We talk with a lot of our clients about co-sponsors. Whether a business function or a fundraiser, co-sponsors help to mitigate costs, increase exposure and make an event successful.
There are many different ways to honor sponsors from including them in programs and allowing them to include promotional items in swag bags to linking their website on the invite and giving them time to address the crowd. Here are a few of the do’s & don’ts we frequently see or talk about:
Do
- Thank your sponsors before & after the function on social media. Include a little blurb about what they do.
- Ask for high res logos right away and add them to all of your printed materials!
- Think critically about who is attending the event and what type of product or service is trying to get in front of this audience.
- Follow up with phone calls! After sending your sponsorship letters call to discuss the event in more detail.
- Get creative and think beyond dollar signs! Can a sponsor offer an in-kind donation that will save you money? (ie printing, food, rentals, florals, photography, music, etc).
Don’t
- Give sponsors too many choices. If they have 15 different packages to choose from they will get overwhelmed and forget to follow through on the sponsorship. If you need to offer many packages, suggest which option fits best when pitching a potential sponsor.
- Forget to say thank you a lot and send thank you notes to all who contribute.
- Expect a co-sponsor to say yes if you haven’t given them enough lead time.
- Underprepare sponsors, let them know what to expect at the event. If you are going to call them on-stage, let them know well-ahead of the event so they can properly prepare.