Top 5 Ways to Retain Sponsors

In our latest blog, we explore the five essential keys to sponsor retention, focusing on how organizations can maintain and enhance their relationships with sponsors.  The following strategies are designed to ensure sponsors feel valued and see tangible benefits from their partnership with your organization.

Brand Visibility

Companies use nonprofit sponsorship as a business strategy to build brand recognition and generate positive PR

    • 91% of global consumers are likely to switch brands to one associated with a good cause, given comparable quality/price
    • 61% of consumers are willing to try a new brand if it is associated with a cause they care about
    • 50% of global consumers are willing to pay more for goods and services from a company that gives back to society

Sponsors want to see their logo anywhere and everywhere

  • Banners, T-shirts, signage, newsletters, webpage, social media, email campaigns, landing pages

Recognition

  • Acknowledge your sponsors at events, board meetings and committee meetings
  • Place an ad in their industry publication thanking them for their sponsorship
  • Have staff, board members and ambassadors thank sponsors on their personal social media
  • Give sponsors VIP tickets to events and invite them to pre/post-event VIP sessions

Metrics

When companies agree to sponsorship, they want to see a measurable return on their investment; the most common metric for this is exposure

  • Compile a comprehensive list of marketing materials that included the company’s logo, and track the number of impressions each one generated:
    • Email campaign | Sent March 30 | 1,500 opens
    • Physical mailer | Sent April 10 | 1,900 recipients
    • Facebook post | Posted on April 15 | 530 likes
  • Show examples of other businesses that have sponsored your events and how much exposure it generated for them

Lines of Communication

  • Start the relationship before asking for money
  • Create a sponsorship contract that lays out what your association owes to the company for their sponsorship
  • Draw up a calendar of touch points
    • Social media mentions
    • Newsletter ads
    • Web spotlights
  • ALWAYS deliver what you promised
  • Stop by their workplace throughout the year
  • Nurture and build your relationship

Creativity

  • Listen to your sponsors needs and pain points
  • Talk to sponsors about the clients they are targeting – you may be able to help them communicate
  • Brainstorm creative ways to generate visibility for your sponsors – VIP events, microphone time at events, etc.
  • Listen, listen, listen – the best way to attract and keep sponsors is to offer sponsorship benefits that will be valuable to them

In conclusion, retaining sponsors requires a strategic approach centered around visibility, recognition, measurable metrics, effective communication, and creativity. By implementing these key strategies, you can build strong, lasting relationships with your sponsors, ensuring they see the value in their investment. If you need assistance in creating or enhancing your sponsorship retention strategy, contact us today. We’re here to help you achieve your goals and maximize your organization’s potential.

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“ The Solution started work with CALCP with the goal of stimulating growth in both our membership and our annual conference, and succeeded on both counts — our membership has grown by almost 30% since hiring The Solution, and our first year of managing the conference generated record attendance, while we were able to move to a larger, more luxurious venue in our second year without sacrificing profit.  The Solution has also helped CALCP develop a bilingual education program for our Spanish-speaking members.”

Terry Dwyer, Colorado Arborists and Lawn Care Professionals Board of Directors
Terry Dwyer, Colorado Arborists and Lawn Care Professionals Board of Directors
“After 2 years, the Solution has helped streamline our professional member association in great new ways. The staff resources they provide, and extra perspectives and expertise on association management, as well as their responsiveness, has been greatly appreciated by our Board and volunteers. We love our account manager!”
Emily Zadvorny, PharmD, BCPS, Colorado Pharmacy Society
Emily Zadvorny, PharmD, BCPS, Colorado Pharmacy Society
"Since we hired The Solution to manage our organization, they have increased our membership by 150%, helped to build our reserves back up to a healthy level and took our annual conference to all new heights. The Solution is a team of strategic, thoughtful and forward thinkers. We highly recommend them."
- Barbara Burlingame, Board President American Association of Code Enforcement (AACE)
- Barbara Burlingame, Board President American Association of Code Enforcement (AACE)
“The team at The Solution created and delivered a dynamic event for our Fellows that included CLE, social events, and meetings. The seamless hybrid CLE presentations allowed in person and virtual presenters and attendees to experience the top-level programming. The Board is very pleased with the team’s strong leadership, fiscal management, and attention to detail.”
-Peter Buchbauer, International Academy of Family Lawyers USA Chapter President
-Peter Buchbauer, International Academy of Family Lawyers USA Chapter President
"The Solution breathed life back into our association. The Solution rebranded our association and implemented a marketing and communications strategy that would ultimately lead to member engagement and an unprecedented 95% member retention rate. The team created all new events that our agents and company partners got excited about. We hadn’t seen that kind of attendance at association events since the late eighties."
- Jim Howes, Past Board President Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Colorado
- Jim Howes, Past Board President Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Colorado
“2020 was a tough year for many small businesses and non-profits. Colorado Weed Management Association (CWMA) was faced with some very tough decisions early on in the year. With the guidance of Monica (the Solution) as our executive Director, CWMA was able to get creative and offer several online classes and to hold our Annual Training virtually. CWMA was able to pull through 2020 significantly better than we would have thought possible during those early days. Noxious weeds are persistent, tenacious, and resilient. As CWMA is a noxious weed management organization, we aim to be as resilient as the weeds."
- Tina Travis Past President-CWMA Board of Directors
- Tina Travis Past President-CWMA Board of Directors
“To all those business owners feeling the sense of overwhelm- too many hours spent IN the business (operations), and not having enough time to work ON the business (vision/strategy)…then stop right now and contact The Solution! I have had the pleasure of working alongside The Solution to formulate an effective strategy to accelerate/operate my business so I can focus on more visionary tasks to grow the business. I love being a lean organization and finding trusted resources that I can contract for all the tasks that are not my sweet spot. It is truly the best of both worlds! Hands down…working with The Solution was one of the greatest investments I could make for my business!”
Kerry Crandall, Founder & CEO of Women in Mergers & Acquisitions
Kerry Crandall, Founder & CEO of Women in Mergers & Acquisitions
I am confident to give Dot Miller the highest recommendation for her work in development of our Strategic Plan. Our Health Care for All Colorado Advocacy Board (HCAC) just met with Dot Miller. Dot is a fabulous strategic thinker. Dot’s insight, experience, and examples pushed our thinking to the next level. HCAC did not have a recent specific Strategic Plan. After meeting with Dot, we developed SMART goals and our strategy for the coming year and beyond. Thank you, Dot, for sharing your expertise and organizational skills with us. Our Board has a vision with specific next steps. I highly recommend Dot Miller to your organization.”
Lydia Guzman, Healthcare for All Colorado
Lydia Guzman, Healthcare for All Colorado
We were a new Chamber of Commerce starting up and could not afford to hire a marketing specialist, a bookkeeper and an event planner, so we turned to The Solution and they do it all for us, better than we ever could, for a fraction of the price.
Loretta DiTirro, Wheat Ridge Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Loretta DiTirro, Wheat Ridge Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
"In addition to the restructure of organization, the employees at The Solution cared very much, going so far as to visit each member. This entailed driving to every corner of the state to sit in front of our members to talk to them about the challenges they are facing in our industry and how our association could help them. The team goes above and beyond for their clients. The Solution accomplished our five-year strategic plan inside the first eighteen months. When it comes to associations, they are the very best. I would highly recommend The Solution for your association"
- Jim Howes, Past Board President Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Colorado
- Jim Howes, Past Board President Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Colorado
“The Solution is the best thing that has happened to our organization in years. The commitment to hard work and best practices are second to none. Valerie and her team are the best in the business. Not only has The Solution helped us increase our financial reserves and sponsorships, but they have helped bring the fun back to our association.”
Gino Moro, Past President Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals
Gino Moro, Past President Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals
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Tim Woodard, President Texas Association of Public Insurance Adjusters
Tim Woodard, President Texas Association of Public Insurance Adjusters
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“ The Solution started work with CALCP with the goal of stimulating growth in both our membership and our annual conference, and succeeded on both counts — our membership has grown by almost 30% since hiring The Solution, and our first year of managing the conference generated record attendance, while we were able to move to a larger, more luxurious venue in our second year without sacrificing profit.  The Solution has also helped CALCP develop a bilingual education program for our Spanish-speaking members.”

Terry Dwyer, Colorado Arborists and Lawn Care Professionals Board of Directors
Terry Dwyer, Colorado Arborists and Lawn Care Professionals Board of Directors
"Since we hired The Solution to manage our organization, they have increased our membership by 150%, helped to build our reserves back up to a healthy level and took our annual conference to all new heights. The Solution is a team of strategic, thoughtful and forward thinkers. We highly recommend them."
- Barbara Burlingame, Board President American Association of Code Enforcement (AACE)
- Barbara Burlingame, Board President American Association of Code Enforcement (AACE)
“The team at The Solution created and delivered a dynamic event for our Fellows that included CLE, social events, and meetings. The seamless hybrid CLE presentations allowed in person and virtual presenters and attendees to experience the top-level programming. The Board is very pleased with the team’s strong leadership, fiscal management, and attention to detail.”
-Peter Buchbauer, International Academy of Family Lawyers USA Chapter President
"Dot came to Cleveland, Ohio to run the Board Retreat for the Solon Chamber of Commerce. I selected her after interviewing eight organizations to lead us in a retreat to determine our strategic plan. I worked with Dot for about a month leading up to the retreat and continue to work with her now to implement the agreed upon strategies. She was amazing at the retreat, holding the attention on 22 people over the course of 6 hours. The outcomes: Agreed upon 5 year goals with a solid plan to execute over the next 18 months. I am so thankful that we had and continue to have the opportunity to work with Dot and her team at The Solution."
– Tom Bennet, CEO Solon Chamber of Commerce
– Tom Bennet, CEO Solon Chamber of Commerce
"The Solution breathed life back into our association. The Solution rebranded our association and implemented a marketing and communications strategy that would ultimately lead to member engagement and an unprecedented 95% member retention rate. The team created all new events that our agents and company partners got excited about. We hadn’t seen that kind of attendance at association events since the late eighties. In addition to the restructure of organization, the employees at The Solution cared very much, going so far as to visit each member. This entailed driving to every corner of the state to sit in front of our members to talk to them about the challenges they are facing in our industry and how our association could help them. The team goes above and beyond for their clients. The Solution accomplished our five-year strategic plan inside the first eighteen months. When it comes to associations, they are the very best. I would highly recommend The Solution for your association"
- Jim Howes, Past Board President Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Colorado
- Jim Howes, Past Board President Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Colorado
“2020 was a tough year for many small businesses and non-profits. Colorado Weed Management Association (CWMA) was faced with some very tough decisions early on in the year. With the guidance of Monica (the Solution) as our executive Director, CWMA was able to get creative and offer several online classes and to hold our Annual Training virtually. CWMA was able to pull through 2020 significantly better than we would have thought possible during those early days. Noxious weeds are persistent, tenacious, and resilient. As CWMA is a noxious weed management organization, we aim to be as resilient as the weeds."
- Tina Travis Past President-CWMA Board of Directors
- Tina Travis Past President-CWMA Board of Directors
“To all those business owners feeling the sense of overwhelm- too many hours spent IN the business (operations), and not having enough time to work ON the business (vision/strategy)…then stop right now and contact The Solution! I have had the pleasure of working alongside The Solution to formulate an effective strategy to accelerate/operate my business so I can focus on more visionary tasks to grow the business. I love being a lean organization and finding trusted resources that I can contract for all the tasks that are not my sweet spot. It is truly the best of both worlds! Hands down…working with The Solution was one of the greatest investments I could make for my business!”
Kerry Crandall, Founder & CEO of Women in Mergers & Acquisitions
Kerry Crandall, Founder & CEO of Women in Mergers & Acquisitions
“As the Director of the Public Health in the Rockies conference for the Colorado Public Health Association, I’ve had the privilege of working with The Solution team for two years now and they are incredible! They provide us with expert consultation, support all aspects of the conference, and are just really wonderful and fun people to work with. Not only did they help us successfully plan an in-person conference during a global pandemic, they helped ensure we provided a safe, fun and well-organized conference. We also exceeded our financial goals thanks to The Solution. I could not have asked for better partners and look forward to our continued work together.”
Heather Weir, Conference Director, Public Health in the Rockies, Colorado Public Health Association
Heather Weir, Conference Director, Public Health in the Rockies, Colorado Public Health Association
“Our association really saw growth potential and an opportunity for further relevancy during the pandemic. Our board decided it was time to put a strategic plan in place and we truly found the best in the business with The Solution. Dot and her team led us in the direction of taking our organization to the next level of success. She not only conducted an amazing strategy-filled virtual session but delivered a detailed working document that was easy to navigate. The follow up sessions to keep us on track have been invaluable. We would highly recommend Dot and The Solution for your chamber or association, hands down!"
Cindy Holzheimer, CEO Northern Ohio Association of Chambers of Commerce
Cindy Holzheimer, CEO Northern Ohio Association of Chambers of Commerce
I am confident to give Dot Miller the highest recommendation for her work in development of our Strategic Plan. Our Health Care for All Colorado Advocacy Board (HCAC) just met with Dot Miller. Dot is a fabulous strategic thinker. Dot’s insight, experience, and examples pushed our thinking to the next level. HCAC did not have a recent specific Strategic Plan. After meeting with Dot, we developed SMART goals and our strategy for the coming year and beyond. Thank you, Dot, for sharing your expertise and organizational skills with us. Our Board has a vision with specific next steps. I highly recommend Dot Miller to your organization.”
Lydia Guzman, Healthcare for All Colorado
Lydia Guzman, Healthcare for All Colorado
“WOW! Words do not express the amazingness that Dot is to the chamber world. I am a semi-new Executive Director and Dot has helped me so much I can’t express how thankful I am. She is smart, caring and down right the best at her job. She’s extremely quick at responding along with being very organized. Need help with anything chamber related, she’s the one to ask."
-Mitchell Gronenthal, Delta Area Chamber of Commerce
-Mitchell Gronenthal, Delta Area Chamber of Commerce
I have had the opportunity to work with Dot Miller and The Solution as a member of the Board of Directors of the Westminster Chamber of Commerce. I am pleased to give The Solution my highest recommendation. Prior to retaining Dot and her team at The Solution, our organization struggled to be responsive to our members and our lack of organization at the administrative level caused us to miss opportunities to grow the organization. The Solution was able to come in and resolve the issues we had with our administration. Our members have been vocal in their support of the improvements that we have made through The Solution, and our partnership has enabled us to generate revenue and provide even more value to our community. I believe that Dot Miller and The Solution are capable of adding value to any organization and I am happy to give them my full recommendation.”
Bryan Head, Board of Directors, Westminster Chamber of Commerce
Bryan Head, Board of Directors, Westminster Chamber of Commerce
We were a new Chamber of Commerce starting up and could not afford to hire a marketing specialist, a bookkeeper and an event planner, so we turned to The Solution and they do it all for us, better than we ever could, for a fraction of the price.
Loretta DiTirro, Wheat Ridge Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Loretta DiTirro, Wheat Ridge Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
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