Community Sport Sponsorship

Link to this video on uSream

What is our community? Rural - urban

A geographic area? An area (e.g. suburb with common characteristics such as culture, ethnic identity, socio-economics, work commonality, traditional ties, special populations)

The role of sport in our community: for its own sake - or, as a means to an end?

What do we want a sponsor for?

What would a sponsor get through their sponsorship of us?

Considerations in Obtaing A Community Sport Sponsor

1. Potential sponsors need to build/retain local goodwill

2. Link your club to a community-oriented sponsor

3. Link your team a sponsor who wants exposure

4. Often in a community we ask "Who do we know who has a business that may sponsor us?"

5. Consider co-sponsors e.g. a food company and a clothing outfitter

6. The prospect of visual elements of the sponsor's presence can be a magnet for potential sponsors

7. Know your target audience and the sponsor's target audience

8. Consider a state-wide or national business or retailer with a local branch

9. Look at various forms of sponsorship you can see in sport and other spheres and crutically consider if these could be used for your community sport sponsorship

10. Is there a business establishing itself locally that sees sponsorship of community sport as a plus?

11. Use the expertise of local tertiary institutions to gain knowledge of sponsorship proposals, obtaining funding, research, database searches, surveys,

12. Potential sponsors can have a"fit" with specific aspects of your club/team/athlete e.g. footwear, clothing, equipment

13. How can sponsorship advance volunteer roles?

14. How can sponsorship advance gender equity or social inclusion?

15. Find a 'new' aspect of sport that could facilitate new sponsorship or grants e.g. 'green sport'

16. Consider approaching a state or national sport body that has 'fostering community sport' as a goal

17. When you have a sponsor, then get the local high school or TAFE or university to run a pre-sponsorship survey of awareness of the sponsor (and your club?) and, after the season ends, run a post-season survey of awareness of the sponsor (and your club?)

Community Sport Sponsorship In Action

1. Billboards at the ground. Inside? Outside?

2. Bumper stickers

3. Results in sponsor's window

4. Sponsored newsletters

5. A sponsored newspaper column

6. A local time on local radio

7. Competitions that link your club and the sponsor e.g. a prize being some of the sponsor's goods or services or coaching from a local celebrity

8. Shopping discounts or sponsor's coupons - perhaps along the lines of "Buy ten, over time, and get one free"

9. Set up a sponsored website and capitalise on the use of a social media site

10. Locals could purchase match, event or function tickets at the sponsor's shop

11. If the town or district has a special annual day with parades etc. have a sponsor's float

12. The sponsor could use past champions or current club celebrities as a drawcard at functions, in-service training etc.

13. Competitions in the sponsor's window e.g. know your local club

14. Provide free tickets for the sponsors

15. Have a Sponsor's Day at a particular match

16. Have free admittance for a number of sponsor employees to club functions

17. Consider location/geographic/locality sponsorship e.g. sponsoring a certain golf hole, an equestrian jump, segment of a a mountain bike course

18. A mini-Olympics type evening

19. Sponsor naming rights to a competition, event, match, team, player, event, trophy, playing venue, all or part of a building etc.

20. Use of a logo - the sponsor's, the club's or a combination of these

21. Signage: such as in public places, in/out of the stadium, the Leader Board or Championship Board

22. Hospitality naming rights: tent, room, suite, box, table

23. Use of a local sport celebrity to open new business ventures to have a car provided with the sponsor's name

24. Apparel or gear or equipment provided and endorsed with the sponsor's name

25. Including the sponsor's name or keyword(s) in the club team title so it is heard frequently

26. Sponsor offers free service as an investment e.g. free meals at local restaurant or takeaway leads to higher levels of purchased meals at other times

27. Link with health issues and use sponsor's expertise to obtain grants e.g. space for sport, adaptive sport, race for health

28. Arrange for the sponsor to attend an elite event in your sport at the state league/competition level

29. Tap into local trusts that may have grants which a skilled person in your sponsor's organisation can help you to apply for

30. Use your sponsor's connections e.g. with business service groups, with the local community civic authorities

31. Are there part-time or internship positions with your sponsor?

32. Sponsoring sections of races, competitions, charity runs, events, 'Ride 4 Your Heart' etc.

33. Purchasing club equipment or having the sponsor donate these

34. Sponsoring of club databases and/or have the database of your members available to your sponsor

35. Sponsor video of your club for use in community schools or service organisations

Tuesday Lecture

Sponsorship Cont. Slides to be added here

1. Effective Sponsorship Proposals

2. Measuring the Impact of Sponsorship

Tutorials

1. Field Placement for sponsorship assisignment activity.

Sponsorship Proposal Assignment

A more detailed set of marking criteria for the Sponsorship Proposal in Week Four (next post).