The document outlines the sponsorship process, including types of sponsorship like monetary or in-kind donations, evaluating assets to offer sponsors, finding the right sponsors through research, crafting a targeted request, and following up afterward. It discusses monetary sponsorship from various sources, in-kind donations of goods or services, and assets organizations can offer like marketing, recruitment, and philanthropic opportunities. It provides tips for research, identifying the proper contact at a company, aligning the request with the sponsor's goals, using different sponsorship tiers, and following up with both thank yous and requests for feedback. The overall process involves understanding sponsorship options, having a clear offer, targeting the right companies, following a plan from initial request through follow up.
2. AGENDA
Types of sponsorship
Evaluating your assets
Finding the right sponsors
The request
The follow-up
3. SPONSORSHIP TYPES
Monetary In-Kind
• Every organization wants more $$$ • The often forgotten “easy ask”
• Money doesn’t always need to • Goods or services (not cash)
come from engineering • Supplies or parts for engineering
companies: competitions
• Associated Students, • Schwag, prizes, and giveaways
• Dean’s Matching Funds,
• Shirts, banners, other promotional
• Trade Organizations (SDSIC,
materials
Biocom, Connect, Commnexus)
• Law offices
• Consider asking specific vendors:
• Food (restaraunts or grocery
• Consider: what is the company
stores)
actually paying for?
• Shirts or banners (promotional
• Specific items (such as parts, materials companies)
shirts, etc)
• Supplies (hardware stores)
• Package deals (event admittance
and other benefits)
4. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER?
• Marketing (Tangibles)
– Marketing, Publicity, Branding
– Signage, logos on display, shirts, website, etc
– Event attendance and feature
– Guest speaker at event
• Recruitment
– Meet with and recruit students
– Promotion of company’s internships/jobs via posting flyers and featuring to org
members
• Philanthropic
– Service to the community
– Outreach (K-12 is a hot topic right now for STEM)
5. FINDING THE RIGHT SPONSORS
• Don’t ask everyone! You’ll look like a hobo!
• RESEARCH!
– Has this company sponsored events like this before?
– Do they have relationships with similar orgs at other schools?
– Are there alumni at the company? (LinkedIn is your friend)
• Don’t approach a company until you have a budget and “ask” in mind.
• Find the right contact
– Human Resources
– University Relations
– Alumni
– Community Outreach
– Diversity Officers
6. THE REQUEST
What will the
Align your org w/the
sponsor get in Use Keywords The ask The re-ask
company
return?
How does your Create levels of Support Don’t just email your Always follow-up
proposal align with sponsorship letter blindly regardless of their
their criteria, long- Partnership answer
term goals, and 3 levels is advised Contact via phone
purpose? YES
Relationship
Follow-up with email Thank you! Secure a
document after call timeline for funding
Prioritize your top 3 Write a sponsorship Career Oriented Start early! MAYBE
goals for the event letter What concerns do you
and share them Career Focus have?
6-9 months to create a
w/prospective
1 page w/key points sponsorship plan (for What might make this
sponsors
Recruitment new events) event more appealing?
Create a website Do you need more
information?
Has this company • Description of org Marketing 3-6 months minimum to Listen to their needs &
sponsored your org • Description of event begin asking adapt your request:
before? If so, remind • Personal anecdote or Branding
them of past testimonial Stay in constant contac t NO
sponsorships they throughout the year to
• Levels of sponsorship Publicity • Not the right person
participate in let them know what is
• Benefits of sponsorship • No budget
going on
• Thank you & follow-up • Not interested
7. THE FOLLOW-UP (After sponsorship)
• Thank you
– Email AND letter/card
– Send photos if possible
– Summarize their contributions and benefits received
– Recognize your sponsor uniquely (social media, awards, hand-written notes)
• Ask for feedback (if the sponsor attended the event)
– Collect testimonials for the future
– Ask about likelihood of sponsoring again
– Create a follow-up plan with the sponsor for the next year’s event
8. CONCLUSION
Make the
request
Target
the right
audience
FOLLOW-UP!
Know your
assets