2015-01-29 Generating Corporate Sponsorship Support

Thrive. Grow. Achieve.

Generating Corporate Sponsorship Support

Lewis Flax, Flax & Associates Thursday, January 29, 2015

Generating Corporate Sponsorship Support

Raffa Learning Community Thursday, January 29th, 2015

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

1899 L Street, NW

6th Floor Conference Room Washington, DC 20036

Today’s Agenda

• Current status • Sponsorship revenue - events • Organizational partnerships and campaigns • Your plans – implementing next steps

Key Elements

• Nonprofit view? • Corporate perspective • Involvement

EVENTS

Involvement

• Others involved • Promote others engaged • Spur interest

Mentality

• Frequent questions • Leverage for our benefit • Beyond financial support

Third Party Credibility

• Reference point • Connection

‘Pre-Sell’ Sponsorships

• Conduct advance outreach • Gain early commitments • Notify and promote to others

Seek Input

• Draft format • Edits, comments, and track changes • Seek feedback, value their input, and gain

buy-in

Perfection?

• Final product • No customization • Time consuming

Limit Offerings

• Align with prior year or event • Supply vs. demand

Restrict Benefits

• Menu of options? • Restrict benefits of greatest value • Include offerings beyond event • Force ‘buy-up’ as opposed to lower level of support

A Sense of Urgency

• Deadlines • Others interested • Limited availability • Other options

Straightforward and Simple

• List the top two or three benefits • Easy to read and understand • Simple!

PARTNERSHIPS

Event Attendance

Memorable?

Fundraising Efforts: Approach

• Repeated requests – sponsorships/solicitations

• Difficult and time consuming • Impact on activities over time

Corporate Perspective: Outreach

• Repeated requests for support • Corporate objectives? • Likely response

Corporate Processing

• Review of offering • Types of questions • Strategic vision

Differentiation

• Understand their objectives, and then position our offerings

• Tailor responses / customize

A Shift in Approach

• Understand their objectives • Relationships with others • Successful campaigns • Other partnerships

Initial Questions: Current Status

• Understand current initiatives • Status of these efforts • Interest areas

Goals and Objectives

• Future vision • Key objectives

Gap between current situation and objectives?

Challenges?

• Issues or challenges • ‘Problems’ and their implications • Result

Transition UP?

• Respect • Empower • Strategic / difficult questions • Relationship vs transaction

Positioning

• Questions • Goals and objectives • Customized responses

Limit Prospect Base

• Connections • Appropriate industries/companies • Limit this type of outreach to top prospects

Approach

• Consumer products? • Service offerings • 80 / 20 rule

Next Steps

• Interest in improving results • Time/resources • Strategies and tactics • Actions in the next 30 days • Impact on your organization

Your Host

Lewis Flax

– Secure corporate support – Develop strategy / plans to generate revenue – Business development outreach guidance – Offer training, coaching, and consulting – Review of documents and proposals

Email: lewis@flaxassociates.com Phone: 202 266-2655 (w) 301 922-9309 (c) Web: www.flaxassociates.com

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Questions?

Lewis Flax Flax Associates lewis@flaxassociates.com (202) 266-2655 www.flaxassociates.com