To pull off a successful fundraising event, many pieces need to fall into place. You need the programming, the buzz, the food, the music, and the mood lighting. But perhaps nothing is as important as the sponsors.
Sponsors are the monetary wind beneath your event’s wings. And if you want to reel them in, you need some special tools—and we’re here to equip you with the best of the best. From initial outreach to cultivating long-term relationships, here’s everything you need to know to get those sponsorship dollars and make every fundraising event a huge success.
Back to basics—we love it! A sponsorship letter is a formal letter asking for financial or in-kind support from a company or an individual. While it can come from anyone, be it an enterprising solopreneur or a local business, here, we’re focused solely on nonprofit sponsorship requests. Every letter is unique, but the goal is always the same: convince the recipient that their support will have a huge impact and that it’s worth their investment. Most sponsor letters include information about the nonprofit mission, the event itself, and the potential benefits for the sponsor.
With a well-crafted, extremely persuasive sponsorship letter, nonprofit organizations can woo the sponsors of their dreams, cultivate long-term relationships, and hit their fundraising goal. Think of every sponsorship opportunity as a partnership opportunity. Yes, a great letter means financial support, but it’s also an opportunity to connect with the community and form a mutually beneficial partnership that lasts for years to come.
Now that we’re in agreement that event sponsorships are key to your fundraising efforts, how do you go about navigating the twisting, turning sponsorship process? Well, good news—it’s not all that twisty-turny!
Before you craft a sponsorship proposal of any type, you need to know what, exactly, your sponsors are sponsoring. What’s your fundraising goal? What are the mutual benefits? Are you only looking for financial sponsorship or are in-kind gifts and auction items fair game as well?
You know your goal; now, do your research. Consider what’s out there in terms of sponsorship options by identifying prospective sponsors whose values align with your mission. Look at individual and corporate sponsorships as well as foundations.
If you’re looking for event sponsorships, you need to work backwards to determine your deadlines. Start with when you’ll need each sponsor’s logo to get the event program to the printer in time. From there, figure out when to send out letters, when to follow up, when to post about your sponsors on social media, and when to send thank you letters.
You know the why, what, who, and when, so you’re ready to write. Include an organizational intro, explain the upcoming event, highlight the impact of those generous donations, and detail the sponsorship benefits. Then, personalize the whole shebang based on who you’re writing.
The sponsorship letter is but one component in a sponsorship package. The package can also include additional information on your charitable organization, details on the potential audience, an event schedule with program activities, a list of sponsor benefits, and a sponsorship levels document.
After you’ve sent your sponsorship proposal out, be sure to follow up. Answer questions, address concerns, and stay in touch. Whether they agree to be a sponsor or not, this could be the beginning of something big!
So, asking for a sponsorship sounds totally doable, but you want your sponsorship request to be can’t-miss, must-say-yes. To up your chances of success, here are our top tips for sponsoriffic success.
By starting your sponsorship search early, you’ll up your odds of securing support. Sponsors often plan their budgets and event commitments well ahead of time, so reach out ASAP.
Potential sponsors are potential long-term relationships, so Personalize. That. Letter! Just like a fundraising letter, your letter of sponsorship must be tailored to the recipient, addressing [person at sponsor company] by name and highlighting their unique connection to your organization and/or cause.
Is the CEO of your local hotel BFFs with a board member? Skip the corporate sponsorship letter and send in that board member instead! Does the engineering firm down the road shred their snail mail? Email your outreach! When it comes to getting sponsors, personal connections and preferences trump processes any day of the week.
For event sponsorship letters, the event itself is important, so share the deets! Clearly explain the purpose, goals, and impact of your event, and give an overview of the night’s programming. Then, highlight the target audience and expected attendance, so potential sponsors know who they’ll be reaching.
Sponsorship is a two-way street, so emphasize those mutual benefits. As an official sponsor for your upcoming event, what can the sponsor expect in exchange for their monetary contributions? Perhaps they get a speaking opportunity, logo placement in the event program, social media mentions, or exclusive perks. And don’t forget: making a positive impact is a benefit, too!
Your board of directors are key players when it comes to securing sponsorships. They love what you do, and they have friends in high places. Now, it’s time to put two and two together and get some sponsors!
Identifying sponsorship opportunities and soliciting sponsorships is a big job with big time commitments, but a committee can make it much more doable. Gather some generous, personable supporters or board members to develop sponsorship packages, manage relationships, and set timelines.
When you consider potential sponsors for an upcoming event, don’t be afraid to reach out to the big names. Banks, hotels, grocery chains, and airlines often have community development arms with budgets specifically allocated to supporting nonprofit organizations. Plus, they love getting their names up in lights at nonprofit events.
As part of your sponsorship proposal, offer several sponsorship levels to meet the varying needs and budgets of different organizations. Then, make it fun. Give each level an on-theme name, throw in some VIP experiences for preferred sponsorship levels (a pre-gala martini tasting? Please and thank you!), and offer some truly unique benefits, like branded photobooth props.
Being a sponsor requires more than just writing a check, so clearly outline all your sponsorship requirements. List any deliverables, such as ads or logos, as well as other time commitments, such as event planning sessions or event attendance.
When someone signs on to be an official sponsor, don’t say thanks and drop off the face of the planet. Reach out regularly to provide updates, answer questions, check in, and just say hi. Authentic interest and communication are the foundation of a strong relationship. If you start now, you might have one less sponsorship letter to write next year.
If a potential sponsor wants to sing a delightful parody of “Rocketman” at your event but that isn’t part of a sponsorship package, consider the possibilities! If they just want to chat about why chocolate chip cookies should always be underbaked, go for it! You’ll build stronger connections if you engage in meaningful, personalized conversations rather than focusing solely on monetary contributions.
Once your event has wrapped, you’ll want to take a breather. But first, thank your sponsors and give them a reason to keep the partnership going. You can provide post-event updates, share media coverage, and highlight success stories. Show them that they made a difference—and remind them that this isn’t goodbye.
“That’s all well and good,” you may be thinking, “but how do I actually find the sponsors on whom I’ll work my sponsorship magic?” An excellent question! Here are a few ideas.
Your sponsorship letters need to be sparkling, informative, targeted, and clear—that’s a tall order for any nonprofit. But you know what can fulfill every single one of those requirements and more? AI.
Here are 4 prompts to get you the potential sponsors and communications you need to get that sponsorship program started. You’ll still need to do the research, find specific contacts, control the timing, manage the sponsorship levels, and maintain the relationships, but these should get your favorite generative AI writing tool started.
Finally, it’s time for all you sponsorship seekers to write those all-important letters! No matter which sponsorship you’re looking for, we’ve got the nonprofit sponsorship letter template you need.
This , is thrilled to host the upcoming . On , we would love to have you join us for this festive and fulfilling celebration as an event sponsor. We'll enjoy an evening at , . We expect over from the local community to attend.
Our sponsors make our work possible, allowing us to . We know that also wants , and we’d be honored to partner with you.
Thanks to the generous support of donors and partners like you, has been able to . In the year ahead, we plan to continue this work, fighting for . As an event sponsor, you can play a vital role in making this possible.
On the following pages, you can find detailed sponsorship levels and benefits for your review. If you or your organization is interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact me at or at .
Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and I look forward to partnering with you in the weeks and years to come.
Every year, . Our sponsors make work like this possible, allowing us to . We know that also wants , and we’d be honored if you’d be a sponsor for our upcoming .
On the following pages, you can find detailed sponsorship levels and benefits for your review. If your organization is interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact me at or at .
Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and I look forward to partnering with you in the weeks and years to come.
This , is thrilled to host the upcoming . On , we would love to have you join us for this festive and fulfilling celebration as an in-kind sponsor. We'll enjoy an evening at , . We expect over from the local community to attend.
In the past, popular in-kind donations have included .
Thanks to the generous support of donors and partners like you, has been able to . In the year ahead, we plan to continue this work, fighting for . With an in-kind donation, you can play a vital role in making this possible.
As an official sponsor for , you will . If you or your organization is interested, please contact me at or at .
Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and I look forward to partnering with you in the weeks and years to come.
Along with your fabulously convincing and compelling sponsorship letter, you’ll want to provide a document with sponsorship levels. The example below will give you a jumping-off point, but you’ll want to come up with creative levels based on your cause and event theme as well as unique benefits.
Presenting Sponsor ($X)
Platinum Sponsor ($X)
Silver Sponsor ($X)
Bronze Sponsor ($X)
Program Book Sponsorships
Writing a sponsorship letter is a key part of the epic quest for sponsorship. With a little elbow grease, a dash of charisma, and Funraise’s many resources, you’ll gather a fellowship of worthy sponsors to make your next nonprofit event a rousing success.
