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A PROGRAM OF THE U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDATION
 

IOM Blog

December 30, 2022

Strategizing Your Sponsorships

If you’re not already bundling your sponsorships, what are you waiting for?

Sure, you have to re-educate your members in some cases, but it’s so worth it. Have one conversation at the beginning of the year and then it’s all SET.  So, totally, worth it.

For most of us in the not-for-profit world, time is almost more valuable than money because we’re so short of it.  We’re the chief cooks and bottle washers.  We do events and content creation and email marketing, invoicing, database management and public relations. One (or ten) less email in the year to keep track of would feel like a gift, wouldn’t it?

So, here’s what you do (in November at the latest if you can): you send a friendly email to all your top sponsors (always start with the ones who give the most, get those set as soon as possible).

 

Hi Chris,

As we close out 2022, I’m starting to prepare packages for next year.  Does it make sense to send something over based on what we did this year?

Be well!

You

 

There’s no pressure here.  It’s short and sweet, there’s no need to over-explain.  You’re doing them a favor.

Put the package together using whatever package template you like best (I’m partial to excel because it does the math for me), remembering to include these details:

  1. Opening paragraph: Thank you for this continued partnership.
  2. Second paragraph: Based on your organization’s goals and priorities these opportunities were chosen specifically for you
  3. Final paragraph, after the total: The value of these opportunities far exceeds $XX,000 (make it more than the total but not drastically more), they need to know this is a valuable opportunity.

Here’s a sample:

Dear Chris:

First, let us extend our thanks to XXX for its continued support of (interest in getting more involved with) this Chamber this year. This Proposal was designed to provide valued sponsors like you with exposure to and interaction with key decision-makers within the {your organization} membership.

Based on your organization’s specific goals and objectives, the following marketing opportunities were hand-selected to provide you with the highest possible return on investment.
DESCRIPTION   AMOUNT
Event Name ~ Sponsor Level

Description of event

·   Date

·   Location

·   Expected number of attendees

 

 

·   Number of tickets

·   Exhibit table

·   Registration list

$XXX
 TOTAL $XXX
We believe that this package offers XXX a tremendous amount of exposure. The value easily exceeds $7,500 and will help to strengthen your position and visibility among {your organization’s} membership.
NAME, ORGANIZATION                                                                                         Date

The items in bold are the ones to remember to change before sending and should absolutely be customized to your organization.

If you want the full template, email me! It came from Institute and I’m more than happy to share it back.

I cannot stress enough that these conversations should start well before January but if you’re sitting here, the holidays a distant memory, the sugar and food comas wearing off, wondering where to start, this is it.

Make a list of all your sponsors, sort them by how much support they give and start sending emails.  Follow up with phone calls if you need to.  Bundle as much as possible.

If you want to get really sophisticated, figure out what your sales cycle is and how many touches it takes in a month for you to hit your goals.  That’s a post for another time but make no mistake, the math works.

Until then, onward!

Avatar photo
Kate Conroy

Kate Conroy became Director of Strategic Partnerships at New Jersey Business & Industry Association, the largest employer-based business association in the United States, in October 2016. As an organization leader, she is responsible for the annual management and development of a one million dollar partnership program, the representation of the Association to C-Suite constituents, and the cultivation of collaboration among members to create profitable relationships.

Prior to this, Ms. Conroy was Director of Member Services & Programs at NJBIA. As a team leader with the overall responsibility for managing the development and implementation of NJBIA programs and events, she was also responsible for event budgets which accounted for almost one million dollars in revenue. Tasked with developing and obtaining positive financial goals for each event, Ms. Conroy achieved a reduction in overall expenses of approximately 20% in her first six months.

Before coming to NJBIA, Ms. Conroy worked for 11 years as Vice President of the Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce, the largest and most active business organization in the northern New Jersey-New York metropolitan region.

Ms. Conroy was responsible for membership services and growth; website construction and content creation; local chamber meetings and event coordination; the maintenance of 17 Affinity Partner relationships, which led to increased diversification of revenue for the Chamber; and the acquisition of several new networking groups under the Chamber’s umbrella, which steadily increased the Chamber’s membership base. In becoming an integral and essential part of the Gateway staff, of particular note was Ms. Conroy’s sustained drive in bringing new members into the Chamber.

Throughout her career with the Chamber, Ms. Conroy was a key element in the implementation of the strategic plan to revitalize the organization and make it more politically effective by taking full advantage of the grassroots capabilities of its membership.

Ms. Conroy was the driving force behind the launch of the Gateway Association of Business Women, a successful monthly gathering for lunch, networking and speakers, which has become one of the most dynamic women’s groups in the state.

With an eye toward further expansion and untapped demographics, Ms. Conroy also organized the chamber’s quarterly event Networking Outside the Box, which met for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and informal networking, thereby balancing the predominantly morning schedules of the other Gateway groups. Ms. Conroy also helped launch the Irish Business Association, which looked to draw and build on the common heritage of New Jersey’s Irish-American business community. Finally, Ms. Conroy initiated the organization of the Gateway Chamber’s Small Business Council, to better serve the needs of the small business community within the chamber.

Ms. Conroy has been particularly active in professional development, participating as frequently as possible in the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, as well as the Institute for Organization Management, the U.S. Chamber’s premier executive training program for chamber of commerce professionals. Institute is an intense four-year program from which Ms. Conroy graduated in the summer of 2008. Ms. Conroy was consistently awarded scholarships from ACCE to help offset the cost of Institute. Since graduation Ms. Conroy has served on the Board of Regents for Institute.

Ms. Conroy received a Master of Arts degree in history from Armstrong Atlantic State University (Savannah, GA). She specialized in medieval Iberian (Spanish) history and the relationships between Muslims, Christians and Jews during the High Middle Ages as the Black Death swept through Europe. While doing her graduate work she was awarded an assistantship, which, in addition to a stipend, provided a tuition-free graduate school experience.

In October 2009 Ms. Conroy incorporated Quilts by Kate LLC, a small business that specializes in the design and creation of specialty quilts made out of wedding gowns, baby clothes, t-shirts and other memorabilia.
In the Spring of 2010 Ms. Conroy was named the Irish Business Association’s first ever Woman of the Year, an honor of which she is very proud. She makes her home in Plainfield, NJ, with her husband Kevin Savacool.

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