[tim_reiher]

From what my team has experienced, going to a business and talking face to face with the managers is much more successful than phone conversation. It is more personal, for one thing, but in a face-to-face meeting presentation materials and fundraising packets or contact information can easily be exchanged. Many businesses are simply more obligated to give just based on the human presence- it's easier to shrug off a voice on a phone, than it is to say no to a real person you are talking to.

Also try to find out if there is a way that you can make these donations tax write-offs. Many businesses will be enticed by this, especially in the "hard times" described.

Keep trying. It may seem hard now, but it will only get easier if the sponsors you find return in years to come (and there is a likelihood that many will).

Good luck!