Many runners seek sponsors to fund their races or raise money for charity.
Sponsors are individuals or businesses that offer their support to an event, activity, person or cause in the form of a sponsorship. Sponsorships are often sought for sports events, fundraising activities or other causes where the aim is to collect money for a particular purpose. The types of sponsorships you seek out depend on your cause and the sort of support you are seeking, although there are some basic ideas on sponsorships that can be useful across the board.
Contact Local Businesses
One of the best resources for sponsorships are the businesses in your community. Look for businesses that are in line with the cause for which you are seeking support. For example, a good sponsorship for a runner might be a local athletic equipment company, bottled water manufacturer or running shoe store. Think about the types of businesses that would support your cause, and don't be afraid to get creative and approach potential sponsors that might not have a direct tie to your cause.
Seek Out Individuals
Individual sponsors can be a great resource. You can canvass your friends and relatives to sponsor your cause for a small contribution, as well as going to well-known individuals that might have a connection to your cause. The Internet is a great tool for reaching individual sponsors, as well, and social networking sites such as Facebook can help you reach numerous potential sponsors without leaving your computer.
Start Early and Be Prepared
The best tip for getting sponsorships is to start early, well before the event you're fundraising for, and always be prepared. Start canvassing for potential sponsors several months before the event and you'll find yourself better prepared when the actual day comes. Write up a sponsorship form and always carry it with you, since you never know when you might run into a potential sponsor. Talk about the fundraising cause with your friends and family, and encourage them to pass the information along.
Incentives
Providing an incentive for your sponsor is one of the most important parts of showing your gratitude for their sponsorship. Depending on what the sponsorship is for, incentives can be anything from a "thank you" in the event program, to clothing with their corporate logo on it, to matched fundraising, to free tickets to the event. One idea is to set up levels of sponsorship with different levels of incentives dependent on the amount given.
