Business sponsorship, whether it is you asking for help or you giving the support, is something which can be incredibly beneficial to those involved. It is something which you may never have thought your business would be able to do but it is a great opportunity to support a good cause and gain some great advertising for your business. Whether you give your money, time or space to a good cause, it can really boost your marketing and help get your name to a wider audience.
There are a few different ways you can look to get into sponsorship, and they all have their merits. When you sponsor a cause, you are essentially giving your time or funding to support the good work which a charity or organisation completes. It will often be for a small community organisation and can really be a huge help for the work they are trying to do. Sponsoring is a great benefit for both parties because it can increase your presence and reputation in the wider world while also spreading awareness of the non profit organisation too. The main benefits of sponsorship are:
* If you choose the organisation you will sponsor carefully, they will become part of your audience. This can mean you have so many more people seeing your business and this means you will end up reaching a much wider audience than before
* If you work with the organisation carefully, you can actually benefit from sponsorship by increased sales of your items. The way you market yourself while the campaign is running can help people to see what you do and become interested in your items or service.
*The main advantage to sponsoring a charity is that you will get that brand recognition which no one else will benefit from. You will stand out from your competitors as a kind and compassionate company and this can ultimately sway people to shop with you instead.
Types
Many small businesses don’t think that they are able to join in with the sponsorship bandwagon, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. There are loads of different ways in which small businesses can help a charity without digging out a small fortune. Time is just as important as money to companies so it can be just as great for you to help out with a fundraiser.
Pro Bono Service
This type of sponsorship is a way of using your talents as a business to help either a company or organisation in need. You will provide whatever your service is for free. This can be just as great for helping an organisation complete its work and you will have given them something very valuable which they would have had to pay for otherwise.
Cash Donations
If you have a hefty budget for your charity work, then the most commonly known way to sponsor a non-profit organisation is to donate some money to the cause. The impact of your donation on the organisation will of course depend on how much you are able to give, however any donation is welcome and will be praised. If you donate a large amount you will get a better response from the organisation and they will publicise the donation more readily than if you only donate a small amount. If you have the ability to donate a large sum of cash that is always better.
Prize Donations
A great way to show off your business’ products and services as well as helping a non-profit organisation to make money for their cause is to donate your products or services as a prize for a fundraiser event. You can make a gift card for your service or donate your products to the organisation and then they will put these up as raffle prizes for their fundraising event. The great thing is that your product or service will gain a lot of interest from visitors and the winner may love the product so much that they buy from you again.
Other Types
There are plenty of other ways you can get involved in charity and lend a hand to those who need it. Here are some of the other ways you can make a difference:
Hold Fundraisers – if you have the time and the money to hold a fundraiser during work time or at the weekend, this can be a great way for you to not only raise money for charity but also build your brand’s relationship with the local community.
Provide a place for meetings – if you have a large office space which you can provide as a place for the charity to meet up and hold an event, this can be a great way to make your company stand out. If you own a cafe or restaurant you can even host a dinner.
Corporate Grant Program – if you are very involved and passionate about a certain type of non-profit organisation, you can give them grants to work in the local community and make a difference.
Successful Sponsorship
If you look at some of the companies who have gone through sponsorship in the past, you will be able to see some great success stories which may inspire you to go out and start sponsoring yourself. Red Bull are one of the most popular energy drink brands in the world, however when they started out they weren’t very popular at all. That changed when they started to use sporting events and other events to give out free drinks. People tried the drinks and enjoyed them, and thus the popularity of the brand grew and grew to where it is today. It just proves that if you sponsor in some way your business could see a huge hike in popularity. You will want to take a look at How to write a sponsorship letter and start your journey towards helping the community and your company simultaneously. It could help your grow your sales, reach and allow you to expand your business to the next exciting level.