As I do this though it is also hard to not put together the ask and prepare a complete sponsorship proposal.  Patience is something that I am working on however when you have looming deadlines for rackcards and posters it is sometimes hard not to think about just getting a contract signed.

However I know that the discovery session works – we have been using that approach for the last year, in both the recruitment of new sponsors and the re-engagement of old sponsors.  It does take time, but it is worth it.  I have to admit that it is refreshing going and having a conversation with a potential sponsor rather than always going to ask them for something.

The time that we have spent learning about and growing our sponsorship marketing skills has been invaluable.  We seem to be taking very small baby steps (due mostly to time and money) yet we see the benefits and know that our organization and the ones we partner with benefit in the long run.  Let the conversation begin and the rest will happen as it is suppose to.

Tracey Gibson

It was interesting listening about how their company has changed and how this is effecting the way they look at sponsorship at all levels of the organization. This is definately going to impact their involvement with our organization and we need to be prepared for this in a way that works for them.

Being able to evaluate the existing sponsorship and looking at it from a completely different perspective. The other component of this is really taking a close look at whether or not this is a good fit for both parties any longer. This is going to be extremely difficult to do.

Does anyone else have some experience of this type of situation? Would love to hear about it.

Tracey

“I’d say the biggest thing we learned is what sponsors are looking for in areas to invest and what they are looking for in their return on investment.

I learned that companies really are looking to invest in charities that their employees feel are important issues to them and not just from a “corporate” perspective. The human element, the human condition, the human story is what people are looking to connect to, not just their “yearly giving program”. 

We also learned a great deal about including social media in our communications with the public as many businesses are going online to find information and keep in touch with non-profits.  

This is a great win-win as many companies will see their competitors or other large companies supporting/following our charity and that entices them to give!”

Acronyms

• Sponsorship – A cash and/or in-kind fee pad to a property (typically in sports, arts, education, health, entertainment or causes) in return for the exploitable commercial potential associated with that property
• Philanthropic Gift – A cash and/or in-kind contribution give to a registered charity or non-profit by an individual, company, foundation or organization without any expectation of anything in return (as defined by Revenue Canada) or any recognition in return or without receipt of any benefits that have a market value greater than 10% of the gift to a maximum of $75
• Property – A physical or non-physical asset or organization that owns specified related rights and sells them to a buyer (sponsor) for the purposed of earning income for the organization. These properties are typically sports, member based associations, municipalities or government agencies, arts, charities, events, entertainment, non-profit or for profit organizations)
• Prospect –  A company or organization who you have qualified to be a sponsor based on research and if the marriage will work
• Sponsor (Sponsorship Buyer) – The payer of a fee to the owner of a property for the purpose of gaining commercial rights related to the property
• Benefits / Asset – The elemetns that are owned by a property and are of worth to a sponsor that the property can sell to them to achieve their goals and objectives – these are what make up the inventory
• Inventory – The complete catalogueof all physical and non-physical assets or benefits that may be made available to sponsorship buyers. The inventory (if fully delivered) should indicate all benefits and assets, their real market value – their fulfillment cost to deliver and the overall value of the inventory
• Bundling – This is the combining of several assets or benefits together from the inventory to make a package or proposal for a sponsor. This is the most effective way to generate maximum dollars for a property and deliver best return on investmeent (ROI) for a sponsor as opposed to selling a la carte or individual benefits in a “one off” fashion
• Discovery or Exploratory Session – This is an initial meeting or meetings with a prospect to determine their needs, goals adn objectives so the property can build a customized proposal to deliver on these needs and ultimately show a positive return on investment for the sponsor. This is the initial stage in the sponsorship development process once a prospect has been determined
• Proposal – The presentation that outlines the property, the objectives of the sponsor and deliverers the list of benefits the sponsor will receive to achieve these goals in exchange for a specified investment in cash or in-kind
• Value – The real market worth of a sponsorship property asset or package. These value are calculated by industry-accepted standards adn represent the individual vlaue of each benefit or the bundled value of the proposal. It is not the same thing as price. The price or investment is usually 10-15% lower than the actual value of the proposal
• Return on Investment (ROI) – This is how the sponsor or buyer determines if their investment was good or not in a specific property. It traditionally measures against such metrics as brand loyalty, brand awareness, traffic, sales leads, actual sales, employee morale, community awareness or other elements. It is based against the original objectivess of the sponsor’s reason for investing
• Activation – This is the additional, above and beyond a rights fee or direct investment made by a sponsor to a property that will further promote the sponsorship, drive additional business and leverage the investment to its fullest possible ROI
• Fulfillment – The delivery of all promised benefits (and beyond) from the property to the sponsor

Videos

Sponsorship Measurement Basics in About 10 Minutes by Kim Skildum-Reid

Blogs

• http://sponsorshipblog.com
• www.blog.powersponsorship.com
• www.partnership.ca/blog

• Wikibrands, WikiSponsorships – Reinventing Businesses and Properties in a Fan-Driven Marketingplace by Sean Moffit

• Seeking Stanley – Making the most out of Best Buy’s sponsorship of the Vancouver Canucks - Mary Ann Mackenzie, Best Buy Canada Ltd.
• Moving Communities to Action - Christa Costas Bradstreet, ParticipACTION

If you have marketing ROI related questions, please post them here and we will help answer them for you.

If you have been to the Western Sponsorship Congress in Calgary before, what are some things that you learned at the conference?

Some sessions for fund develpment individuals are:

• Interactive Panel Discussion - Five Minute Pitch™ (a favorite by most that attend WSCongress)
• Philanthropy and Sponsorship – Complementary or Contradictory? - Ross Marsh, Ross W. Marsh & Associates Inc.
• How to Keep a 15+ Year Sponsorship Fun, Engaging and Delivering Results - Angela Sarino, CIBC

Watch for feedback from past participants, a who’s who list of attendees, pictures, comments, questions – we will have it all!

Don’t be shy – ask us and the community “Why should you attend WSCongress?”