that you will show their logo 1000 miles away – doesn’t help them.
DO – highlight how you display the logo. If you have a “banner that is displayed at home games” – include a photo. If you mention social media promotion – make sure your social media shows how you have promoted past sponsors. It will be looked at.
FLEXIBILITY.
DON’T just present Bronze, Silver, Gold or other tiered packages. Many times it will be discovered that many items of the tier are not applicable to a business, so there will be a loss of interest.
DO use language that may initiate a conversation. Consider it like a menu, and highlight positive attributes you have to a sponsor and endeavor to engage in a discussion about building the 5 course meal that is most to their liking. Consider everything you have to offer in a list- similar to kickstarter.com or indigogo.com funding campaigns. Although those online platforms are similar to a tiered structure, it allows someone to pick and choose the attributes that work best with their business. Also, highlighting that only one top package is available may motivate a business for that top billing.
There are many other opportunities that could be a list of “best practices” that should be considered. Below I will highlight some of the ones that I have seen most recently.
Do use warm leads.
If you have a member that is a regular customer at a business – they should be the ones to make a request. To have someone that doesn’t support the business make the request, won’t instill a connection between the request for support and the organization.
Don’t ask a company to support their competition.
The reality is, many groups want support for an event that takes place at a competing restaurant or pub. Save that request for something more specific. Don’t ask a restaurant to provide funding to support having a party at another establishment. Yes, it happened.
Demonstrate credibility.
Talk about the organization, what it does, and don’t stretch the truth. If you aren’t a non-profit, don’t state that you are “like a non-profit”, as that just means you are a group of people that don’t have accountability, and just looking for something for nothing. Yes, that happens.
Also be able and willing to provide invoices/receipts – the bookkeeper will want to track the funding.
Give specifics.
When you talk about large/medium/small logo placements – give dimensions. That way a company can visualize their logo. Even a draft mockup or the outline of the intended scale helps.
Follow through
Make sure that after the fact, sponsors are contacted to evaluate their opinion of value. Thank them extra, and this is the first opportunity to warm things for the following years.
Think of the relevance.
Asking pubs/breweries to support childrens programs is sometimes problematic. Some locations have regulations that restrict alcohol outlets from what might be perceived as marketing to or with children. There may be ways for alcohol purveyors to support your needs, but it might not be in the fashion you want, but they might be restricted.
Lobby or community Organizations that traditionally are against “drinking” probably shouldn’t approach the pub they may have tried to get shut down in their neighbourhood. But it happens.
Anyway, when trying to think of how the business can benefit from supporting you – put yourself in their shoes. Many people are asking – make your request better than the rest.
Stay in your locality
Every community has groups that are fundraising/seeking support. Don’t stray too far afield from your community to try and garner funding in nearby communities from companies that have a more local organization of the exact same function.