History of Sponsorship
Sponsorships came about as a good way to finance community events. Large companies were able to generate product awareness, target marketing ad, a good sense in the community as well as receiving a tax break for sponsoring such events. This tradition of philanthropy is one of the oldest forms of corporate social responsibility where companies build stronger communities in which they do business in.

Creating Finance
Almost every event begins with a budget. The shorter you are on budget, the more you must creatively finance. One excellent way to stretch your dollars is to obtain a co-sponsor. When planning your event, seek out another organization or company who is not a competitor, but would likely benefit from exposure to your audience.

Sponsorship Participation May Include:

• Share in the cost of the event
• Donate their service
• Advertise the event to their employees or customers
• Include your business at their next event

Your Participation May Include:

• Include their name and logo in all event advertising
• Promote them at the event themselves
• Include some of their literature in the next mailing to your customers
• Give them the mailing list from your event
• To follow through on what was promised. Keep samples and photos of sponsor acknowledgements and send a thank-you following the event.

Promotional Advertising:
Always ask if there is extra promotional support that can go along with any dollars spent, it can help stretch your budget. For example if a radio schedule is purchased, ask if you can be the sponsor of the morning news broadcast “This message brought to you by…..”, then have your commercial run in conjunction with that announce-ment.

Remember:

• Select your co-sponsors wisely. The affiliation with a sponsor will impact the image of the event.
• Always put your arrangements in writing.
• Promotional coupons at their stores for the event.
• Confirm, confirm, confirm. This is the event planners mantra.

This type of teamwork often leads to very positive, ongoing alliance, making it one of the most exciting aspects of event planning. If the event is a win-win for both and the event is reoccurring, you may have an annual sponsor and funding or promotion for your event.