If you're planning to raise money through an event, you're probably looking to find potential sponsors. Once you've identified them, your next goal is make sure they follow through and honor their commitments. Whether you're looking for prizes to give away or simply cash to fund the production, a successful campaign begins with a simple sponsorship commitment form.
Be mindful of your potential sponsors' time by making it as easy as possible to participate. A properly worded sponsorship commitment form can both get you the information you need and the participation levels your organization deserves. And by using an online template, you can have one ready and tailored to your event in no time.
Event sponsorship requests
The most important part of your event sponsorship request is your solicitation letter, which should lay out all the pertinent information about your event and how your sponsors stand to benefit. If you're running an event for a nonprofit, your proposal doesn't have to go into depth about how funds will be used, but it should give potential sponsors a good idea as to how their support will further your organization's cause. In the case of for-profit events, you can let the potential sponsors know the event's demographics and show how they align with the potential sponsor's target market.
Once you've made the case for event sponsorship in your letter, you can move onto the sponsorship commitment letter. The key word here is simple. You want the form to look as easy to fill out as possible so your recipients don't throw it in the “too hard" basket. All too often, that pile ends up in the recycling bin, and that won't help you or your cause.
Some information you should include in your sponsorship commitment letter includes:
- Available sponsorship options
- Payment methods
- Cancellation or refund conditions
- Any other relevant event sponsorship terms and conditions
You may also want to invite sponsors to submit logos or other information to be included in promotional materials. If so, the form should state a firm deadline as well as any guidelines for submission, such as file sizes and types.
Other event sponsorship forms
Once you're inundated with event sponsorship commitment forms, your job is really just beginning. Next comes the invoice, which can be a simple form that details the amount of the payment and date it is due, and an event sponsorship contract.
An event sponsorship contract outlines the rights and responsibilities of each party so that everyone understands who is expected to do what and when. Moreover, you want to be sure you're not exposing yourself or your organization to any liability through offering sponsorship opportunities, so you may want to have an experienced contract attorney or online service provider guide you through the process.
If you're ready to solicit sponsors for an event or organization, within your stack of forms you should include a sponsorship commitment to entice recipients to join your efforts. Having a ready-made form that is easy to fill out could mean the difference between being flooded with responses and having an empty inbox.