While many culture and business sector partners show clear overlaps in interest or ambition, others display less obvious connections… but still deliver outstanding results. In culture and business, as in life, sometimes the most unlikely unions can turn into the greatest partnerships!
Our case studies are inspiring examples of culture organisations finding their perfect business business sponsors and working together to bring their ideas and ambitions to fruition. They are also clear and compelling examples of how sponsoring culture results in projects and activities that make a positive impact on our communities and our country as a whole.
Tips for securing business sponsorship
The following tips are drawn from our Culture & Business Scotland Skills Training sessions on business sponsorship.
Businesses are interested in sponsoring culture organisations – and projects or activities – with values that match or enhance their own. Make these critical areas of mutual interest clear in your approach to a prospective business sponsor. In your application for match funding, this will help to demonstrate the strength of your proposed partnership.
Ensure that your business sponsor will receive a range of clearly defined benefits that reflect the value of their sponsorship and provide a worthwhile return on their money. Reasons for business organisations to sponsor culture projects and activities include:
Business and/or brand name awareness
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and/or achieving environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets
Creative development
Developing community links
Direct access to target audiences
Enjoyment
Entertaining
Image enhancement
Marketing
PR opportunities
Staff relationships and development
Agree the scope of benefits you can offer your business sponsor in return for their investment and draw up a sponsorship package, reflecting the benefits (see above) that they are most interested in. For example, your sponsorship package might include:
Credits on publicity material
Acknowledgement of their support in a programme or catalogue
Introductions and verbal acknowledgements at events or launches
Free advertising space in programmes or catalogues
Complimentary tickets, priority bookings and private views or performances
Use of hospitality facilities
‘Meet the artist’ opportunities
Display space
Merchandise or corporate gifts
Product sampling
Media coverage
Website links
Ensure that the benefits you offer to your business sponsor cost less to provide than the income you receive, and remember to build in the cost of servicing and evaluation your sponsorship.