A sponsorship is not a gift; it is a business transaction, and you have a place at the negotiating table. A sponsorship relationship must be nurtured and maintained correctly to maximize the benefit to a nonprofit arts organization. Make sure you’re ready to solicit and maintain a lasting sponsorship relationship.

• Target sponsors who support your mission
• Know what sponsors are looking for from a sponsee
• Know your audience and target your pitch to a sponsor
• Create compelling sponsorship pitch tools
• Create realistic sponsorship goals and follow through on them
• Build a lasting collaboration that extends well beyond a specific event

Cultural Consumers and Corporate Sponsorships

Corporate sponsors are not only interested in the numbers of audience members you can bring to a sponsored event, but also in the authenticity your art can bring to their brand. There is a growing recognition among marketers in the idea of the cultural consumer – someone motivated by much more than just brand awareness, flashy advertising and limited choices. They have the power to seek what they need and they don't like being told what, where and when to buy. Marketers are now seeing the value at tapping into the cultural landscape – the landscape you are helping to create – and finding ways to partner with cultural organizations for mutually beneficial relationships.