Tips for attracting sponsorship – getting started

Amberol has launched a free guide for councils, Britain in Bloom groups and community organisations with tips and advice on generating sponsorship from businesses to help pay for improvement initiatives. The 30 page booklet is free from Amberol on application.

Sponsorship from local businesses is one way that Britain in Bloom groups can help fund activity and improvements within their community, but it can be difficult knowing where to start. That’s why we have put together a free guide on attracting commercial sponsorship. 

The Top Tips to securing Commercial Sponsorship booklet is available on request, but we thought that visitors to our website might like a little sneak preview of some of the tips contained within the guide. The advice is based on over 45 years’’ experience working with In Bloomers, councils, businesses, universities, theme parks, leisure centres and a whole range of establishments to help them make a visible difference to their environment. 

The starting point for sponsorship  

Start by identifying the benefits. Attracting support from commercial organisations requires a clear process and structure if it is to succeed, so approach it methodically. The first step is to determine what the benefits of sponsorship and/or getting involved actually are for an organisation. While many businesses are happy to support community initiatives, it’s helpful to demonstrate how they will benefit. However, if you haven’t clarified what a business gets out of offering their support within your group, how can you expect them to know? 

This is part of understanding why a business might choose to sponsor you. Start the process by putting yourself in a company’s shoes and looking at what you are asking for from their point of view. There is a range of reasons why companies get involved - from the genuine desire to improve their environment, to fulfilling corporate social responsibility (CSR) targets, to raising their profile in the area for commercial gain. All are valid, so try and address all the possible reasons. 

Once you are clear about the benefits, it may be helpful to develop a specific sponsorship structure to ensure consistency. You might decide to have different levels of financial support to involve organisations of different sizes which may have varying budgets available. For example, Shrewsbury in Bloom runs a variety of successful sponsorship schemes with bronze, silver and gold levels so that organisations can contribute different amounts. You should also have a standard letter for applications to businesses which can be adapted to ensure consistency of approach.   

Watch out on our community hub for more hints and tips on attracting commercial sponsorship.

The sponsorship guide is available by calling Amberol on 01773 830 930, emailing info@amberol.co.uk or writing to Amberol at The Plantation, King Street, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 7TT.