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SUSTAINING
EXPLORE ERECYCLING
Part II
Obtaining business sponsorships
for your chapter’s project
OVERVIEW OF TODAY’S PRESENTATION
Sponsorship Cultivation 101
Strategies for supporting your eXplore activities
Suggestions on what aspects of the program you can
market to your prospects
WHAT IS A SPONSORSHIP?
The Challenge:
You need money from the for-profit world, and the
for-profit world needs access to your consumer
segment
Your Solution:
Help the business gain access by leveraging your
existing relationship to the consumer segment
money for you
WHAT IS A SPONSORSHIP?
A business relationship between your Chapter
and a business involving a mutually beneficial
exchange of goods and services
You trade access to a consumer segment for
support of your activities
Creates synergy between your Chapter’s efforts
and those of the business sector
WHAT IS A SPONSORSHIP?
A way to establish trust between your Chapter
and a business
Premised on the desire to sustain and grow the
relationship with the sponsor in the future
Measured in terms of dividends the investment
must pay off
SPONSORSHIPS VS. DONATIONS
This presentation will deal with sponsorships,
but not with donations
Sponsorships Donations
Exchange of goods and
services
Gift-giving
You must fulfill clear
deliverables
You do not owe anything
in return
ROI immediately visible ROI not immediately
visible
Relationship-building No guarantee of ongoing
relationship
Creates trust —
SPONSORSHIPS VS. GRANT WRITING
This presentation will deal with sponsorships,
but not with grant writing
Sponsorships Grant Writing
Always the same
challenge: the business
wants access to a consumer
segment
Various challenges: funder
wants to create jobs for
people with I/DD, promote
e-recycling, etc.
Broker connection between
the sponsor and consumer
segments to which you
have an existing
relationship
Leverage breadth of
eXplore activities to solve
different problems
WHY PURSUE SPONSORSHIPS?
eXplore presents a unique opportunity to promote
innovative products and services that:
Promote competitive employment for people with ID
Education and training products, employment agencies,
online job boards, employers,…
Divert e-waste to promote conservation efforts
Recycling businesses, office suppliers, electronics
manufacturers,…
WHY PURSUE SPONSORSHIPS?
Benefits for People with I/DD:
Strengthen your eXplore programmatic activities
using revenue from sponsorships
Help people with I/DD gain unique customer
benefits
WHY PURSUE SPONSORSHIPS?
Benefits for the Environment:
Waste reduction by advertising businesses who
make a positive impact on the environment
WHY PURSUE SPONSORSHIPS?
Benefits for Your Chapter:
Source of revenue for your Chapter
Increased awareness of your Chapter’s offerings,
including eXplore, and of The Arc’s brand
Getting one sponsorship can open the door for
many more in the future
WHAT’S IN IT FOR BUSINESSES?
Traffic in their stores
Strong promotional benefits, commensurate with
the size of their investment
Positive association with The Arc
Gaining access to a consumer segment they may
not currently have access to or have not yet
targeted for sales (people with I/DD, their
families, caregivers, your own employees, etc.)
Demonstrating that they care about the unique
needs of the local communities where they are
represented
HOW TO OBTAIN SPONSORSHIPS
Strategic Planning
Self-Assessment
Assessment of Potential Sponsors
Relationship-Building
Pursuing Sponsorships
Maintaining Sponsorships
Outreach Materials
STRATEGIC PLANNING
Devise strategy that is sensitive to:
Your available resources (big mailings are expensive)
The perceived value of eXplore for potential sponsors
(remember: it’s about ROI)
Leverage your Chapter’s existing connections to:
The I/DD community
Potential sponsors
Combine…
… your Chapter’s core strengths
… opportunities for business engagement offered
through eXplore
STRATEGIC PLANNING
SELF-ASSESSMENT
Leverage existing relationships to potential
sponsors
Ask existing sponsors from other projects
Change donor relationships to sponsorships
Sponsors are more likely to be regular and reliable
supporters than donors
Scrutinize your organization for connections to
the businesses you are seeking to approach
Ask all relevant staff members and board members
about existing relationships with personnel at these
companies, even if the point of contact is not a
decision maker within the organizational structure
STRATEGIC PLANNING
SELF-ASSESSMENT
Create sponsorship value:
What concrete things (i.e. products and services) can
your Chapter offer to potential funders?
CREATING SPONSORSHIP VALUE
Determine how different aspects of eXplore
enable sponsors to gain exposure to their target
consumer segments
With eXplore, your Chapter can serve as:
E-Waste Collection Site
Information Hub
Community Educator
CREATING SPONSORSHIP VALUE
E-WASTE COLLECTION SITE
Co-brand your office space/designated e-waste
drop-off sites
Display advertisements
Create eXplore “uniforms”
T-shirts, polo shirts with logo of eXplore and project
sponsors
Opportunity for free item giveaway
Sponsors’ products or coupons
Branded “Recycling Guaranteed” certificate
Hand out during drop-off
Print on eco-friendly materials
CREATING SPONSORSHIP VALUE
E-WASTE COLLECTION SITE
Co-brand your office space/designated
e-waste drop-off sites
Display advertisements
Create eXplore “uniforms”
T-shirts, polo shirts with logo of
eXplore and project sponsors
Opportunity for free item giveaway
Sponsors’ products or coupons
Branded “Recycling Guaranteed”
certificate
Hand out during drop-off
Print on eco-friendly materials
Anyone
Anyone
Anyone
Corporations
Local/national e-recyclers
Office supplies
companies
CREATING SPONSORSHIP VALUE
E-WASTE COLLECTION SITE
E-Waste Pickup Services
Company-branded
eXplore vehicles
plus all on-site elements (uniforms, certificate,
item giveaway)
car dealerships/manufacturers
CREATING SPONSORSHIP VALUE
INFORMATION HUB
Acknowledgment on Chapter website
Mention sponsor in promotional emails
Email sent to Chapter membership, partners,
etc., on behalf of sponsor
CREATING SPONSORSHIP VALUE
COMMUNITY EDUCATOR
Education at sponsor’s preferred location
Exposure to other businesses, community
organizations
Sponsor acknowledgement at event
Event flyers, opening and closing remarks
eXplore “uniforms”
eXplore vehicles
CREATING SPONSORSHIP VALUE
COMMUNITY EDUCATOR
Education events offer exceptional marketing
opportunities for your sponsors
Consider:
How are you currently promoting your eXplore offerings?
How many people do you engage with eXplore?
How much time do you expect people to spend at the event?
How small or large is the event space?
Does the layout offer the sponsor an engaged audience?
What ways are there to acknowledge sponsors during the
event?
Are there particular product samples/coupons you are
interested in distributing among attendees?
Do you expect participants to predominantly represent a
particular age, gender, religious, cultural, or functional group?
CREATING SPONSORSHIP VALUE
Determine which products and services create
the greatest value
Offer eXplore VIP passes
Reduced recycling fee for item drop-off
Free item pick-up
CREATING SPONSORSHIP VALUE
Consider additional opportunities:
Market to downstream vendors?
Volunteer opportunities?
STRATEGIC PLANNING
ASSESS POTENTIAL SPONSORS
Determine the target audience for your outreach
efforts
Corporations (local headquarters, local branches or
affiliates)
Chambers of Commerce
Sponsors of other similar projects in your community
(green living/recycling initiatives)
Small or large local businesses
Athletic teams
Social organizations (service-oriented, advocacy-
oriented, religiously or politically affiliated, etc.)
STRATEGIC PLANNING
ASSESS POTENTIAL SPONSORS
Know the needs of your prospects:
Areas of Giving
Look for close alignment with your support needs for
eXplore
Client Cultivation
Funds reserved for marketing purposes
Separate from philanthropic investments
Look for strong link between your consumer segment
and network, and that of the business
Brand-Strengthening
Look for organizations with brands that send
messages similar to eXplore
RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING
Relationship-building is about trust-building
Trustworthiness is measured in terms of
dividends
Sponsors must be able to trust you that you will
enhance their brand’s image
RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING
PURSUING SPONSORSHIPS
Every step along the way is an opportunity to
build trust:
Is your inquiry respectful of the potential sponsor’s
needs and preferences?
Do your materials clearly describe your business
offer? Are they accessible and concise?
Do I come across as a competent business partner?
Making sure all materials are error-free
RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING
MAINTAINING SPONSORSHIPS
Getting one sponsorship opens the door for many
more in the future… if you play it right!
Be Responsive and Flexible:
Be responsive to any of questions or concerns
Accommodate requests to modify contracts if at all
possible
Monitor Your Contractual Obligations
Execute deliverables diligently and on time
Follow Up
Thank sponsor for support
Relate positive project outcomes to relationship
between your Chapter and the sponsor
OUTREACH MATERIALS
Program Information (flyers)
Outreach Letters
Other materials to give to potential sponsors
AS YOU GET STARTED…
Make a Prospects List
10-20 businesses
Create Sponsorship Value
Identifying best possible match between companies’
needs and your offerings
Emphasize that You Have an Engaged Audience
AS YOU GET STARTED…
Focus on Creating Synergy
Build Lasting Relationships
Program vs. event sponsorship
Don’t Give Yourself Away
Know the value of your promotion capacity
You Don’t Have to Take Every Check
