Having a sponsor for your alumni association and/or your regular events is a great way to increase your organization’s visibility and garner some extra financial support that can help take the strain off your fundraisers, who may even work on a volunteer basis.

So what’s the best way to go about securing such sponsorships? Looking towards your own network can be a great start, so read on for some tips about how to hone in on this type of financial support.

Connect with Successful Alumni

As the managers of the alumni organization, you and your team have access to one of the most powerful tools that you can have at your fingertips: the alumni themselves. If any alumni are executives or business owners, they should be priority go-to sources to make the ask. 

Once you’ve assembled a good list of leads, it’s time to start working the phones (and email and Zoom) to gauge their interest in a sponsorship. The fact that they’re already connected to your cause is a big headstart. They’ll likely at least be willing to have a conversation. From there, it’s important to deliver a strong pitch. 

Communicating Sponsorship Benefits

A sponsorship needs to be a mutually beneficial arrangement for it to really be attractive to potential sponsors. Therefore, you should have a plan in place for how you can present value to the sponsor and the kind of opportunity that exists for them in partnering with your organization. 

This might include raising awareness of their business by putting their name, logo, slogan or marketing images on your own marketing materials to give them advertising in return for their sponsorship.

Pitching Sponsorship to Alumni

Part of the attraction of a sponsorship for alumni business owners is that it’s also a chance for these proud alums to “give back” to their alma mater. This financial support is especially critical in times where funds are tight. Prepare presentation materials and pitches that emphasize just how meaningful a sponsorship from an alumni can be and how it further strengthens the bonds between alum and institution.

Sponsorships are great support for the ongoing success of alumni organizations. Get started by approaching alumni about their willingness to partner with you, and then flesh out further sponsorship strategies to be able to meet your annual fundraising goals. 

For more tips and information, contact us at Alumni Nations!