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Steps to Securing a Corporate Sponsorship
Step 1 - Do Your
Homework!
• Sponsorship
money will probably come from three possible
places:
-
Your local
department – there is usually money in your
department that can be used for miscellaneous
purposes. The chances of getting money from this
bucket are greater if you are coming to the end
of a fiscal year and there is money left over in
the miscellaneous funds.
-
Community Giving
Department – most large companies have a
Community Giving Department. Their purpose is to
give away pieces of their budget to various
charities. Check and see if they have a specific
type of charity they contribute to (like health
or education) and see if the LLS fits that
profile. If not, they may have money set aside
for employee initiatives, so it never hurts to
ask!
-
Charitable Grant –
typically, grants are given only once or twice a
year, so make sure that you check the grant’s
calendar. Most grants are limited and restricted
to very specific charities, so make sure you
check the guidelines before applying
• Find out who is
the decision maker in each department listed above
(Your manager, HR, Community Relations, CEO, etc).
The larger the company, the more digging required.
• Some sponsorship requests require certain information or documents. Make
sure you have a list of everything required for the
request because if you hand in a proposal without
that information, they may not consider it.
Step 2
- Prepare For Your Sponsorship Ask
• Once you
have done the research, you may have an idea of
a range of money that your
company is likely to give you. Pick the dollar
amount at the top of that range that you are
going to ask for.
• Now that you know what your decision maker requires for in a sponsorship
proposal, review the
TNT Sponsorship Proposal and make
sure that all information needed is in there. If
you need additional information, ask your TNT
Manager.
• Write a cover letter for the TNT Sponsorship Proposal. Click here for a
sample cover letter. Make sure to include an
inspirational reason why you are participating.
The more personal you make it, the more likely a
company will sponsor you.
• There are many levels of sponsorship, from $2,500 to $25,000. Each level
has its own benefits for the company. Read over
the Sponsorship Matrix and get familiar with the
benefits at each level.
Step 3
- Set A Meeting
• If the
decision maker resides in your office, set a 30
minute face-to-face meeting with
them.
• You are most likely to get sponsorship if you meet with them face to
face because it is a personal ask.
• If you can’t meet with them face to face due to them being in another
office or time restrictions, ask them for a 30
minute phone call to talk about sponsoring you.
Step 4
- Present The Sponsorship Package
•
In Person Meeting or phone meeting
-
Print two copies of the
TNT Proposal
and
Sponsorship Matrix
for the meeting. Make sure to read it over so it
is fresh in your mind.
-
In your meeting, be
prepared to talk about how sponsoring TNT will
benefit the company, how TNT has benefited you,
an inspirational story of why you participate,
and what The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society does
for cancer patients.
-
If you need to do a phone
call or if they just want you to email them the
information, make sure to email your
Cover Letter,
TNT Proposal,
and
Sponsorship Matrix
at least one day before the call for them to
review.
-
Use the
Sponsorship Matrix,
which has a visual representation of the
sponsorship benefits, to make this conversation
easier. Highlight the following benefits at each
level:
$2,500 – Name on the Silicon Valley Monterey
Bay TNT Website
$5,000 – Logo on the TNT Event Jerseys for one
season
$10,000 – Logo on our TNT Brochures for 6
months, 700,000 distributed, and logo on the
Event Jerseys for 6 months
$25,000 – Logo on our TNT Brochures for 1
year, 1,300,000 distributed, logo on our Event
Jerseys for 1 year, and recognition at all local
TNT events
•
If email is the only way to present the proposal
Step 4 -
Follow Up
• If you
have not heard back from the decision maker,
follow up by phone within one week.
• Don’t be shy about reminding them there is a deadline to support your
fundraising efforts.
• Keep following up every week to two weeks until you get an answer.
Remember, this may be a long process, so don’t
get discouraged!
Step 5
- Turn In Your Sponsorship
• Email or
fax (408-490-2663) your Sponsorship Commitment
form so we know to provide your company with the
proper benefits and so we credit it to your
fundraising!
• Send in your sponsorship check the way you would turn in a donation
check or have the company send the check to: The
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 675 North First
St., #1100, San Jose, CA 95112.
Corporate
Sponsorship Form
If you
received a corporate sponsorship or partnership,
please submit the form which applies to your season
to:
Shana Horak
675 N. First St. Suite 1100
San Jose, CA 95112
fax: (408) 490-2663
Monterey/Santa Cruz Corporate Sponsorship Form-
Fall 2009
Silicon Valley Corporate Sponsorship Form-
Fall 2009
Monterey/Santa Cruz Corporate Sponsorship Form-
Summer 2009
Silicon Valley Corporate Sponsorship Form-
Summer 2009
Sample Corporate
Sponsorship Documents
Link to General Cover Letter/Ask letter
Link to TNT Sponsorship Proposal
Link to Sponsorship Matrix
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