Whether it’s for a partnership or an event, a common challenge some organizations face is writing sponsorship letters for their events. This could be because they are unsure of who or how to reach out or what it is they could offer in exchange for sponsorship. This is when the idea of writing a sponsorship letter comes about.
Unlike standard fundraising letters, the primary purpose of a sponsorship is to reach out to a business or individual for a contribution towards an event or provide long term support. With a cordial approach, you are showing your potential sponsor you know how to communicate and conduct yourself professionally. To give yourself a slight advantage, you could even try including a cute token item with your letter as a sign of appreciation for their support.
Sponsorship letters are great for building relationships with potential partners. In addition to receiving an obligatory tax receipt, there are other benefits such as being included in event promotions, receiving priority seating at the event, or getting a duration of time to speak.
Sponsorship letters are important because they assist with securing funding from sponsors of your preference for your event. When reaching out to donors, there is more to it than “asking for money.” A sponsorship letter helps outline what the donation would be used for along with an incentive. \
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In order to obtain, engage and maintain a professional relationship with sponsors, include a compelling message in your sponsorship letter to help you stand out amongst others. In this section, you will learn about five easy steps that can be applied when drafting a sponsorship letter.
Before you begin writing your sponsorship letter, it is a must that you conduct thorough research on the sponsor. Key information to make note of when doing so is: their mission statement, philanthropic achievements or partnerships, their board of directors, and their internal leadership team. This step is important because it can help you discover any commonalities in your mission and their business.
During this step, it’s vital to clearly state what exactly you are looking to receive from sponsors in your sponsorship letter. Are you looking to establish a simple financial and donor relationship or are you looking to develop long term relationships and support?
This is the time to introduce yourself and the organization you are representing. It may even be helpful to include the organization’s mission statement, value and goals for the community. Lastly, you’ll want to pinpoint any mutual connections you and the sponsor may have and the opportunities they can benefit from this sponsorship.
After writing the introduction, it is now time to be direct and explain the goals you are looking to accomplish with a sponsorship. Here are five components you could include in the third section of your sponsorship letter.
Be sure to clarify if you are looking to achieve a certain monetary goal or a personal, long term goal.
Including as much detail as possible, explain to the potential sponsor how and why their generous donation will benefit you and your organization.
Collect some statistics that can demonstrate your past involvement in the community.
It's not easy to ask for money no matter the amount, but when sending out a sponsorship letter, it’s advised to initially be transparent so that the sponsors are aware and can decide if they are capable of donating.
Here you will highlight the significance of the sponsorship for your organization and how it will impact the community. In this part of the letter, you may even want to include successful testimonials or case studies from past sponsors to enhance your credibility. Lastly, be sure to include benefits and additional details the sponsor would receive once the sponsorship is set and confirmed.
This section of your sponsorship letter is critical, because this is where you convince the potential sponsor the value your organization holds and how they can benefit from the sponsor relationship you’ll be forming. For example, boosting the sponsor’s visibility or introducing them to a new target audience are factors they could benefit from.
To conclude your sponsorship letter, make sure you confidently reiterate your goals and thank your prospective sponsors for their time and consideration. Next, you’ll want to proofread your letter to double check for any grammatical errors or misleading statements. Once your letter looks like it’s ready to be sent, finish off by signing your name at the bottom.
Realistically, there are other organizations who are also reaching out for sponsorship, so to show dedication, be sure to follow up with your preferred sponsor. You could even provide them with a date and time in advance as to when they should expect a follow up call or email from you. If you haven’t received a final response after a few weeks, reach out to see if you can assist with any questions or concerns.
When seeking additional funds for an event, you may think sending out a sponsorship letter is the best and most professional way to do so. Believe it or not, there are some circumstances where a sponsorship letter isn’t needed, such as the following:
It may be in your best interest to select a sponsor who shares the same goals or audience demographic as yourself. If your prospective sponsor is unfamiliar with the demographics of your target audience, take some time to compose an audience data analysis and include it in your sponsorship letter. If you are not able to do this, it may not be in your best interest to send a letter.
If you have limited time until the launch of your event, you may want to dismiss the idea of sending out sponsorship letters. Even if you decided to follow through and still send out the letter despite how quickly your event is approaching, it may reflect unprofessional and leave a bad impression with sponsors you reached out to. Instead, get an early start with preparing and sending your sponsorship letters out for the next event.
Not having a connection or relationship with a sponsor can give you a disadvantage because they may be unfamiliar with your work ethic, your organization, and past events you have thrown. This may lead to your sponsorship letter getting unnoticed and not securing a sponsorship donation.
Just like yourself, sponsors are busy professionals and may not always have time to read an in-depth letter. It’s advised to keep your sponsorship letter short to allow readers to grasp the main point. If possible, only include a paragraph or two.
A way for your prospective sponsor to feel valued could be by asking for feedback or assistance with something involving the upcoming event. This demonstrates that you’re able to work with others even when holding a leadership position.
Taking the time out to personalize each of your sponsorship letters shows your dedication and helps make the sponsor feel special. Rather than using general terms such as “sir/ ma’am/to whom it may concern,” writing the sponsor’s name is a great way to personalize the letter. To go the extra mile, you could also include the sponsor’s logo somewhere on the letter as well. This can show you have done research and are familiar with the organization.
Writing an event sponsorship letter is a creative way to initiate a conversation with a potential sponsor and essentially building a beneficial relationship.
One of the most popular types of sponsorship letters are the ones written for events. Rather it being for an expo, conference or convention, this template from onecause can be a guide to writing an effective event sponsorship letter.
“Dear [Company Name],
At [Nonprofit Name], we [brief introduction to the mission and vision of your nonprofit]. [How we serve the community and how corporate partners can help us reach this goal].
My company/organization was thinking of [theme] or [budget] for the event and would love to know what you think. We are currently planning to host the event on [date] [time] at [location] and will be having [event activity] as the choice of entertainment tonight to raise money by [fundraising method].
We believe we could attract [audience data] through this event, but we’re looking for the right financial backing, such as from [name of sponsor company]. If you help our company/organization, your funding would [list all the perks of the sponsorship opportunity].
[Closing statement on why the partnership will be beneficial.]
Sincerely,
Depending on the type of event you are hosting, you may need volunteers for additional assistance. Here is a sponsorship letter template to follow requesting volunteers:
Dear Company Name,
Each year, [Nonprofit Name] takes pride in our volunteer events with them being some of the best ways we can get closer to achieving [mission]. This [season], we are hosting our annual [name of event] on [location and date].
We know that [Company Name] values corporate philanthropy and helping out our shared community. We’d like to propose a partnership with your organization where you act as our official sponsor and encourage your employees to volunteer their time at the event.
In recognition of [Company Name]’s support, we will use your branding throughout our event and highlight your company whenever we can.
If your company is interested in becoming an official sponsor for this volunteer event, please reach out to us at [contact information]. We can’t wait to hear back!
Sincerely, [or With warm regards,]
Beneficial for family shelters, charities and even schools, sometimes you need to raise donations of items instead of raising money. A great example of this scenario would be accepting food donations. Follow the template below from Qgiv, if you ever find yourself in a situation such as this.
“Dear Company Name,
[Nonprofit Name] is in graciously asking for food donations, specifically [food type], [food type], and [food type].
Because your business has long been a supporter of the [Community Name] area, we believe you’d be the perfect sponsor to help [Nonprofit Name] meet our food supply needs. In addition by contributing [amount] of [food items], you’ll help feed [number] of [Community Name] families for [time period].
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact us at [contact information] to learn more about our potential partnership.
With warm regards,
When reaching out to potential sponsors, there are some elements you may not want to include in your sponsorship letter.
Also referred to as a “fulfillment report,” the thank you letter you send out to sponsors is supposed to outline the assets you agreed to fulfill, the amount that was paid for those benefits and a final report on how well those assets were delivered. It is advised to send out thank you letters no later than a week after the event as a polite way to show your appreciation and maintain a progressive, professional relationship.
“Dear [name of sponsor],
Thank you so much for your recent sponsorship with our organization! We were ecstatic to collaborate with you for the recent [name of event].
As a sponsor, your contribution is significant to continue the important work we do. Without the generosity of supporters like you, we are unable to succeed to our fullest potential. We also hope the additional exposure you've received with your involvement will translate to considerable new business. In the end, sponsorships should be a beneficial opportunity for everyone!
If any questions or concerns happen to come up, please feel free to contact me directly! Thank you so much again for your support. We are looking forward to seeing you at the upcoming [event]!
Best,
[Name]”
Writing an effective event sponsorship letter can make all the difference in securing the funding and support needed to make your event a success. Following the guidelines outlined in this blog, you can craft a compelling letter highlighting the benefits of sponsoring your event and showcasing your organization's value.
However, even with a well-written sponsorship letter, it's important to have a strong platform to host your event. That's where Hubilo comes in. With its innovative and customizable event-hosting platform, Hubilo provides a seamless experience for event organizers and attendees alike. Hubilo's platform can help you create and manage events of all sizes and types, from virtual to hybrid to in-person events.
If you're interested in seeing how Hubilo can take your event to the next level, we invite you to request a demo today. Our team of experts would be happy to show you how our platform can help you plan, promote, and execute successful events that leave a lasting impression on your attendees.
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