In the first two parts of this series, I've outlined ten reasons why using generic levels of "sponsorship," typically referred to as Gold, Silver & Bronze packages, is not a favorable approach to nonprofit partnerships with corporations. (If you want to catch up on the series before reading further, you can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.)
I
promised you two reasons to keep the generic Gold, Silver & Bronze
packages, and today I make good on the promise.
- Contribution. Gold, Silver & Bronze or
some other generic designation is really a contribution by a company or
smaller business that wishes simply to make a donation to your cause or
organization and prefers only a modicum of recognition. That’s legitimate. And here's the good news. It also means you need not provide all that stuff that these generic packages usually include. Rather, it means it’s a
contribution and you need to sell the business owner or leader on your
cause and mission. Don’t give away the shop. - Pipeline. I presented a keynote speech
recently for the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and then moderated a
panel discussion with several others, including my friend and colleague
Pat Feeley, a leading national nonprofit fundraiser based here in
Philadelphia. He noted that one reason he keeps Gold, Silver, & Bronze
packages in his arsenal of fundraising approaches is to build a pipeline
of interested corporations. If a company makes a contribution via the
Gold, Silver & Bronze package, he and his team pay attention, build
the relationship, and explore other ways to engage the company.
As I mentioned in Part 2, value is a thread that runs through my 10 reasons why generic packages should be jettisoned — because there simply is not enough value. Even these two reasons to keep the generic approach maintain the value principle. Taking a fundraising approach, you still want to focus on value to make sure that your corporate contributor is connected to your cause.
I’d love
to hear your comments. Do you have any other reasons, pro or con, based on your
experiences?
