Potential sponsorships?

Question

Hey everyone!

Well I guess I can start off by saying I am proudly the president of the Student Government Association at my college which is purely a non-profit organization that brings together representatives from various campus organizations and allows them to voice their opinions on campus matters and to be of service to the community. The Student Government Association holds various campus and community service events throughout each school year. We try to be involved in the community as much as possible.

This semester, our major community service project is a charity basketball/talent show fundraiser benefiting the Jori Zemel Children’s Bone Cancer Foundation to be held on April 9(hopefully). All the proceeds will be given directly to the foundation. So basically we are in need of door prizes, raffle items, and concession stand food items. My question is to you guys, if you were a potential sponsor of a big business such as Best Buy or Wal-Mart. What would you like to hear? I mean, do you guys have any good sales pitches? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your answers in advance.

Answer 1

Mega-huge companies like Best Buy and Wal Mart have a set budget for each region on how much they can donate to something like this, if anything. Your best bet is to call and simply ask at first if they do donate items to such events, and what their procedures are.

An even better idea is to talk to local, independent businesses in your area. They have MUCH more flexibility in donating items.

In your printed pitch, you need to have a detailed budget for the event, and information on how you will ensure donations and funds will be used appropriately. Will anyone be auditing this event to ensure money goes where it is supposed to?

You aren't going to get concession stand food items donated, so you need to create a budget and those putting together the event need to pay for this out of their own pockets. You either count their contributions as a donation or you reimburse them out of the funds you raise.

But first -- is it legal for you to have door prizes and raffle items? Check with your local city attorney. Laws vary. It's very important to get clearance from your local city attorney before proceeding.