Finding sponsors for your local sporting team is relatively easy.
Playing competitive sports is costly, with equipment, league and officials fees and facility rentals comprising only a few of many associated costs. Finding sponsorship dollars for sporting teams and activities, such as your local softball team or bowling league, takes some work and perseverance. However, with the right approach, scoring enough funding to cover a season's worth of expenses is clearly the right move and can result in a "win-win" for your organization as well as the sponsor.
Instructions
Finding Sports Sponsorships
1. Draft a proposal and put it on paper. Business owners and managers like to see items in writing. This forces you to follow through with your proposal.
2. List the team members, dates of competition, and any benefits received by the sponsor such as advertising on the back of jerseys, the team named after the company, or a banner displayed at each event behind the holding area.
3. Visit local businesses, especially those you have a personal relationship with. Emphasize the importance of the sponsorship, highlighting the essential goods, equipment and game time the dollars will help fund.
4. Talk directly to the owner and emphasize the "win-win" elements of the sponsorship. For instance, a local bar sponsoring a softball team will receive some brand recognition throughout the league, along with post-game trips to the bar from the affiliated team.
5. Follow up with all requests and thank the business owners for their consideration. You want to keep the lines of communication open and never burn a bridge. While they might not be able to sponsor your sporting cause this year, there will always be a need for sponsorship dollars down the road.
6. Support your sponsor with word of mouth referrals and added business. Make sure to thank them for their generosity and, as soon as the season ends, begin the pitch for next year!
