Obtaining sponsors for your school sports programs is easy if you know where to look and who to ask. It can be very competitive with other schools in your area so it is important to research and have a plan before you start making calls.
CREATE A LIST OF CANDIDATES
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Look for companies and businesses that may already support the same sports related activities. Restaurants and fast food locations that have team pictures on the wall are a good place to start. Also consider automotive, electronics, and sporting goods stores in your area. Mom and pop shops or new business that open up in your area are always looking for ways to get the word out about their stores and that makes them ideal candidates for sponsorship as well. Reach out to the marketing department or the community relations department in larger companies if you are not able to speak to the owner, manager or president.
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Alumni are also great sponsors for your high school athletics. Students who have since graduated and are now in business for themselves will likely be happy to support their old high school team.
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Parents of students will have a vested interest in their children’s activities at school. They can be business owners or staff that are willing to promote sponsorship to their companies on your behalf.
BE PREPARED
The first thing any sponsor will want to know is what exactly you are looking for. It is important that you are able to explain exactly what you expect from your sponsor and how they will benefit from donating to your athletic team when you approach them. They will also want to know specifics about your organization. It is important to have this all together in a letter or a pamphlet to show the prospective sponsor what it is that the team needs and how they will be helping to fund the team.
When you do get a sponsor for your high school athletics team it is important that the school’s rules are followed and the sponsor’s expectations are met. Once the sponsor has donated to the team be sure to follow up with a thank you from the school and the team this will help to ensure a positive outcome and increase your chances of having the sponsor for the following year.