A complete guide to getting sponsors for your charity gala night
Charity gala night events are to raise funds for all manner of different charities. However, to make them successful, you will need to get good and reliable sponsors for your event. Getting sponsorships for your charity gala is vital to raising money and reaching your event goals. But how do you get them?
Finding sponsors can be intimidating, and this certainly is an art. You may get rejected or get no response at all. Luckily, there are strategies that you can implement to make your charity gala a more attractive sponsorship opportunity.
A little creativity and hard work are required, but getting event sponsors is a very attainable goal. Let’s have a look at effective strategies that can help you find the right sponsors for your charity gala night.
Get specific about your goals
Event sponsor proposals and meetings are time-consuming. Thus, knowing exactly what you want from your sponsors is essential. Unrealistic demands or too many expectations may lead you to no sponsorships. Before you start your process of getting sponsors, it is necessary to lay out what you need from them. Be specific about your goals and let them know your requirements for your charity gala night event.
Use social media to find and secure sponsors
Social media is an all-in-one place. Although each platform is different from the others, you can use all of them to find and secure sponsors for your event. For instance, you can post your sponsorship details on various Facebook groups. This will help you reach a much more relevant and wider audience at once. You can use TikTok to show your preparations for the event, meanwhile asking the viewers for sponsorship. You can create catchy Instagram posts to announce your event and motivate your followers to sponsor. Use Instagram post templates from PosterMyWall and create eye-catching posts in minutes. Just choose your favorite template, add your information to it, and your Instagram post is all set.
Get creative
Creativity wins high marks with sponsors. Businesses today already understand the value of charity event sponsorships. They are very likely to invest in this type of marketing as it benefits them as well.
However, the key to success is the creativity you bring to your postings. Try to create content that benefits both your company and the sponsor. Sponsors really appreciate photos or videos as they allow them to showcase the good work they do for the community. Post banners and flyers including information about the return they will get if they sponsor your gala night.
Even small and simple touches of creativity can go a long way. Thus, take your sponsorship to the next level by creating content that attracts your sponsors. There is no need to worry even if you are not good at designing attractive content. PosterMyWall offers free gala flyer templates that you can use to design attractive flyers to get sponsorships for your gala night.
Offer the sponsor incentives
Sponsorships are give-and-take relationships. Sponsors want as much return for their money, even if it is for a charity event. So, what will the sponsors get in exchange for funding your charity gala night?
Here are some ideas to help you sweeten your deal with sponsors:
- Place the sponsor’s logo and name on event promotional flyers and banners
- Mentions the sponsor in your blog posts, social media posts, and email newsletters
- Encourage your followers to like and share the sponsor’s content
If you show that you are giving more than taking, they will know that it is not just for your benefit. They will get serious about making your gala night a success and will likely sponsor it.
Use emails to get sponsors
Emails are one more way to get sponsors for your charity event. Although it may seem that they never work, emails are still one of the most effective ways to attain sponsorships.
Craft a clever and engaging email and send it to companies that you think can sponsor your event. Businesses do not want a generic email that seems like it was sent to multiple recipients. They want to know why you need their sponsorship, and they want you to be clear and straight to your point. Thus, make sure to include a compelling introduction for your email. Mention your reason for reaching out and how you could help them in return. Include a call-to-action that inspires them to grant you sponsorship.
If not personalized emails, running an email campaign can help you get sponsors too. Create an email campaign for your event and let the brands know about your charity gala night. You can utilize it to send regular updates about the event as well. This will develop trust with your sponsors as they will know how you are using their sponsorship funds. It may seem like a lot to create an email campaign, but it’s not. You can easily create your email campaign through PosterMyWall and get sponsors with very little effort.
Get the timing right
An event sponsorship outreach is an art of its own. Getting the time right is an important aspect if you want to get sponsorships.
Making your way to the decision-maker requires time. Moreover, it can take days to convince people to pay. Therefore, the earlier you start, the better it is. Respecting your potential sponsor’s time is important. Brief meetings show that you respect their valuable time. Lastly, there is always a good time to approach them. Experts say that May, June, and September are the best months to approach businesses for sponsorships. The sales will likely be high, which increases the chances of them sponsoring events. Whereas July, August, November, and December are the worst times of the year to pitch sponsors.
Stay confident and get sponsorships for your charity gala night
If this is your first charity gala, you may need to prospect new sponsors. You will have a high chance of getting sponsorships as you have a tangible ask. Try to find businesses that align with your mission. However, always be willing to think outside the box.
Ultimately, remember that sponsors are “businesses” and not any non-profit organizations. They will always want something in return for funding your gala night. The key is to use the effective strategies mentioned above and clearly show what makes your gala night worth the sponsor’s marketing funds.