Sponsorship Request Letter Templates (How To Write)

Individuals and entities in the non-profit sector typically require funding or sponsorship to pursue their causes. There are different approaches to requesting sponsorship from donors depending on the situation. A sponsorship request letter is a known approach to reaching out to potential donors. Such a letter should be written after you have already contacted the potential donor. As a beneficiary, you can contact different organizations using a sponsorship request letter. The letter should inform the potential donor about your cause and communicate why the partnership would be mutually beneficial.

This article defines a sponsorship request letter, highlights its importance, and how to create it.

You can use templates to create professional sponsorship request letters. They are pre-designed outlines that contain all the necessary elements of a standard sponsorship request letter. This provision makes creating a letter easier than creating one from scratch.

You can download such templates from below. They are free and readily customizable to simplify the writing process for users:

What is a Sponsorship Request Letter?

A sponsorship request letter, or sponsorship proposal, is written to a potential donor as a formal proposal for a partnership and incentivizes them to support your cause as an entity or individual.

Donors can monetarily support your cause and organization, such as money for an event, or non-monetary resources, such as service. In addition, incentives, such as tax privileges, free publicity at an event, a podium to address the audience or priority seating at an event, can be applied.      

Significance of Sponsorship Letters 

The letter can be used as a formal follow-up after the initial interaction with the potential donor. The first interaction can be through a phone call or email. It can be used to summarize the outcomes of the meeting before making the official proposal.

A request letter to the potential sponsor can mean securing funding or partnerships. The funding secured through the letter supplements what is collected from fundraising events like galas, runs, rides, competitions, etc. The partnerships built through the letter also strengthen your network and relationships.

What Can You Give in Return? 

There are distinct incentives donors can get from contributing to non-profit causes. Therefore, evaluating the donor’s needs and offering incentives aligned with their needs is advisable.

Here are different advantages the sponsors have in return for giving you sponsorship:

• Partnerships with non-profit organizations and support for essential causes are great for a business’s publicity and brand marketing. In addition, most consumers tend to gravitate towards companies that bear social responsibility and support important causes.
• Donors also use sponsorships to elevate their personal or professional social profiles. As a result, the public acknowledges people who actively demonstrate their generosity.
• You can award the sponsor an advertising platform at an event.
• Incorporating the donor’s logo in all communications regarding the event, for example, promotional social media posts, is a well-known incentive for business.
• Donors can also address the audience during the event to reach your community.
• In exchange for the donor’s support, you can allow them to distribute their promotional material, such as branded merchandise, at your events.
• Donors can also be added to the non-profit organization’s “Supporters” list.
• Social media mentions or shout-outs are other incentives you can offer to potential donors.
• You can also offer the donor a booth at your event to allow them to sell, market their products/services and interact with attendees.
• You can also propose to run a contest at the event or on your social media pages on behalf of the donor to entice them to support your cause.
• Lastly, donors can be awarded a framed “Thank you for your support” card or letter as a way to appreciate them for their support.

When and When Not to Use It?

A sponsorship request letter can be effective in securing support from multiple donors. However, it must be well prepared to suit the situation.

When 

The request letter can be used whenever you want to host an event but have to raise funds to finance the event. This way, you can host a satisfactory event that meets your intended objectives and benefits the donor. The letter can also raise in-kind support for specific campaigns or events. Additionally, the letter secures non-financial support such as expertise, equipment, supplies, time, or space. Lastly, you can use the letter to build and strengthen beneficial partnerships with donors. 

When not

In addition, there are instances when it is not advisable to use a sponsorship request letter to contact donors.

Examples of such instances include:

• Do not use the letter as the first contact with the potential donor. This is because there are many other donation seekers, and establishing a connection ensures that your letter is not overlooked or ignored.
• It is not advisable to send the letter too close to the event’s date. The letter may reach the sponsor too late for them to intervene, even if they are willing to. Late requests may also appear as a lack of organization, thus discouraging potential donors from working with you in the future.
• If you do not have audience data, it is best not to send the letter. Donors want to partner with entities or individuals with similar goals or whose audience is similar to their target market. So, leaving out this information can disqualify you from being considered for the donation.

There are different sponsors you can request for support in your cause. Therefore, it is crucial to seek befitting donors. You, therefore, will require extensive research to create a list of potential donors.

Here are different categories of sponsors you can write to when looking for sponsorships:

Non-profit organizations

It would be best to consider non-profit organizations supporting similar causes. For example, if your cause supports tree protection, you may want to consider organizations that support environmental non-profit organizations.  

Complementary businesses

It is advisable to approach businesses in the same or complementary industries as yours. For example, you can contact sanitary-related businesses or health practitioners if you are a non-profit sanitation entity.  

Mainstream and social media people

Also, you should seek donors from the mainstream and social media people. Such donors can be discovered over the internet if you use the right keywords relating to your cause or locality.

Network of your member, staff, and board

You can also search for donors from the networks of your member, staff, and board. The member, staff, and board members can initiate contact with the potential donors. This can increase the success of your requests as it would be through someone the donor trusts. 

Local shop

Local businesses are also known to support organizations whose causes benefit their communities. So, you can contact local shops as they would be more inclined to be part of improving their community.

Past businesses

If you have previously collaborated or are collaborating with businesses or organizations, you can contact them to find out if the prospects would be interested in supporting again or further. Previous business partners are more likely to want to continue the partnership if it is successful.

Your suppliers and vendors

Your suppliers and vendors can be potential donors because they feel connected to your organization and cause. This can also strengthen your relationship with vendors and suppliers.

People who get benefit from your association

You can also source potential donors from people who benefit from your organization. Request them to initiate contact with the donors and follow up with a sponsorship request letter.

Note: Determine your letter’s goal. Knowing your letter’s objective is best before you write and send one. For example, the request letter should not be the first interaction with the potential donor. Instead, it should be sent after initial contact. The main objective of the letter should be to establish a long-term partnership. However, it can be used to secure short-term support, such as financial support. The letter should also highlight the value of your organization’s work and how it relates to the potential donor and the people they are interested in. 

A sponsorship request letter should be written professionally. It should inform the recipient of the potential opportunity to collaborate and mention details about your audience that may interest them.

You can write the sponsorship request letter by including the following information:

Introduce yourself and your organization

Start by introducing yourself to the recipient. Write a brief introduction that states who you are and mention your organization. This lets the donor know who sent the letter.

For example:

Mr. Smith
I am Ms. Jones from Philanthropic Organization XYZ, which is raising support for the youth program we discussed in our previous meeting. I will use this opportunity to expound on what the e-program entails.

Give a reason for writing the letter

Then, indicate the reason for writing the letter. This section should mention the specific reason you chose them as potential partners. For example, if someone suggested them to you, you should mention the mutual contact’s name and explain why they believed the two parties should meet. If the potential donor has goals that align with yours, you should mention them to make a connection.

Also, highlight this fact if the potential donor is known to support causes or organizations like yours. This information can be obtained by thorough research and is needed to create a personalized sponsorship request letter.

For example:

I am expressing my interest in your wonderful organization – BiToo Technologies LLC. You are a persistent supporter of the environment, animals, and the young. I am sure our cause aligns with your vision and goals to be part of a sustainable and inclusive business environment.

Provide your audience’s information

Most donors will be interested in your proposal if your organization has an audience that interests them. Your audience creates a new market for most donors to target. If the donor can access the audience, they can use this to market their business and drive sales. Audience data is often a primary consideration for potential donors and determines if the proposal is worthwhile for the donor or not.

This section should provide specifics about the audience, such as:

• Data that can characterize the audience
• How and why are they linked to your organization
• Types of purchases they intend to make, for example, during an upcoming event
• Specify if they already buy products from the potential donor

For example:

Our audience includes robust and energetic youth that want to be actively involved in a sustainable environment. They are interested in quality products that are environmental friendly and help them pursue a lifestyle that promotes sustainable ways of life. They already use your services, as we have seen them utilize some of your products in implementing our programs. Based on our research, 80% of our audience are aspiring entrepreneurs interested in starting their businesses and retailing your range of high-quality products.

Specify your activation opportunities

The letter should propose activation opportunities the donors can expect to benefit from if they accept to support your organization. Activations are marketing exercises used to introduce products to people. Such activation opportunities include product placements, branding, contests, and sampling. Elaborate on how you, the sponsors, can add value or address the audience’s needs as their target market.

For example:

We have set up an exciting retail space for our audience where they can access your products and other services. We intend to introduce your products to buyers during the upcoming symposium. Our audience will also be invited to participate in entrepreneurship and business-building training sessions, including a workshop on your company. The training is meant to prepare our youth for the future.

Conclude with a plan to follow-up

Lastly, inform the potential sponsor that you will follow up on a specific date. Also, specify the means you will use to follow up, like a phone call or a physical meeting. You can also specify the time you intend to contact them. Also, you can declare your interest in learning more about the potential sponsor and discussing a way forward.

Then, provide your contact details so that the sponsor may have a way to reach out if they need to. Also, include a call to action by inviting them to get in touch should they have a different date and time.

For example:

I will call you on the 18^th of November to hear from you. I am incredibly interested in knowing more about your business and its goals so that we can align them with our social enterprise goals. In addition, I hope to hear from you and discuss an activation plan to help our causes.

Regards,
Martha Miles

Note: How to send a sponsorship letter? Email is the most effective and straightforward method of sending sponsorship request letters. You can use a direct email platform. This is because it allows you to send emails to multiple prospects quickly and in a cost and time-effective manner.

To create an effective sponsorship request letter, there are tips, considerations, and specific writing techniques you can adopt.

They include:

Find the right person 

Avoid using a generic salutation like “To Whom It May Concern.” Instead, address the letter to the right person and refer to them using their correct name. You can find this information by calling the organization or conducting personal research on the website. 

Make it personal 

Do not send generic sponsorship request letters. Instead, personalize each letter according to the potential donor you are sending it to. Use the correct name of the recipient and the organization and mention the organization’s virtues that caught you agree with.

Length of the letter 

The letter should not be longer than a page. You need to create a letter that can be quickly read in 1-3 minutes. So, use short sentences and paragraphs to convey your ideas.

Ask for an opinion 

It is advisable to ask for something from the prospect. This creates interest. You can ask for assistance with something or their opinion on a topic. This acknowledges that you value their opinion and view them as experts in their field.

Give the sponsors a choice 

When offering a collaboration, be sure to give the potential donor several options for how they can be involved in your cause. This increases your chances of securing support from multiple sponsors that offer more than money.

Add the signatures 

The president or executive of your organization should sign the letter. A signature authenticates the sponsorship request letter and adds a more professional outlook. You can also include your organization’s charitable registration number.

Edit and proofread 

You should review the final draft of the letter, identify any spelling and grammar mistakes and edit it accordingly. An error-free letter is considered more professional and ensures that it is taken more seriously.

Follow-up properly 

It would be best to plan a follow-up with the prospect after sending the request letter. The letter should not be the final action toward securing support. You can include follow-up details such as the contact information of the right representative from your organization and directions on how to go about it. Alternatively, you can specify that you will follow up with them at a predetermined date and time.

Things to avoid

There are certain things you can avoid when using a sponsorship request letter to gain support from potential sponsors.

They include:

• Inserting small talk and pleasantries in the letter, for example, “how are you?.”
• Asking for specific financial requests as this may seem like you are expecting too much from the donors.
• Asking for free products for in-kind sponsorship as the partnership has not yet been formed.
• The letter should not include sponsorship grids and levels, as the potential donor has not committed to offering support.
• Focusing on need without mentioning how the partnership would benefit the donor
• Using leaflets, pamphlets, samples, or proposals as the letter is meant to initiate official correspondence only.
• Using pictures of your organization’s stakeholders or program users. The letter is a formal document, and such elements are not needed.
• Making assumptions regarding the prospect’s target audience or essential demographic. Information used or referenced in the letter should be factual.
• Including sponsorship agreements and requesting a signature during the initial stages of contact.
• Using icebreakers as they display a lack of confidence.

The objective of a sponsorship request letter is to get attention and support from potential donors. In addition, the letter can help you secure funding for your charity and promote it for a worthy cause. Therefore, you should follow the tips mentioned above to ensure you get the response you are hoping for. In addition, you can use templates to write your sponsorship request letter. Sponsorship request letter templates provide a convenient way of writing such a letter without needing to design it from scratch. This, in turn, increases your chances of securing funding from sponsors.