Sponsorship proposals are very individual documents. They are specific not only to the sponsorship seeking organization but also to the specific corporation to be approached. For sponsorship investments over $1,000, there is (or should be!) no such thing as a generic proposal.

That said, proposals come in all sizes and shapes. Some very successful nonprofit organizations never send more than a single page the first time they contact a prospect in writing. Others never send out a written proposal of fewer than ten pages. Most successful proposals, however, do have commonalties.

At the most basic level, names and addresses are complete and correct. There is no excuse for anything less. Beyond that, successful proposals are designed to be read quickly or skimmed easily for the key points: what is the programme or event; what does it offer the sponsor in terms of value; what does it cost. If this information is buried, the prospect may not dig.

Know your reader

Years ago, sponsorship proposals might have been read by anyone in a corporation from a summer student helping out around the CEO’s office to a junior in accounting. In most corporations today, however, the individual reading sponsorship proposals is a thorough-going professional. Smart sponsorship seekers recognize this fact.

Rhetoric about the organization to be sponsored is kept to a minimum. Similarly, a review of the prospect’s corporate history and sponsorship profile is not required. (The reader has this information.) The best proposals avoid vague promises. If, for example, increased sales are promised there must be an indication that the proposal writer understands what motivates sales. The same goes for promises to enhance corporate image or to improve community relations.

Sponsorship professionals in more than one Canadian corporation have cautioned against putting faith in high-priced, over-packaged proposals. They agree that it’s the offer that makes the difference. This is not to say that an attention-getting device doesn’t have its place … but it should be chosen with care and underpinned with a solid business rationale.

Timing matters

The larger the sponsorship fee, the more highly leveraged the sponsorship is likely to be, and the more lead time sponsorship seekers need for corporate decision-making and subsequent development of the concept. For sponsorships above $10,000 in fee alone, the proposal development process should get underway (initial contact made) a minimum of six months in advance of the event. One year in advance is typical for larger investments.

You should also coordinate the timing for presentation of a full proposal with the financial cycle of the corporate prospect (available from annual reports). As a guideline, sponsorship proposals for substantial events are submitted no less than three to six months before the corporate prospect’s fiscal year-end.

Putting these two timing requirements together (number of months prior to the event and number of months prior to corporate year-end) can result in a lead-time of close to two years for a significant sponsorship. In this discussion, what constitutes “significant” depends on the corporation, not on the sponsorship seeker.

Judith Barker is publisher of The Sponsorship Report and consults with not-for-profit organizations interested in exploring their sponsorship options. Find out more at www.sponsorship.ca or contact Judith at (416) 466-4714.