Finding Sponsors

[brrian27]

Hey everyone!

Our team is about 7 years old and we have a few sponsors, but we're really looking to branch out in funding and get more sponsors. But we're kind of stuck on how to start.

So, how did you all find and approach sponsors for your team?

Thanks for any input!

[Mark Sheridan]

We bust out a phonebook or via Google and start contacting everyone. We tried every water jet, laser cutter and machine shop local to us. I think we contacted something like 30 companies and grants and maybe got 5 this year (not counting carry over from last year).

We came up with a standard letter to ask people. Though we usually are only successful if we get a phone call or a meeting. The other is to ask the mentors, parents and alumni if they know anyone who can help. That is how we found our machine shop and welder this year.

this summer we will expand our efforts to contact companies. We also want to find a few more non-profits to support us. We also have not yet really tapped our schools alumni network. We are being cautioned this can be either a dead end or a complete flood of help. So we want to be prepared to make a good impression.

PM me if you want more details. I think our business plan if floating around somewhere with sample letters.

[jlmcmchl]

I suppose I'll tall you about our regatta, our main source of sponsorship.

About 5 years age, team RUSH started the Team RUSH Regatta, which has been integral in bringing in 170 sponsors from around our local community just last year. It's a cardboard and duct tape boat race we hold over the summer, and alongside the competition to create the fastest, longest-lasting boat, we'll also compete to see who can gain the most sponsors. Because the students are put into groups of ~4, it's an excellent opportunity for the veteran students on the team to start being leaders for the team, and consequently it's very helpful for getting rookie students integrated into the team. We get our list of companies from our chamber of commerce, which we've formed a very close partnership with. The students are trained on the "art" of cold calling companies, so they can be more confident and successful in their endeavors over the summer, and also become overall better speakers, a really useful skill in general.

I could write a lot more on this topic, but I'll just direct you here, where you can download the FRC Toolkit For Success from our website. Chapter 4's all about the Team RUSH Regatta.

[Joe G.]

Just ask. It's really pretty simple.

Well, there's more to it than that, but that's the biggest step, being willing to put yourself out there to anyone who may be able to help. You have to take a "shotgun approach" to it; focus on reaching as many potential sponsors as possible and don't get down when you get a lot of rejections, rather than spending energy trying to convince a few big but reluctant ones.

We have a two-page informational letter that we give out.

Do your research before you start. We created a massive spreadsheet of potential sponsors, way more than we've been able to actually reach out to to date. However, as a result we were able to dramatically increase our success rate by prioritizing those who we found to have donated to charitable organizations and other similar groups, and by focusing our pitch to precisely what we identified as the most likely method in which the target company could help us.

[Maldridge422]

Originally Posted by Joe G.

Just ask. It's really pretty simple.

Well, there's more to it than that, but that's the biggest step, being willing to put yourself out there to anyone who may be able to help. You have to take a "shotgun approach" to it; focus on reaching as many potential sponsors as possible and don't get down when you get a lot of rejections, rather than spending energy trying to convince a few big but reluctant ones.

We have a two-page informational letter that we give out.

Do your research before you start. We created a massive spreadsheet of potential sponsors, way more than we've been able to actually reach out to to date. However, as a result we were able to dramatically increase our success rate by prioritizing those who we found to have donated to charitable organizations and other similar groups, and by focusing our pitch to precisely what we identified as the most likely method in which the target company could help us.

This is true. Here is a thread with examples. Asking anybody and everybody who is a potential sponsor is the best way to guarantee results.

[DonRotolo]

Every kids parent works somewhere. Have them help setup a meeting, and just ask.

5 from 30 is an excellent ratio, don't be discouraged with 1 of 50. But one is better than none...

[dcarr]

Originally Posted by Mark Sheridan

We bust out a phonebook or via Google and start contacting everyone.

What's a phonebook?

PM me if you would like a very brief breakdown of how we ran our "donor solicitation" efforts in terms of arranging phone calls/meetings/presentations, etc. We're still learning and looking for new potential partnerships. Fundraising/securing sponsors is a year-round thing.

973 and 1323 have both done a magnificent job in recent years of garnering local support, they would be good to ask as well if you have any questions.