What is in it for them?

I've worked for a not-for-profit organisation before, so I knew this would come sooner or later – Writing and sending out sponsorship request letters and emails.

I won't mention where I did my last public relations work placement at, but I remember having the most dreadful time working on sponsorship requests...I was aimlessly copying and pasting a PDF brochure into emails, cold-calling, calling to follow up, getting redirected from department to department, getting rejected again and again and again. And mind you, this was one of the more recognised not-for-profits in Australia. I just assumed sponsors would be responsive seeing a name they were familiar with, so I was demoralised beyond words.

Boy did I dread it when my current supervisor put me in charge of sponsorship.

I drafted my sponsorship request letter based on the one I'd seen at my previous work placement, including the basics, e.g. what the event is about, and why we need your sponsorship for prizes.  I wasn't expecting my supervisor to be impressed, and she wasn't. My letter needed an overhaul, and thank god it did, or I wouldn't have learnt what I learnt.

The first thing my supervisor asked me was, "What is in it for them (the potential sponsor)?"

My mind went blank. All I could think of was, "How could I not have considered that? Which company would, in their right mind, throw a ton of money and products at any old random organisation?"

As much as I'd like to believe all companies are kind and generous and don't have a vested interest, I guess I need to accept that everyone has a motive for doing something. Companies have sponsorship requests all the time. Even if they might have the heart to help them all, they probably don't have the resources. It is hard to blame them for being picky, but the onus is on us practitioners to pitch why helping our organisation will benefit them as it benefits us.

Perhaps that is what my previous supervisor failed to teach me. That sponsorship should be as valuable an opportunity for the sponsor as it is for the receiver. That reputation alone isn't always enough to convince a potential sponsor. That companies like to know that they are contributing to something that will have concrete benefits for the community.

I re-wrote the letter based on feedback from my supervisor. It included clear information about what kind of publicity we can provide in return and on what platforms, emphasised some alarming statistics that their help will go towards changing, and providing some success stories to let them know that our programs are working.

I sent them out to my first batch of 12 potential sponsors with a heavy heart. No pressure from my supervisor, who told me not to be demoralised if I don't get any replies because that's the norm.

Except I got 3 replies in one day!

This obviously opens more learning opportunities for me of course. I've been discussing the terms of sponsorship with those who've expressed their interests. Working directly with them has made me a little more confident. I'm not just writing info sheets and all, I'm actually securing opportunities for my organisation!

I have been doing other things aside from working on sponsorship requests, but I'm excited about how I managed to get through something I really dreaded. As much as I love PR, it comes with certain tasks that carry a high chance of rejection, and I'm not one that takes rejection very well. This may have been a small task for the experienced PR practitioner, but it certainly was a milestone for me.

Danielle Han
Bentley Campus
The Global Good Foundation
15010353