Blog

TME’s Top 5 – Sponsorship Deck Must Haves

1. Who are you? Description of organization and fund use.

This is key for new prospects but is also a good reminder to your existing donor base. To both new and current contacts, this description answers the “Why?” question – why should I support this organization? This is your opportunity to share your mission, key programs, and the anticipated use of funds received as a result of your fundraising efforts. This is also your chance to use logic or if you’re a non-profit an emotional appeal to pull on the heart strings as you deem would best align with your organization’s mission and align with your target audience.

2. What’s in it for them? Clearly defined levels and benefits.

Make sure this area is clear, concise, and easy to understand in terms of each level of sponsorship available. Confusion in this section will deter prospects from engaging with you. Put yourself in the shoes of the prospect and make sure the benefits are a no brainer for them to participate.

3. Make it pretty! Color, graphics, and visual aids.

Be creative and use a visual graphic like a chart or a grid to showcase the benefits. Continue this thread throughout your entire sponsorship document. Use themes and colors that coordinate with your organization’s logo and align with your brand. This will liven up your document, attract attention, and aesthetically mix up the black and white text. If you or someone on your team is graphically inclined and you have decent software, this is certainly something that can be done in-house, but if you don’t, consider hiring an outside firm to do the graphic design as the visual appeal of this document is crucial to its success.

4. What do I do? Call to action.

An ask or call to support your organization’s fundraising event or program must be clearly displayed in your document. You might feel this is implied by the document itself, but it is not. Many people are busy and read for highlights, so make sure this is a key takeaway by emphasizing your call to action. Also, the bottom line on top (BLOT) technique can be effective by including a lighter call to action (your bottom line) in the introductory section of your document.

5. What’s next? Accountability.

How can donor prospects follow up? Whom should they expect to hear from? Make sure contact information is highlighted if questions arise and that they know the key team players. Ensure there is a schedule of follow up so that the prospect doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. It can take up to five touches to get a response from a sponsorship deck.

We hope this information is helpful for you to go forth and craft successful sponsorship documents. Need help? We have experience! Give us a call; we’d love to chat with you about how we can work with you, your team, your board and/or your committee.