Leveraging Corporate Sponsorship for Product Fundraisers

by Chris Hammond, CEO, CGC

A product fundraiser involves selling a product in exchange for donations. It allows your nonprofit to raise funds while simultaneously offering donors something in return for their contributions.

While a product fundraiser on its own can generate significant revenue, leveraging corporate sponsorships in conjunction with product fundraising can help you maximize funds and gain even more support for your mission.

In this guide, we’ll explore steps you can take to form, build, and maintain relationships with corporate sponsors that take your product fundraisers to the next level.

1. Identify potential corporate sponsors.

This process starts by pinpointing and contacting businesses who may be willing to sponsor your product fundraising campaign. When choosing a corporate sponsor, NXUnite’s sponsorship levels guide recommends considering the following:

Relevance. Look for sponsors whose operations or business niches relate to your mission. For example, a women’s rights advocacy organization may work with a women’s boutique since they both have the same audience.
Company size. The ideal company size of your corporate sponsor may differ depending on your goals. While larger companies will likely have more money to offer, small local businesses can help you form a greater connection with and raise awareness around your local community.
Nonprofit interest. Companies that have previously worked with nonprofits may be more likely to partner with your organization. Investigate their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts to gauge their interest.
Event type. If you’re hosting an event to kick off or wrap up your product fundraiser, think about the types of companies that would make sense to sponsor that event type. For instance, if you’re selling cookie dough and hosting a cookie baking event, you may work with a local bakery to lead the session, offer baking tips and tricks, and sell their own baked goods.

To improve your chances of securing a sponsorship, ask board members, staff, and supporters if they have any connections with businesses that may be interested in becoming sponsors. These personal ties will help you get your foot in the door and form partnerships with charitable companies.

2. Select a product that aligns with both organizations.

Once you’ve secured your sponsor, it’s time to choose a product. Work with your sponsor to select an item that aligns with both organizations’ values and audiences.

Some typical fundraising product options include:

Food. Food products like cookie dough and popcorn are crowd-pleasers for any age. Companies that typically serve families or are in the food industry may opt for this choice.
Discount opportunities. Another popular choice is discount cards, or physical cards that offer discounts to local businesses. As ABC Fundraising’s discount card fundraiser guide explains, “Discount card fundraisers are excellent ways for merchants, restaurants, and stores in your community to support your group and in turn for the community members to support those businesses that support you.” Your sponsor may prefer to be the featured business on your discount card and recommend other companies to include.
Merchandise. You can easily customize merchandise like t-shirts, hats, mugs, and tote bags with both organizations’ logos and branding. Alternatively, you may choose a specialty item related to your mission and your sponsor’s niche. For instance, a dog grooming business and animal shelter may partner to sell dog collars and water bowls.

To simplify product procurement, work with a product fundraising provider. They’ll secure the products for you and even open an online store, so all you have to worry about is promoting the campaign with your sponsor.

3. Provide marketing opportunities.

One of the main benefits sponsors receive is promotion. Thoroughly promote your sponsor and their involvement in your campaign by:

Featuring them on social media and your website. Your campaign page and posts should reference your sponsor and thank them for their support. You may even add your sponsor’s logo to your website permanently for long-term recognition.
Including them in event marketing materials. If you’re hosting an event, include sponsors on your event registration page, flyers, posts, and signage. You may also give them a shoutout during the event.
Building brand awareness with your products. With every product, consider providing donors with a slip of paper explaining who your sponsor is, what they do, and how they support your organization. Add QR codes that link to the sponsor’s website and social media handles for more information.

Sponsors should use their networks to promote your campaign as well. Provide your sponsor with messaging guidelines and templates so they know how to market your organization within your typical brand and voice.

4. Highlight sponsor impact.

Throughout the campaign, let your sponsor and audience know how your partnership makes a difference for your cause. Use the following strategies to highlight sponsor impact:

Provide updates. Depending on how long your campaign is, provide your sponsor with daily, weekly, or monthly updates about how much you’ve raised, how many products you’ve sold, and how they’re making an impact.
Publicize campaign results. At the end of your campaign, communicate with donors about the results. Let them know your final fundraising totals, the number of products sold, and the overall impact of your sponsor’s support.
Demonstrate return on investment (ROI). Show your sponsor how your campaign has generated a high ROI for them. You may share metrics like social media engagement and event attendance to demonstrate their support was worthwhile.

Consider surveying donors after your campaign and sharing the results with your sponsor. You may ask questions about the overall campaign along with sponsor-specific questions that will help you strengthen your approach to sponsored campaigns in the future.

Your partnership doesn’t have to end when your product fundraiser does. Build lasting relationships with sponsors by thanking them for their support, continuing to promote them, and meeting to discuss further opportunities. Over time, you’ll solidify mutually beneficial partnerships that help you fuel your mission for years to come.