Finding Sponsors for your PTA Events
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PTA Sponsorship
Finding sponsors for your PTA events - Process and Tips
Sponsorship is all about providing the sponsor with ways to connect with their ideal customers in ways that can’t easily be achieved using conventional methods. Sponsors are also aware that they have certain corporate social responsibility, CSR, targets they need to achieve.
This is the USP, unique selling point, of a PTA group and is worth remembering when looking for sponsorship for your PTA events. Your PTA can promote the sponsor to their ideal customers, the school community, and at the same time, enable them to move towards their CSR goal by supporting your PTA charity group. It's a win win situation for sure!
Remember, a sponsor will be lucky to have your PTA as part of their marketing mix. You have the potential to provide them with many benefits and opportunities that they can't get elsewhere! However, choose your PTA sponsor wisely, make sure that the school community IS their ideal market. Do not send unsolicited, irrelevant sponsorship requests out to anyone and everyone. It will be a massive waste of their time and yours.
The PTA Sponsorship process
1. Create a wish list of sponsors, each suitable for PTA sponsorship.
2. Research each one - are they a good fit for the school, what is their policy on supporting charities, find out the name of the best person to contact (Linkedin can be useful for this if the company website isn’t)
3. Approach potential sponsors
Have some notes to read from and practice what you are going to say in advance. Maybe add a note to say that you will follow-up an email with a call?
4. Keep a record from start to finish for future reference/handover notes e.g. who you contacted and when, their response, what the outcome was etc.
5. Follow-up those who do not reply by phone
7. Thank those who come back and say no and depending upon why they said no, ask if it would be okay to contact them again in the future
PTA Sponsorship pack/proposal
Include the four Ws. Who you are, Why you are contacting them, What’s in it for you and them, When you need their support).
Use this document to show you understand their business and highlight why you should work together.
Include stats to help make your case.
General tips for securing PTA sponsorship
Videos work really well and much more likely to be looked at than a standard letter - stand out from the crowd
Include your charity number in any letters, emails, posters. Let them know that you are a charity!
Direct possible sponsors to your PTA web-page or Facebook, BUT only if it is up-to-date and showcases how you work with other sponsors e.g. name checks, thank yous, general shout outs etc.
Target large companies with head offices near to you. They may have local initiatives or be willing to sponsor local schools..
What about any of your match-funding companies - are they interested in sponsorship?
Make sure you know your fundraising goals
Ideally, you should aim to at least cover the annual cost of your online ticketing platform with your headline sponsor. Ticket Tailor provide the lowest fees for PTAs. In fact, the Ticket Tailor platform is free if you choose to pass on the low ticketing costs to the ticket buyers!
The price you charge will very much depend on any established relationship with the businesses, your history of obtaining sponsorship, the size of your school community, your demographic and the success of your events.
Have you read “ Attracting sponsorship for PTA Events “?
Oh and don’t forget to sign up to our helpful newsletter below to get timely fundraising tips throughout the school year. Remember, as part of our newsletter community, you are automatically entered into our monthly draw to win a Go Green and Fundraise Zero Waste PTA event pack!
