1. ASHA SF – Corporate sponsorship strategy
Working Document

2. Strategy
(1) LEARN Party in the palace 2016, Film night in the park, Asha Stanford Holi Advice, Sponsorship Ideas
(2) ADOPT Rates, Sponsorship Contract
(3) EXECUTE Holi 2017 Plan, Success, Tax Treatment
(4) TARGETS

3. Learn : Party in the palace 2016
Project Captain: Mariel Reed
Revenue: $70,000
Attendees: 1,200
One-time event: How did they approach sponsors? What were sponsors looking for?
Sponsorship amount for Platinum/Gold/Silver?
What did they provide sponsors for the respective sponsorship levels?

4. Learn : Film night in the park
Alfonso Felder:
Sample

5. Learn : Asha Stanford holi
Sample Request
Media Release

6. Learn : Advice, sponsorship Ideas
Banner displayed at event
Name announced at event
Logo on Asha SF website (can include a hotlink to their site)
Name/logo on the event tickets
Name/logo at booths e.g. DJ booth / photo booth
Name/logo on event t-shirts
Offer of distributing free samples at the event
Target application to the audience:
Larger companies will be looking for an event with a lot of people. “How much exposure are they getting?”
In some cases we can target businesses specifically catering to the Indian diaspora.
Get sponsorship levels – smaller businesses & larger companies can find a level that suits their needs and budgets.
Talk to the media: exposure for both the event and the sponsor
Other Ideas?

7. Sample Sponsorship Rates
ADOPT
Sample Sponsorship Rates
Sample Contract

8. EXECUTE : Holi 2017 Plan DATA PHONE CALLS PROPOSAL LETTERS FOLLOW UPS
How many impressions? : Data from previous events
Impressions = # of people x # of times sponsor name seen/heard
DATA
Call to find out if they're interested in Asha events first
Focus on how the company will benefit
Pitch 20 seconds OR LESS to explain the event and some benefits to the company
Follow-up with proposal letters: “Thanks for speaking with me, here is the holi info…”
Keep letters short, and re-iterate the exposure the company will receive
PHONE CALLS
PROPOSAL LETTERS
2 wks after proposal letter, follow up with those that have not responded
If they’re not interested, find out why not? Next year perhaps?
FOLLOW UPS
Successful sponsors: send thank you letter, recapping benefits
After receiving check: send another thank you letter
CULTIVATE RELATIONSHIP
Thank you letter: Attendance, money raised
High-level sponsor: Packets that showcase publicity e.g. photos
ON THE DAY: PUBLICITY
THANK YOUs

9. EXECUTE : Success
For 2017
Build and cultivate relationships with potential sponsors
Secure a few sponsors for Holi 2017
Build a plan to collect the data that large sponsors are looking for
Have lessons for 2017 to take to next year for a bigger sponsorship program

10. EXECUTE : Tax treatment of sponsorship
Corporate sponsorship can be taxable, even for non-profits.
To be tax-exempt, the corporate sponsorship payments need to meet the definition of “qualified sponsorship payments”.
Don’ts:
No exclusivity: cannot promise a for-profit corporation that it will be the “exclusive” sponsor
Cannot provide inducements to buy a sponsor’s product or services
On the Asha SF website, cannot provide a link to the sponsor’s webpage where a product is sold
Providing more than token services or other privileges to the sponsor is not allowed: this is slightly grey
Cannot accept a payment from a sponsor contingent on the level of attendance at the event e.g. if 100ppl, we get $x sponsorship; if 500ppl, we get $5x sponsorship
Cannot provide sponsors specific advertising opportunities at no charge, when there would usually be a charge e.g. if they sponsor an event, they get the logo on the Team Asha t-shirts
Cannot display an ad, with text written by the corporation that promotes its products and services
What can we do?
Acknowledge the corporate sponsor (by name, logo, general phone #, location, website, mentioning them in a public address)
Distribute free samples of a sponsor’s products at an event; these cannot be endorsed by Asha though.

11. Targets
Ideas from people that we talk to (i.e. other event organizers)