Resources - Sponsorship
Sponsorship is often viewed as a more formal arrangement between a business and a voluntary sector organisation. With agreed terms and signed contracts, there is plenty of scope for specifically tailored initiatives - and ones which both sponsor and beneficiary benefit from.
Top Tips
Sponsorship and promotion
Corporate Social Responsibility has been linked to brand loyalty, increased consummer base and a wider recruitment pool and sponsorship can be one route to promoting your organisation's CSR.
Cause Related Sponsorship
Select an appropriate voluntary sector organisation:
- Access to market: a charity working with children, for example, might advertise children's toys or clothes on their materials; a sports charity may be a good opportunity to promote sports related goods.
- Complementary goods or services: a voluntary sector organisation concerned with learning initiatives may be a good partner for an organisation producing textbooks or even stationary; business support agencies could be promoted through charities working with the unemployed or around employment and enterprise.
- Location: a local voluntary sector organisation may be the most appropriate avenue if your organisation is limited to one location or eager to develop relationships with the community. Engaging with voluntary sector organisations with multiple bases could support organisations looking to expand their market.
- Values and ethos: select an organisation that corresponds with your organisation's values and objectives. If you are working with youngsters, for example, then a children's charity may be appropriate. If equal opportunities are central to your organisation, then explore the charities that work in this area.
- Assess any risk: check that the profile of the voluntary sector organisation is appropriate for your organisation and don't assume that a charity will automatically have a glowing reputation. Collect any testimonials or feedback and talk to any other businesses that the organisation is working with.
Form and Design:
- Ensure that any logos or promotional materials are appropriate for audience and consistent. Where possible, try and keep the style of the promotional material in line with both the charity and the organisation's brand.
- Creativity. Advertising does not have to be a logo on a poster or a reference on a leaflet. Consider other possibilities such as vehicle advertising, logos on clothes or articles - even providing branded balloons for events that you are sponsoring.
Sponsorship schemes:
Education Schemes: Getting involved in education schemes or programmes can contribute to your long term business strategy. Through supporting the skill development of the future workforce, involvement in education programmes can indirectly benefit your business as you take on better qualified employees. Communities and youngsters will experience direct benefits.
- Offer work experience or work placement schemes
- Liaise with local education providers. These often run career focussed days in preparation for school leavers which you might be able to participate in.
- Charities often run educational schemes for disadvantaged youngsters. Could you support their efforts through sponsorship?
Grass Roots: Sponsoring schemes or events that are designed for the community can bring your business into contact with its consumer base and raise your public profile.
- Sponsor schemes that are being run for children in the community if these are relevant to your business. For example, a football club or sports training could be a good choice for a sports shop or health-related business.
- Sponsor events that are linked to your business. For example, a photographic or art-related business might sponsor a photo competition; a female based business could sponsor a fashion show.
- Liaise with voluntary organisations to identify target markets and suitable sponsorship opportunities
Employees' Development: Developing skills is a crucial component of both CSR and business success. Maximise these opportunities through actively promoting learning and providing development opportunities for your own staff and individuals within the community.
- Consider working with a voluntary organisation and offering secondment opportunities to their staff or sponsoring staff training programmes.
- Extend any team working exercises that your business undertakes to include staff from a voluntary sector organisation.
- Sponsor the education of individuals looking to enter your industry.
Case Studies
Watford New Hope Trust
Over two years, Watford New Hope Trust, a charity providing homeless people with a range of welfare and accommodation services, has developed a working relationship with a UK company that provides payment services worldwide for banks and other businesses.
The company has undertaken a team-building exercise for one of the charity’s projects and organised a sponsored walk to raise funds for their Annual Report.
Matching sponsors with opportunities
www.uksponsorship.com and www.powersponsorship.com are designed to help charities and good causes to find sponsors.
VAT Guidance
There is guidance on this at the HMRC website.
