sponsorship letters
Examples of sponsorship letters
Insert Date
Joe Bloggs Esq
Marketing Director
Widgets International Ltd
Works Way
NEWTOWN
Dear Mr Bloggs
Re: Sponsorship of www.ponyclub.org
As the sponsorship coordinator of www.ponyclub.org I wondered if your company would be interested in financially helping some of our riders compete in the USPC National Championships. As one of the leading clubs in the region we have a long track record of excellence both in competition and the administration of our sport. The team has only recently been formed but has already made a significant impact on the national stage. We anticipate the team will be
I am writing to you because Widgets International Ltd's products would appeal to many, if not all of our players and spectators. Sponsorship of our riding team would raise the profile of Widgets International amongst over x potential customers. In return for your investment in the team Widgets International would receive the following benefits:
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. If I may, I will phone your office in the next few days to arrange a convenient time to discuss the details of this proposed partnership.
Yours sincerely,
Anne Other
Sponsorship Co-ordinator
i just received a letter asking for a donation for the National MS Society. The letter had this sort of format:
Dear Friend,
I have been selected by Pi Kappa Alpha to be the corporate sponsor representative for the Pi Kappa Alpha Gulf Coast Alumni Association Golf Tournament of 2004. Pi Kappa Alpha is a group of professionals who....blah blah blah. With this honor, I have accepted the responsibility of raisining money to support the Gulf Coast Chapter. I have a very ambitious personal goal of $10,000 that i want to raise for the cause. Please join me in this endeavor.
The Pi Kappa Alpha GCAA is...blah blah blah (talk about what you do for the community, etc. on a national level, then perhaps a second paragraph on your contributions locally)
I hope that you will help sponsor me in the PKA GCAA Golf Tournament.
Enclosed is a pledge card witha returen addressed envelope for your convenience. (Or I will follow up with you by phone in a few days....) (if you send a pledge card make sure to include what checks should be made payable to) If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at _________. I look forward to hearing that you will participate with me in this worthwhile project.
Sincerely,
Jody Bond
Title
However, if you can make a good case for sponsorship as a legitamate advertising/marketing spend then you have a better chance of success. Take stock of what you can offer - advertising in literature, branding at an event, press coverage etc... - if you can make this \'free\' publicity worth the value of the sponsorship then it makes economic sense to a business regardless of the charitable value of your cause.
Going forward, try to make any approaches to business through contacts rather than cold letter. Speak to everyone involved in your cause - specifically directors - to develop a list of contacts. Try to get those people to make the initial contact.
Where this isn\'t possible - your next step is to draw up a list of other potential sponsors. It is unlikely that anyone will agree to sponsorship on the basis of a letter alone so your aim should always be to get a quick meeting.
Our usual process is an initial phone call requesting a meeting, followed by a supporting letter to brief the person before the meeting and then the meeting itself to hopefully get the commitment.
When structuring your \'argument\' - on the phone or by letter - try the following:
1. Introduction to yourself and your cause
2. Succinctly tell people what you are looking for
3. Explain the commercial benefits to them - ie publicity
4. Ask for what you need - ie. a meeting first, not the money
5. Point to the next step - ie. you\'ll phone them, you\'ll meet them. you\'ll send more info etc...
And, just as a quick cheat - get a book of sales letters - I\'ve always found these a good template for drafting sposnorship letters and proposals.
I hope that\'s of some help but please feel free to get in touch if I can be of any further assistance - and - depending on where you are in the country we may be able to offer some tangible help in getting \'sponsorship-in-kind\'.
Mark Nagurski
As you know, a good letter alone won’t do it, but a good project support collaboration meeting the needs of a sponsor will. And though business sponsorships are mostly philanthropic in nature, you must do your best to answer the inevitable question the officials at the business will ask, along the lines of, “What’s in it for us?”
You will have the core of a compelling sponsorship letter if you can say to the business that sponsorship of your project will:
• Enhance the image of the company as a good corporate citizen of the community;
• Promote good will among its employees;
• Impress and influence high caliber constituents, donors, and volunteers of your organization, many of whom are leaders in their professions, and executives of leading area companies;
• Foster, establish, strengthen, and enhance key business relationships with its customers, clients, distributors, and with financial, industrial and governmental institutions;
• Enhance its image among the company’s shareholders;
• Generate increased awareness and appreciation of the business among the general public;
• And, most important, help fund and make possible your organization as a community asset.
Writing your sponsorship solicitation letter is not an especially hard thing to do. You might want to consider the following suggestions:
(1) Determine the exact amount of money you need (want). Make a simple and to-the-point main reason for giving to your organization, with strong focus on the people who benefit---then a short description of your organization’s programs. And get to the main issue for support right away for the desired project and what the money raised for it will do for whom and how.
(2) Identify any links to that business from your own organization’s board of trustees, other volunteers, donors, staff, etc.---those individuals being the most capable of getting immediate attention to your proposal.
(3) List any and all ways you could promote and otherwise recognize the sponsor. Company name in any and all media, press releases, on a sign at the dedication of the program, etc., any and all ways you can think of. If possible, add to the list an invitation to the company’s top officials (and spouses) for an appreciation or dedication reception.
It’s worth repeating, that while you are seeking money in a philanthropic spirit for such a good cause, when it comes to businesses, especially for sponsorships, it works best to have as many ways identified as possible that you can publicly show them as generous and caring corporate citizens---and that they can justify the giving of such money to their shareholders, clients, customers and employees.
(4) Shortly after sending the letter, pick up the phone to call to follow-up and to ask for a meeting. You will take someone from the Board and take your list for presentation of the ways you will recognize and promote the sponsor.
Do take the short (and I hope useful) time to read my article on my website:
http://www.raise-funds.com/799forum.html
Insert Date
Joe Bloggs Esq
Marketing Director
Widgets International Ltd
Works Way
NEWTOWN
Dear Mr Bloggs
Re: Sponsorship of www.ponyclub.org
As the sponsorship coordinator of www.ponyclub.org I wondered if your company would be interested in financially helping some of our riders compete in the USPC National Championships. As one of the leading clubs in the region we have a long track record of excellence both in competition and the administration of our sport. The team has only recently been formed but has already made a significant impact on the national stage. We anticipate the team will be
I am writing to you because Widgets International Ltd's products would appeal to many, if not all of our players and spectators. Sponsorship of our riding team would raise the profile of Widgets International amongst over x potential customers. In return for your investment in the team Widgets International would receive the following benefits:
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. If I may, I will phone your office in the next few days to arrange a convenient time to discuss the details of this proposed partnership.
Yours sincerely,
Anne Other
Sponsorship Co-ordinator
i just received a letter asking for a donation for the National MS Society. The letter had this sort of format:
Dear Friend,
I have been selected by Pi Kappa Alpha to be the corporate sponsor representative for the Pi Kappa Alpha Gulf Coast Alumni Association Golf Tournament of 2004. Pi Kappa Alpha is a group of professionals who....blah blah blah. With this honor, I have accepted the responsibility of raisining money to support the Gulf Coast Chapter. I have a very ambitious personal goal of $10,000 that i want to raise for the cause. Please join me in this endeavor.
The Pi Kappa Alpha GCAA is...blah blah blah (talk about what you do for the community, etc. on a national level, then perhaps a second paragraph on your contributions locally)
I hope that you will help sponsor me in the PKA GCAA Golf Tournament.
Enclosed is a pledge card witha returen addressed envelope for your convenience. (Or I will follow up with you by phone in a few days....) (if you send a pledge card make sure to include what checks should be made payable to) If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at _________. I look forward to hearing that you will participate with me in this worthwhile project.
Sincerely,
Jody Bond
Title
However, if you can make a good case for sponsorship as a legitamate advertising/marketing spend then you have a better chance of success. Take stock of what you can offer - advertising in literature, branding at an event, press coverage etc... - if you can make this \'free\' publicity worth the value of the sponsorship then it makes economic sense to a business regardless of the charitable value of your cause.
Going forward, try to make any approaches to business through contacts rather than cold letter. Speak to everyone involved in your cause - specifically directors - to develop a list of contacts. Try to get those people to make the initial contact.
Where this isn\'t possible - your next step is to draw up a list of other potential sponsors. It is unlikely that anyone will agree to sponsorship on the basis of a letter alone so your aim should always be to get a quick meeting.
Our usual process is an initial phone call requesting a meeting, followed by a supporting letter to brief the person before the meeting and then the meeting itself to hopefully get the commitment.
When structuring your \'argument\' - on the phone or by letter - try the following:
1. Introduction to yourself and your cause
2. Succinctly tell people what you are looking for
3. Explain the commercial benefits to them - ie publicity
4. Ask for what you need - ie. a meeting first, not the money
5. Point to the next step - ie. you\'ll phone them, you\'ll meet them. you\'ll send more info etc...
And, just as a quick cheat - get a book of sales letters - I\'ve always found these a good template for drafting sposnorship letters and proposals.
I hope that\'s of some help but please feel free to get in touch if I can be of any further assistance - and - depending on where you are in the country we may be able to offer some tangible help in getting \'sponsorship-in-kind\'.
Mark Nagurski
As you know, a good letter alone won’t do it, but a good project support collaboration meeting the needs of a sponsor will. And though business sponsorships are mostly philanthropic in nature, you must do your best to answer the inevitable question the officials at the business will ask, along the lines of, “What’s in it for us?”
You will have the core of a compelling sponsorship letter if you can say to the business that sponsorship of your project will:
• Enhance the image of the company as a good corporate citizen of the community;
• Promote good will among its employees;
• Impress and influence high caliber constituents, donors, and volunteers of your organization, many of whom are leaders in their professions, and executives of leading area companies;
• Foster, establish, strengthen, and enhance key business relationships with its customers, clients, distributors, and with financial, industrial and governmental institutions;
• Enhance its image among the company’s shareholders;
• Generate increased awareness and appreciation of the business among the general public;
• And, most important, help fund and make possible your organization as a community asset.
Writing your sponsorship solicitation letter is not an especially hard thing to do. You might want to consider the following suggestions:
(1) Determine the exact amount of money you need (want). Make a simple and to-the-point main reason for giving to your organization, with strong focus on the people who benefit---then a short description of your organization’s programs. And get to the main issue for support right away for the desired project and what the money raised for it will do for whom and how.
(2) Identify any links to that business from your own organization’s board of trustees, other volunteers, donors, staff, etc.---those individuals being the most capable of getting immediate attention to your proposal.
(3) List any and all ways you could promote and otherwise recognize the sponsor. Company name in any and all media, press releases, on a sign at the dedication of the program, etc., any and all ways you can think of. If possible, add to the list an invitation to the company’s top officials (and spouses) for an appreciation or dedication reception.
It’s worth repeating, that while you are seeking money in a philanthropic spirit for such a good cause, when it comes to businesses, especially for sponsorships, it works best to have as many ways identified as possible that you can publicly show them as generous and caring corporate citizens---and that they can justify the giving of such money to their shareholders, clients, customers and employees.
(4) Shortly after sending the letter, pick up the phone to call to follow-up and to ask for a meeting. You will take someone from the Board and take your list for presentation of the ways you will recognize and promote the sponsor.
Do take the short (and I hope useful) time to read my article on my website:
http://www.raise-funds.com/799forum.html
posted by Phsteve at 7:15 PM
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