Creating Sponsorship Packages

When it comes to spending money, whether it is on a philanthropic cause or a material purchase, we all want to feel that we are getting something for our hard-earned dollars. If you address this need when you solicit sponsors for your local or state pageant, you may find yourself with a record number of sponsors. Here is a simple step-by-step guide that will allow you to create sensible packages and attract as many sponsors as possible.

1. Package It. When someone gives money to your pageant, there are certain things they receive in return. It may be a program book ad, a mention on stage, a visit from your titleholder, or more. Whatever it is that you’re able to give, list it for your sponsor to see. The Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant creates a VIP Package every year that includes special seats, a certificate of participation, and more. Packaging items like this enables your supporters to pick out the package the suits their needs and there are no surprises on their end—or yours.

2. Create A Hierarchy. After you have created all your packages, list them from most prestigious and expensive down the most humble and inexpensive. You may never sell one of your big-time sponsorships—and you may sell several of your smaller sponsorships—but you must have a variety available for all of your potential sponsors.

3. Name It. Every package you offer must have a name. By naming each package, you are giving them an air of importance. As one volunteer points out, everyone wants to feel important—even those people who can only afford to donate a small amount of money. If you give someone the opportunity to say, “I’m a Hometown Donor to the local pageant,” they will take it.

4. Partner Up. Although you may be able to provide several things to your sponsor in exchange for their sponsorship, don’t overlook the possibility of partnering up with a local business to create even more value for everyone involved. This tactic has proven to be successful for Debbie Brower, a local executive director in Texas. Debbie has the good fortune to publish a magazine, so she ties in magazine benefits for her sponsors. “Since we are connected to both the magazine and the pageant, we always make sure that our titleholder is in our sponsor’s advertisements,” says Debbie. Even if you don’t own a publishing company, you can always partner up with a local newspaper or publishing company to create even more options for your sponsors.

5. Be Consistent. If you have a set system of sponsorship packages, you must adhere to them for the sake of your sponsors and your pageant. If you think organization might be a problem, it is a good idea to find a volunteer who is willing to make sure that all of the packages for each sponsor are fulfilled.

6. Make Them Feel Special. Remember that every person who makes your pageant possible, from a person who donates $50 to a person who donates entire scholarships, is truly special. And they should be made to feel that way by your pageant throughout the whole year, not just during pageant week. Your titleholder should write a handwritten thank you note to each sponsor and hand deliver it, if possible. She should also make at least one visit to each place of business that supported the pageant. These are touches that take very little time and can really make or break your pageant.

Creating sponsorship package for your local or state pageant may require a bit of legwork in the beginning, but once you have your system established you will find that it will prove to be both an efficient and effective way of raising money for your program. From the highest bidder to the humblest donation, sponsorship packages are a way to make sure that every dollar really counts.