Category Archives for "How to get sponsorship and business funding"

As a nonprofit fundraiser, you know the value of government funding, individual donations, and grants, but another source of revenue to consider is corporate sponsorship -- an untapped revenue source for many nonprofits and service clubs. 

Many nonprofits have effectively leveraged relationships with corporate sponsorships to increase revenue, further their cause or mission, and make a bigger impact.

Nonprofits, associations, and service clubs can raise more money and boost impact to support their projects and programs when they understand how corporate sponsorship works and how such support differs from what most charities know as philanthropy. When organizations and those responsible for association management know what sponsorship decision-makers want to see, they can build meaningful relationships with brands. Leaders and managers who understand how corporate sponsorship and cause marketing works will stand out and get more yeses!

​Many nonprofits, charities, associations and event planners are missing an important step in the sponsorship and fundraising process. 

This one step can help you raise funds and attract the interest from brands and businesses you have not yet partnered with.

If you are not asking for references and testimonials from corporate partners and sponsors that you have worked with, you are missing out on attracting new partners and sponsorship to help you raise funds, increase revenue, and help you make a bigger impact in your community.

One of our Dream Raisers did a great social media share about the objections, internal chatter, and “noise” he had in his head that prevented him from doing the ASK for support or sponsorship funds.

Importantly, he did not listen to the noise but instead he stepped out of his comfort zone, did the ask, and the sponsor happily supported his project, again.

Typically, it’s fear of objections that paralyzes potential. That noise and internal chatter can prevent dreams from getting raised unless you do as he did: embrace the discomfort.

Remember it is always a NO unless you ask, and what if the answer is a YES?

In this article, we’ll explore myths, must knows, and methods related to sponsorship to help you gain clarity and take action in relation to the project you’re working on or dream you are raising. 

Sponsorship Myths: ​

At Raise a Dream, we dispel the myth that sponsorship is a handout or philanthropy. It is not grant funding or a donation.

Sponsorship is a marketing relationship.

Companies and brands are using their marketing dollars to invest in sponsorship marketing. So just like a company measures the return on investment (ROI) with their different marketing activities (e.g. direct mail, media, digital advertising, print, etc.), they measure how well sponsoring your project met their marketing objectives.

Getting paid to speak is often a challenge that we hear about from speakers.

When conference organizers have no or low budgets, speakers feel their expertise is not valued. They often have their fee negotiated to next to nothing.

Thankfully, there are many strategies to overcome this challenge. Speakers CAN be paid to speak!

In this article, we'll explore how collaborating with companies and corporate sponsors can bring you your full speaking fee, plus more.

• ​Are you a speaker who speaks at events and conferences that have sponsors?
• Are you an event host or event planning professional?
• Do you host events, conferences, mastermind, masterclasses, retreats, or trade shows?
  

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, this article and checklist is for you!

When you understand that building sponsorship relationships is about marketing needs (and not asking for handouts), you learn to approach each step of the partner relationship building process differently, especially when it comes to the (...gulp...) discovery call!

Discovery calls are often the step in the collaboration and relationship process many speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs feel most apprehensive about.

So today, we’re bringing you 7 valuable tips and great questions to ask sponsors to help pinpoint their marketing needs.