How to Get Sponsors for an Event: Corporate Donors & More
Hosting a successful event requires careful planning, creativity, and—most importantly—funding. Whether you’re organizing a charity gala, a community festival, or a corporate conference, knowing how to get sponsors for an event can help cover costs while also enhancing the event’s value.
But how do you attract corporate donors and other sponsors willing to invest in your vision? In this guide, we’ll walk you through the key steps to identifying potential sponsors, crafting compelling proposals, and building lasting partnerships that benefit both parties.
Specifically, we’ll cover:
- Understanding Event Sponsorships: The Basics
- Identifying the Right Sponsors for Your Event
- Crafting an Effective Sponsorship Proposal
- Making the Ask: Reaching Out to Sponsors
- Strengthening Existing Sponsor Relationships
- Additional Corporate Giving Opportunities to Know
Ready to get started securing corporate sponsorships for your next event? Let’s begin.
Understanding Event Sponsorships: The Basics
Event sponsorship is a strategic partnership between event organizers and businesses looking to gain exposure, engage with target audiences, and enhance their brand image. In exchange for financial support, products, or services, sponsors receive various benefits such as branding opportunities, direct audience engagement, and promotional exposure.
There are several types of event sponsorships, including:
- Financial sponsorships — A company provides direct funding in exchange for advertising, logo placements, or speaking opportunities.
- In-kind sponsorships — Instead of cash, sponsors offer goods or services, such as catering, venue space, or technology support.
- Media sponsorships — Media companies provide promotional coverage in exchange for branding or advertising rights.
- Workplace giving sponsorships — Companies supply funding to the organizations their employees give to and volunteer with.
Understanding the basics of sponsorships helps event organizers tailor their approach, ensuring they provide clear value to potential sponsors. By aligning sponsorships with business objectives, both parties can create a meaningful and mutually beneficial collaboration.
Identifying the Right Sponsors for Your Event
Finding the right sponsors is about more than just securing funding. It’s about building partnerships that align with your event’s mission, audience, and goals.
The right sponsors will see value in supporting your event and will benefit from the exposure and engagement opportunities you offer. To get started, here’s how you can identify the best opportunities with ease:
Understand your audience.
Sponsors are interested in events that connect them with their target market. Analyze your event’s audience demographics, interests, and behaviors. Consider factors like age, industry, purchasing power, and engagement levels.
The better you understand your attendees, the easier it is to find sponsors looking to reach the same (or similar) groups.
Research similar missions and values.
Look for businesses whose mission, brand, or services align with your event’s theme. For example, a fitness brand might be interested in sponsoring a marathon, while a tech company could support an innovation conference. A strong brand alignment increases the chances of a long-term partnership.
Start local.
While big-name corporate sponsors can be appealing, local businesses or industry-specific companies may be more eager to invest in your event for targeted exposure. They might even offer financial support, in-kind contributions, or media partnerships to help boost your event’s success.
Leverage existing business relationships.
Start with your personal and professional networks. Reach out to vendors, suppliers, and past sponsors who have worked with your organization before. These relationships often lead to easier sponsorship negotiations, meaning it’s a great place to initiate your efforts.
Use your employment information.
Your donors’ workplaces can be valuable resources when it comes to sponsorship opportunities. After all, many companies have budgets dedicated to corporate sponsorships, marketing, or community engagement—and they want to support the organizations their teams are interested in.
Therefore, check if your supporters’ employers have sponsorship programs or other workplace giving initiatives that might be interested in supporting your event. Even if they don’t provide direct funding, they may be willing to offer in-kind support such as venue space, catering, or promotional assistance.
Look for open applications.
Many companies have structured sponsorship programs with online applications open for any organization to submit. Therefore, we recommend researching corporate sponsorships, community grants, and industry-specific contributions that align with your event’s theme.
Businesses that actively seek sponsorship opportunities are more likely to consider your proposal, especially if your event aligns with their target audience or corporate social responsibility initiatives. Applying to these open programs can help streamline the process and increase your chances of securing funding.
Crafting an Effective Sponsorship Proposal
A well-crafted sponsorship proposal is your opportunity to showcase the value of your event and persuade potential sponsors to invest in it. Your proposal should be clear, compelling, and tailored to the specific needs and goals of each sponsor.
Here’s how to create a winning sponsorship proposal:
1. Start with a Strong Introduction
Begin by introducing your event, its purpose, and why it matters. Provide a brief overview, including key details such as the event name, date, location, and expected audience size.
Make it very clear why your event is a valuable opportunity for sponsors.
2. Highlight Audience and Reach
Sponsors want to know who they’ll be reaching. Include demographic details such as age, profession, interests, and engagement levels.
If you have previous event data, showcase attendance numbers, media coverage, and audience feedback to strengthen your case.
3. Outline Sponsorship Benefits
Clearly explain the tangible value a sponsor will gain from supporting your event. Common benefits include, but are not limited to:
- Prominent logo placement on event materials, signage, and digital promotions
- On-site branding opportunities such as banners, booths, or giveaways
- Mentions in press releases, email campaigns, and social media posts
- Speaking opportunities or product demonstrations at the event
Plus, keep in mind that many sponsors prefer flexible options. You can always establish tiered benefit packages, with additional advantages available for larger sponsorship agreements (e.g., Gold, Silver, Bronze). Meanwhile, you can also offer customized packages to accommodate unique sponsor goals, whether it’s exclusive branding rights or interactive activations.
4. Provide Data and Success Metrics
Show how you’ll measure sponsorship success. If you’ve hosted past events, share results like media impressions, social media engagement, and attendee feedback. If this is your first event, outline how you plan to track success, such as audience reach and brand visibility.
5. Include a Clear Call to Action
Close with a direct and actionable next step. Provide contact details and encourage a meeting or follow-up discussion. Make it easy for sponsors to say yes by offering a simple process to move forward.
A strong sponsorship proposal not only highlights the value of your event but also demonstrates how partnering with you benefits the sponsor. By tailoring your pitch and focusing on mutual success, you increase your chances of securing meaningful sponsorships.
Making the Ask: Reaching Out to Sponsors
Once you’ve identified potential sponsors and crafted a compelling proposal, the next step is actually making the ask. Reaching out to sponsors effectively requires strategy, professionalism, and a personal touch to increase your chances of securing a partnership.
Here’s how to effectively connect with potential sponsors:
1. Research the Right Contact Person
Instead of sending a generic email to a company’s general inbox, it’s a good idea to find the right person responsible for sponsorships or marketing partnerships. This could be someone in the marketing, PR, or corporate social responsibility departments.
Lucky for you, resources such as LinkedIn, company websites, and networking events can help you identify key decision-makers.
2. Personalize Your Outreach
Avoid mass emails and generic pitches. Tailor each message to the specific company, referencing why you believe their brand aligns with your event. Mention past sponsorships they’ve done or how their audience overlaps with your attendees.
A personalized approach demonstrates that you’ve done your homework and increases engagement.
3. Choose the Right Communication Channel
Email is the most common way to reach out to potential sponsors, but depending on the company, a phone call, LinkedIn message, or even an in-person meeting may be more effective. If you have a mutual connection (such as an employee at the business), consider asking for an introduction to warm up the conversation and kick things off on the right foot.
4. Keep Your Message Clear and Concise
Your initial outreach should be brief but impactful. Introduce yourself, explain your event’s purpose, and highlight the key benefits of sponsorship. Attach or link to your sponsorship proposal for more details, and express your willingness to discuss opportunities further.
5. Follow Up Strategically
If you don’t receive a response after your first outreach, follow up within a week or two. Be polite and professional, reiterating your interest and offering to answer any questions. Persistence is key, but avoid excessive follow-ups that may come across as pushy.
6. Be Ready to Negotiate
Once a sponsor expresses interest, be prepared to discuss their goals and tailor the sponsorship package if necessary. Flexibility and collaboration can turn an initial inquiry into a long-term partnership.
Successfully reaching out to sponsors requires a mix of preparation, personalization, and persistence. By approaching potential partners strategically and focusing on the value you can provide, you increase the likelihood of securing meaningful sponsorships for your event.
Strengthening Existing Sponsor Relationships
Securing a sponsor for your event is just the beginning—building a long-term partnership is the key to continued success. Strong relationships with sponsors lead to repeat support, increased investment, and valuable word-of-mouth referrals. Here’s how to nurture and strengthen your existing sponsor relationships:
1. Deliver on Your Promises
Ensure that all agreed-upon sponsorship benefits are fulfilled as promised. Whether it’s logo placements, on-site branding, or social media promotions, meeting expectations builds trust and credibility, making sponsors more likely to work with you again.
2. Provide Regular Updates
Keep sponsors informed before, during, and after the event. Send progress reports, marketing updates, and behind-the-scenes insights to show their investment is being put to good use.
Communication should be proactive, not just when you need funding for your next event.
3. Offer Exclusive Perks
Going beyond contractual obligations can make sponsors feel valued. Offer VIP access, early branding opportunities, or special mentions at key moments during the event. These small gestures show appreciation and strengthen the relationship.
4. Showcase the Impact of Their Sponsorship
Provide sponsors with measurable results. Share data on brand exposure, audience engagement, media impressions, and attendee feedback. A post-event report with photos, testimonials, and key performance metrics reinforces the value of their sponsorship.
5. Express Genuine Appreciation
A simple “thank you” can go a long way. Send a personalized thank-you note, acknowledge sponsors publicly on social media, and highlight their contribution in post-event content. Hosting an appreciation event or sending a small gift can also make a lasting impression.
6. Stay Connected Year-Round
Don’t let communication drop off until the next sponsorship request. Engage with sponsors regularly by sharing industry insights, inviting them to networking opportunities, or supporting their initiatives. Building a strong rapport keeps your event top of mind for future collaborations.
By fostering strong relationships with existing sponsors, you create lasting partnerships that benefit both parties. When sponsors feel valued and see a return on their investment, they’ll be more likely to support your events again and even increase their contributions over time.
Additional Corporate Giving Opportunities to Know
Beyond traditional event sponsorships, many companies offer corporate giving opportunities that can provide valuable funding and resources for your event. Understanding these options can help you maximize support and build stronger relationships with corporate partners.
A few of the most widely available corporate giving programs include:
Matching gifts
Many companies have programs that match employee donations to nonprofit organizations. If your event is tied to a charitable cause, encourage attendees and supporters to check if their employers offer matching gifts. This can effectively double the impact of donations and increase overall event funding.
Learn more about the programs with the complete guide here.
Volunteer grants
Some corporations provide financial grants to nonprofits when their employees volunteer a certain number of hours. If your event relies on volunteers, partnering with businesses that offer these grants can provide both workforce support and additional funding.
Learn more about the programs with the complete guide here.
Volunteer time off
Volunteering Time Off (VTO) is a growing corporate giving initiative where companies offer their employees paid time off to volunteer for causes they care about. This provides an excellent opportunity for event organizers to tap into a dedicated pool of volunteers without additional costs. By partnering with companies that offer VTO, you can encourage employees to spend their time volunteering at your event, helping with tasks like registration, logistics, and event management.
Learn more about the programs with the complete guide here.
Wrapping Up & Further Reading
Securing sponsors for your event is about more than just funding—it’s about creating mutually beneficial relationships that align with your goals and theirs. By understanding your audience, crafting a compelling pitch, and providing real value to sponsors, you can turn one-time donors into long-term partners for your mission.
With the right approach, you’ll not only ensure your event’s success but also build a network of supporters who are eager to be part of your future endeavors. Good luck!
For more information, continue reading with our recommended resources below:
- Corporate Sponsors: 65+ Companies That Donate to Nonprofits. Check out this list of generous companies known for their sponsorship efforts. See if your donors work for these employers!
- How to Identify Corporate Partnerships [With Double the Donation]. Did you know your matching gift software can help uncover corporate sponsorship opportunities? Find out how in this guide.
- The Complete Guide to Developing a Workplace Giving Plan. Establishing a workplace giving plan can go a long way for events and more. Learn how your team can do so with this free resource.
