Attracting corporate sponsorship for your event can significantly increase your fundraising ability. Many businesses have a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative that encourages them to get involved in their communities and to consider their business decisions’ social and environmental impacts. One common way to do that is by providing sponsorships for charity events.

So, wondering how to ask for sponsorship for a charity event? Keep reading to find helpful tips.

What sort of charity event are you holding?

A charity event has two main objectives: raising awareness about a cause or issue and raising funds. Event creators typically focus on one or the other. Before contacting potential corporate sponsors, it’s a good idea to decide on what type of charity event you’re hosting. Sponsors like to know how charities will use their money.

Don’t forget to remind potential sponsors about the tax benefits they can receive for their charitable donations, including sponsoring your event.

What is a corporate sponsor?

A corporate sponsor is a business or organisation that supports your charity event. The amount and type of support vary and they can donate funds, time, or other resources. Some examples of what a corporate sponsor may provide include the following:

• One-off donation
• 1:1 donation matching
• Resources like chairs, leaflets, or a venue
• Company volunteers
• Donating products or services to raise money

It’s also not uncommon for more prominent sponsors to work directly with event organisers and each other to ensure the charity event has everything necessary for its success.

Contacting potential sponsors

Asking for corporate sponsorship for charity is often tricky. Many companies receive several requests throughout the year; your goal is to make your upcoming charitable event stand out and contact the right organisations.

How do you identify potential corporate sponsors?

Don’t start by randomly emailing multiple organisations – instead, list potential sponsors and go from there. Even if some of the companies on your list aren’t a perfect fit, keeping track of who and why helps determine which organisations are most appropriate. It also helps ensure you don’t forget about an organisation that could become a major sponsor.

Here are a few ideas of where to start looking for potential corporate sponsors:

• Local businesses that have a similar goal to your charity
• Organisations that can offer you a service/resource needed for your event
• Companies that have previously sponsored similar events

Don’t be afraid to look for sponsors close to home, especially if your charity event benefits the local community.

When should you begin contacting corporate sponsors for your charity event?

Give corporate sponsors plenty of time to decide if they’re a match for your charitable event. Start contacting potential sponsors about four months in advance, giving them enough time to plan their budgets and respond.

What are the steps to contacting potential corporate sponsors?

You can set up an appointment to meet a company’s CEO or CFO, but busy corporation heads may pass on meeting with you unless you are a well-known name in the event and fundraising industry.

You’re more likely to receive a positive response when you follow these steps to contact a potential corporate sponsor:

1. Identify the sponsorship contact at the organisation. Most corporations have a person or team dedicated to supporting the community and other charitable causes. These are the individuals you want to contact.
2. Create an opportunity to discuss your event. If you can’t meet the sponsorship contact in person, arrange a personal phone call. You may need to set the appointment with their assistant, but it ensures you have the contact’s undivided attention.
3. Personalise your pitch. Plan your pitch to match the level of support you’re asking for. For example, some companies are better suited to supplies, while others can provide financial or support staff resources.
4. Send emails with all of the details. It doesn’t matter if a corporate sponsor provides supplies or finances – they’ll want to know all the details. Your email should include all the information about your charitable event, including when it is, what kind of event it is, and how your chosen charity will benefit.
5. Expect to send a follow-up email. Corporations may want to help sponsor your event, but if they’re busy, be prepared to remind them with a follow-up email.
6. Keep the sponsors updated right before the event date and afterwards. Your sponsors like knowing how their resources are being used, so update them with regular emails. Clear and thorough communication can make them willing to sponsor future events too.
7. Provide post–event analysis to keep them onside for the next event. Let the sponsors know how the event went. You don’t need to send the post-analysis within hours of the event ending, but do send the follow-up email within a few days.

Developing your sponsorship pitch deck

Your sponsorship pitch needs to grab potential corporate sponsors’ attention. The goal is to stand out from the other requests. Here are a few tips on how to develop a successful sponsorship pitch deck:

• Always include details about your charity event. What group, cause, or issue are you supporting? Your potential sponsors will want to know if it fits with their brand.
• Include the demographics of your attendees in your sales pitch. Most sponsors prefer sponsoring events that match their customers’ age groups and target audiences. Remember, your charitable event is also an advertising opportunity for corporate sponsors!
• Include images from previous events to get potential sponsors’ attention. Visuals are powerful tools.
• Don’t forget to include data and analytics from your previous events. You are reassuring sponsors your charity will put their support to good use and showing that you’re capable of hosting successful charitable events.
• Always provide potential sponsors with details on the event’s website. Include access to social media profiles and your contact information.

Sponsorship packages for your charity event

Creating sponsorship packages for potential donors is an effective way to attract attention to your event. It can also encourage sponsors to donate more.

Another way to incorporate sponsorship packages is by creating various tiers. You can have silver, gold, and platinum tiers, each requiring a more significant donation. Multiple tiers also help ensure small and large businesses can participate.

An example of sponsorship tiers includes offering naming rights to the event – think of sporting events where there’s often a sponsor’s name headlining. If you don’t want to rename the event, use the sponsor’s name on a booth instead.

Working with your corporate sponsors

Once you have your sponsors locked in, it doesn’t mean you should stop communicating with them. Include your sponsors in all future communications about the event and let others know who they are.

Marketing campaigns and social media posts should contain the names of your sponsors. Allow sponsors to include your event on their websites, as this helps build their community profile and generates interest in your event.

Don’t forget to give your sponsors free or reduced-priced tickets to the charity event; after all, they’re part of your success!

Social media collaboration

Social media is a valuable tool for multiple reasons. You can use it for advertising your event and getting your sponsors to do the same. Having your event appear on various online sites generates interest and raises awareness about your cause or issue.

Corporations often have social media influencers with thousands of followers. Encouraging your sponsors to enlist their services is another way to generate interest in the charity event.

After the event

Even though the event is over, don’t lose touch with your sponsors. Sending an email detailing the event’s success reassures sponsors their donations are worth the time and effort. You can even reach out to companies that declined sponsorship to ask them to support your next charitable event.

Analyse and share your data

Analysing your data after the event will help you plan the next one. Even if everything ran smoothly, there could still be areas for improvement.

Sharing the data with your sponsors does more than reassure them – it can also provide them with a new customer base. Sharing attendee information, while following privacy laws, is often one of the motivating factors behind your sponsors’ support. Eventbrite makes it easy to share event data, thanks to a host of tools.

Now you’re ready to get corporate sponsors for your charity event

You now have the information to secure corporate sponsors for your charity event, but you still need some helpful tools. Eventbrite has plenty for every type of charity event. We can also assist with attracting corporate sponsorships. See how to get started with Eventbrite today and find out how we can put your event on the right track.