Applying for Corporate Sponsorships: Tips for CSOs

Companies often partner with CSOs in support of their corporate social responsibility. Finding the right partner and securing sponsorships—fund, goods, volunteers, marketing and other services—need not be overwhelming. Christopher Massimine at Entrepreneur.com recommends these steps in applying (hint: communication is key):

• Research opportunities and priorities, including benchmarking your CSO against similar organizations that have secured corporate sponsorship (amount received, terms, what was funded) and your target industries
• Identify and pitch your CSO’s specific program goals, including measurable objectives for success
• Tailor proposals to timelines and deliverables, a sponsor's needs and interests, data points and successes from projects/programs previously executed via sponsorship
• Before submitting a proposal or making an in-person pitch, complete a (formatted, well-edited) document with all relevant information such as budgets, timelines, key team member bios, and visuals you intend on presenting during meetings
• During the exploratory or negotiation period, reply promptly to questions 
• Keep open lines of communication with prospective sponsors and discuss updates promptly to demonstrate commitment and aid collaboration and troubleshooting down the line
• If an agreement is reached, follow through with commitments until the project's complete
• Send progress reports and results at each milestone