🎯 The Complete Sponsorship Guide for Schools and Clubs.

Your Guide to Approaching, Winning and Keeping Sponsors

📝 Part 4: Crafting Irresistible Sponsorship Proposals

So, you’ve found potential sponsors - now it’s time to win them over. A clear, professional, and appealing proposal can make all the difference between a polite “Maybe later” and a confident “Yes!”

But don’t worry – this doesn’t need to be a 20-page pitch deck. In fact, some of the best proposals are short, visual, and to the point.

📄 What to Include in a Sponsorship Proposal

Whether it’s a formal document, an email, or even a one-pager, every good proposal should answer:

✅ Who you are:

• Name of your group, school or club

• What you do and who you support

• A short mission statement

✅ What the event is:

• What’s happening (a fete, disco, colour run, trivia night, etc)

• When and where

• Who attends (families, children, sports fans), and how many are expected to attend?

✅ Why you need support:

• What costs do you need help covering

• What goals you’re trying to achieve (new shade sails? STEM equipment? team uniforms?)

✅ What’s in it for them:

• List of benefits (e.g. signage, social media promotion, event day exposure)

• Sponsor packages or levels

• Optional extras (naming rights, exclusivity, speaking opportunities, etc)

✅ What to do next:

• Contact details

• A call to action (e.g. “We’d love to chat” or “To confirm your support, return the attached form”)

💡 Formats That Work

Don’t be afraid to switch it up depending on who you’re pitching to!

✉️ Simple Email Format
Perfect for small local businesses or in-kind support. Keep it friendly and brief, and attach a flyer or list of benefits.

📄 Formal Proposal Document
Ideal for larger sponsors. You can include:

• Cover page

• Overview of your group

• Sponsor levels table

• Visuals from past events

• Testimonials

📊 Sponsorship Matrix or Wish List
A simple table can be very effective! Example:

Ask your community: “Can you help us fill the gaps?”

🧠 Using Fundraising Whisperer AI to Draft Proposals

Utilise Fundraising Whisperer AI to streamline your writing process and make it easier and faster.

Try prompts like:

• “Write a short and friendly email introducing our school fete sponsorship opportunity. The business is a local cafe, and we’re hoping they can donate $200 or in-kind coffee vouchers.”

• “Create a three-tier sponsorship package for a community trivia night, including benefits and pricing for Gold, Silver and Bronze levels.”

• “Help me write a sponsorship proposal for a sports carnival, aimed at local businesses, that outlines the event, the audience, and the benefits of supporting us.”

You can also ask it to:

• Convert your long info into a punchy flyer

• Write a social media post to announce available sponsorship opportunities

• Rewrite an existing proposal with a more professional or friendly tone

🔥 Extra Tips

• Always customise - generic = ignored!

• Use your branding and colours where possible

• Include images if you can - from past events or of the item you want funded

• Be upfront about deadlines and payment options

• Offer exclusivity for high-level sponsors (e.g. “only one real estate agency sponsor”)

🚫 Don't Rely on Verbal Agreements!

Always get sponsorship agreements in writing, especially for cash or high-value in-kind support. This helps avoid confusion if staff changes at their end, and keeps things professional.