Seeking sponsorship: tips for SCONUL members

Karen Bedwell, May 2003

Seeking and negotiating sponsorship

• costs money (in significant staff time / workload).
• may not prove successful.

Hence, it should be

• part of an integrated financial strategy.
• for additional, rather than core activities.

Sponsorship is not a gift. It is a commercial transaction related to value for money. SCONUL must identify the individual commercial benefits to any potential sponsor. E.g. offering:

• a route to the company's target audience. In practice, this might be via a SCONUL mailing (data protection implications) or product sampling at an event.
• improved awareness / enhancement of company name / brand / image (and / or differentiation from competitors).
• In practice, this might be via acknowledgement in print and other promotional materials, joint press releases, oral acknowledgement / display space at events.
• opportunities for corporate hospitality (clients, potential clients, staff) or PR / photos.

The price of any sponsorship relates to the VALUE of the benefits offered, NOT the direct COST of delivering these benefits. This vital principle is also true of sponsorship in kind.

Research comes first! Before approaching any potential sponsors, investigate:

• existing - including informal - business contacts. (These are invaluable. Use them!)
• via business directories / Annual Reports. Which companies are performing well?
• current promotions - companies advertising in trade press / sponsoring similar projects.
• the 'fit' between SCONUL and the potential sponsor. This may include ruling out companies or industries that are unacceptable to SCONUL / SCONUL's audience.

Prepare a written proposal

Send 12 months before the start of the project, and to a maximum of five companies at a time. A maximum of two sides of A4 in length. The aim is to provide just enough interesting, business relevant information to secure a meeting. For example:

Sponsorship proposal

SCONUL (Society of College, National and University Libraries)

[Short paragraph: SCONUL is.....and does.....objectives / activities / public image etc]

Our supporters

[Credibility message, e.g. funders and past sponsors]

Our audience

[Similarity between SCONUL and company audience]

The project

Publicity

This project will be promoted..... [quantity, quality, distribution etc]

Sponsorship benefits for [XXXX company]

Price

The price of this sponsorship opportunity is £XXX + VAT.

SCONUL contact

The promotional opportunities in this proposal are neither comprehensive nor limiting. We are always pleased to negotiate further or make alternative arrangements.