How Not to Miss Out on Major Fundraising Opportunities

Rob Pritts, Atlanta Regional Tournament Sales Director

As a Tournament Sales Director and someone who has helped raise over $3 million dollars in tournament revenue for organizations all over the United States, I can tell you with certainty that there is a prime season for securing sponsorship funds. Frequently, when I speak and consult with organizations on their tournaments, these groups more often than not bank on getting large donations from prominent corporations in the community.

Yet the fact of the matter is that while there are funds available from local organizations, in order to land these funds, your organization's fundraising method must be systematic, organized, and well planned; and this is where some non-profits and organizations find themselves in trouble. Let's take a look at how not to miss out on major fundraising opportunities.

Start with an example I see here in Atlanta. Coca Cola, Georgia Power, Chick-Fil-A, and numerous other large companies make it a point to be donors in the local community. Local charities see this as an opportunity to tap into, but often they fail to secure these funds. So what's the reason?

Large companies will sponsor $10,000 to $25,000 at a single event, or spread throughout charity events; but there is a process that must be followed. Companies budget out fundraising donations well in advance of the fiscal year. If you have not submitted a sponsorship request well in advance for a large donation, you will most likely be told that "funds have already been allocated to community giving for the year."

So when does this budget planning process take place? Most companies put budgets together in the last few months of the year, and so that's the time to be on their radar. Submit a comprehensive request to your target corporation that highlights the benefits of aligning with your particular organization. Be sure to have marketing and social media plans in place to promote their involvement with your organization. To corporations, sponsorship funding is about community involvement and goodwill recognition of their name or brand, so they will appreciate if you have thought about how your partnership will affect and impact their corporation.

It's that time of year now! Budgets across corporate America are being generated in the fall and winter months, so if your organization wants to tap into the funding stream, the perfect time is now, not a few months before your next event.