Learn the three top takeaways about why one sponsorship of the 2023 SuperBowl was perfectly aligned. Continue reading

I’ll bet your organization has a practice or two that is thwarting your ability to secure sponsorship revenue, which will make or break your ability to have an event asset. Find out three causes of sponsorship revenue stagnation. Continue reading

Your corporate sponsorship proposal is one of the most pivotal tools in your sponsorship sales toolbox. If you're unsure about yours or simply want to know how to write a corporate sponsorship proposal, this workshop is for you. Continue reading

If 2020 was your year to stabilize in the face of multiple crises, let 2021 be your year to reset your vision and take back control of your future. Among your top considerations is your revenue mix. Based on research my firm co-authored last year, many organizations focused on individual and institutional giving and may have put corporate sponsorship on the backburner, particularly with cancelled in-person events. Here are ten reasons why now is the time to ramp up your corporate sponsorship engines. Continue reading

A big mistake that organizations make with their sponsorship programs is to offer generic levels, such as Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels. If you ever rode a bike with training wheels, think about generic levels as akin to training wheels. Yes, you’re moving in the direction of generating revenue from corporations. But you’re not getting—or offering—the full experience. Continue reading

Now is absolutely not the time for radio silence. You need to be communicating with your key audiences as personally as possible. Your sponsors are chief among these audiences. Here's what to do. Continue reading

Do you channel your business development conversations or amble about aimlessly? Continue reading

On the last day of a recent trip to Honolulu, cool, onshore winds stoked dark clouds and a morning-long torrential rainstorm. Before the rain started, I went for a run and watched several teenage boys boogie-boarding on Waikiki beach. (I expected to see surfers but later learned that the rough ocean and crazy current are terrible conditions for all but kite surfing.) When you watch surfers, you get into the rhythm of the ocean and start to feel the boogie-borders’ connection to the sea. They’re expectant but meditative waiting for what might be the perfect wave. From your vantage on... Continue reading

As you’re plotting out how the rest of 2019 or fiscal year 2020 will be a fantastic year, don’t forget to take a look at your sponsorship-selling habits. Here are ten to get you started. Continue reading

Time for some sponsorship spring cleaning. Follow Marie Kondo's process, which I adapted, to spark joy in your sponsorship program. Continue reading

If you represent a company that invests in sponsorship and has a clear strategy—in other words you appreciate the value of sponsorship and how to best leverage it to achieve your business goals—this article is not for you. This article is for companies that dabble with sponsorship. And want to get better. I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Sponsorship sellers are looking out for you. Continue reading

If you can adopt this intention for your sponsorship relationship building, you’ll attract great partners and have some fun, too. Continue reading

Think back to this time last year and consider your sponsorship program. Have you created more value? Or have you lost value? Continue reading

You have three choices when you’re presented with a bad deal. Continue reading

When you’re selling sponsorship — or anything for that matter — there is much you cannot control. But there is plenty you can. Why not take control of these things to tip the odds ever in your favor. Continue reading

The single biggest mistake I see sponsorship sellers make is offering bland, generic sponsorship offerings that have no value. Every organization and event has something unique to offer each sponsor. I have never failed to recognize this truism in all the years I sold sponsorship and all the years I’ve advised thousands of sponsorship sellers. It is your job to draw out this uniqueness and highlight it in alignment with the sponsor’s measurable objectives. But too many people strip out of the offering the creativity, the spark, the uniqueness. That’s how they become a commodity. Continue reading

Last month Philadelphia Magazine published an article on the apparent demise of a beloved and significant bicycle race in Philadelphia that had been on international calendars. The story recounted in the magazine is problematic for several reasons, but here's the main one. Continue reading

You had a great conversation with a prospective sponsor. They’re super excited about the ideas you proposed, and you spend a couple days writing a rockin’ proposal. Your colleagues add more suggestions. You finalize the document and want to pinch yourself—the ideas here are fantastic, and the dollar signs will take your event or organization to a new level. You hit send and count the days till you get to discuss the proposal with the sponsor contact. You just know they’re going to love it and that this is the start of a long-lasting partnership between your organizations. Did I mention all the money your organization is going to generate? Whew! Might as well kick back and wait for the money to flow in, right? Continue reading

Several corporate representatives recently have asked me about the ROI of their nonprofit sponsorships. They’re wondering how they should be structuring these partnerships for the best results. Then they drop in an important detail. Continue reading

Here’s some good news and bad news about how to price sponsorship. Bad news? You probably aren’t charging enough for your sponsorship opportunities. The good news? You can change this. Wimpy sponsorship pricing only hurts you. Continue reading

You're overwhelmed with proposals. You may have success criteria for your sponsorship, but what about for your partners? Here are 10 signs of a successful sponsorship relationship. Continue reading

One of the 8 drivers of sponsorship success is the quality of your sponsorship program. When was the last time you took a good hard look at what you’re selling? If your sponsorship program lacks value, you’re propping up a façade, which ultimately undermines your confidence. It’s a new year and time to review and upgrade. Continue reading

If you’ve worked with me or taken one of my workshops, you know that one of my mantras is that selling sponsorship is all about selling the future. If that’s the case, it follows that an important activity for you is to keep an eye on the future, at least the near-term future. You’ll want to pay attention to changes and shifts in the marketplace that present opportunities for your organization and sponsors. These shifts provide you with important information about brands, culture, your audiences, and about the business landscape in general. These patterns can influence new ideas for your sponsorship efforts and value you create. Read on to get started with three trends I see. Continue reading

If your corporation is going to be strategic about its support of nonprofits — via philanthropy and through sponsorship investments — you have to be intentional about your partnerships, not just accept any opportunity that comes along. Corporations that only think sports when it comes to sponsorship (70 percent of all sponsorship dollars go to sports entities) are missing huge swaths of consumers. Plus they are competing with a lot of other sponsors. Plenty of excellent nonprofit organizations can be fantastic partners, and you’ll stand out from your competition. Here are the essential questions I recommend considering at three stages of your relationship with a nonprofit organization. Continue reading

How’s your sponsorship sales follow through? Are you proactively taking the steps necessary, from beginning to end, to complete sales and move your prospects to the next step, with recovery time in between? Or fizzling out before this important step? Continue reading