Let's be clear... corporate partnerships are becoming more complicated every day. There are more regulations,  there is more competition and there are fewer recognition outlets. But there are still GREAT opportunities to generate a successful collaboration if you understand the platform.

In order to further their own missions and provide the opportunity for additional non-dues revenue to carry out their educational, charitable, professional and other tax-exempt purposes, many organizations seek corporate sponsorships. A sponsorship is not just about increasing revenue, but must be consistent with the organization's mission and vision, while adding value their constituents or members. Companies are no longer turning to exhibiting and sponsorship merely for exposure. They want new or expanded ways to interact directly with people who can purchase their products or services. Increasingly, sponsors are looking for focused meeting opportunities with industry leaders through their partnerships as they develop business plans going forward.

The maintenance of public trust and integrity, ethical standards, and credibility are of paramount importance and should be protected with the utmost vigilance. It is important for organizations to be cognizant of the rules and regulations regarding corporate sponsorships and follow the constraints within their field.

Definition of Corporate Sponsorship

Corporate sponsorship is financial or in-kind financial support by a commercial interest, given to an association or other not-for-profit organization. There are a number of reasons companies provide sponsorship including increasing brand loyalty, creating awareness and visibility, positioning the company as an industry leader, and networking with potential and existing clients. Sponsorship is distinguishable from a charitable contribution in that a corporate sponsor is typically motivated by a desire to receive a public acknowledgment in exchange for its support of an event or program on a single occasion, or over a period of time. Ongoing sponsorship may be dedicated to a particular ongoing activity or may be provided as general underwriting of all activities.

In my opinion, now more than ever non-profits and associations are in a unique position to facilitate opportunities that help the sponsor and build relationships with industry as well as generate new partnership opportunities.

Agreements

All potential and current sponsorships should be based on a written agreement between the sponsor and organization. Agreements generally should include the following:

• Type and extent of support provided by the sponsor
• Event, program or service to be sponsored
• Value of the sponsorship to be provided by the sponsor and a payment schedule
• Nature and value of the benefits to be provided by theorganization
• Term and termination conditions
• Provisions addressing liability, insurance, dispute resolution and similar matters
  

Sponsorship activation nowadays is all about upgrading and what I call the “Triple Win” scenario. Think from the perspective of the organization, the sponsor and the public. The third win is for the target markets (fans), with the goal being meaningful benefits that reach the most amount of people as possible. 

The question is, then, what do you do with benefits or leverage activities that are, by their very nature, limited in size? How do you make that a win for  everyone… and should you even try? Here are the answers…
 



Know how the third win functions
Providing that third win is about adding real value to a visitor’s experience with an event (or whatever it is you’re sponsoring). This is in stark contrast to most   sponsorship, which at best wallpapers the event with branding and signage in many cases. The win doesn’t need to be huge; it just needs to be  meaningful. It needs to say, “We understand this experience and how much you care about it, and this is how we’re making that experience better for you.” This could include:

Access to exclusive content       
Fixing or reducing some of the worst things about the experience.     
Amplifying some of the best things about the experience.
Making people feel like they are more a part of the experience – participating, not just spectating.


Understand  the size of the markets
Every market you are trying to influence will have a different size. Before you can  right-size the wins, you need to understand the size of your markets. These could include markets, such as:
        
Your end-users (all)      
Intermediary markets, such as retailers, resellers, brokers, etc         
Major,  VIP, or institutional customers  
Fans who actively participate in the sponsored property (attendees, members, donors, volunteers, etc)   
Fans of the sponsored property

Negotiate for benefits that can be “spread around”
If you want to create wins, you need to have some raw materials that can be leveraged into those wins. There are a million ways to do this, but a few of   them are below. Exclusive content is one of the hottest ways to create wins, and that generally requires that you negotiate for access to intellectual property, celebrities, players, and/or inner sanctum insights. For specifics, you’re only limited by your imagination.


So in order to achieve a “Triple Win” you have to focus more intently on the experience of the visitor, you must understand in-depth the end user and you have to identify tools that can be spread around and shared easily. This will equate to sponsorship success!