How can I find corporate sponsorship?

One useful directory found in Foundation Center libraries and many Cooperating Collections and larger public and university library reference collections is the IEG Sponsorship Sourcebook, published annually by IEG Inc. IEG's Web site includes links to corporate sponsors of events, sponsorship agencies on the Web, sponsorship opportunities, and vendors.

The Independent Sector's Mission and Market: The Resource Center for Effective Corporate-Nonprofit Partnerships aims to offer the resources nonprofit and corporate executives need to help them build effective partnerships that enhance both mission and business goals—and serve to build the public trust for the nonprofit sector as a whole. Resources include facts and figures, a glossary, books and articles, case studies, sample policies and guidlines, and much more.

The Foundation Center's National Directory of Corporate Giving lists some corporations that sponsor events. Check under the heading "Sponsorships" in the Types of Support index. This book is available for free public use at all five Foundation Center libraries and at more than 200 Cooperating Collections nationwide. It is also for sale through our Marketplace.

The following books and articles on corporate sponsorship may also be useful:

• Abshire, Michael. "Sponsorship Revisited." Corporate Philanthropy Report 14 (May 2000) p. 1, 4. Explains the benefits to both nonprofits and corporations of sponsorship arrangements, and discusses some novel types of sponsorship, such as securing a corporate sponsor for agency e-mail announcements. What a corporation might expect in return is outlined, as are some cautionary measures that nonprofits should take.

• Epstein, Keith. "Philanthropy, Inc." Stanford Social Innovation Review 3 (Summer 2005) p. 20-7. The article documents the trend of strategic corporate giving, citing the changes made a few years ago by Raytheon, the largest employer in Tucson. Rather than supporting many local charities in various fields, the company now focuses on science and mathematics education, in large part to enhance the growth of the corps of future employees that are available to the company. Some smaller nonprofits decry the trend they see for businesses to make donations to larger, more visible agencies over grassroots efforts. The article includes brief comments from several CEOs of major companies.

• Grey, Anne-Marie and Kim Skildum-Reid. The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit. 2nd ed. Sydney, Australia: McGraw Hill, 2003. A guidebook that explains how to search, obtain, and keep corporate sponsorships. Part 1 elaborates on the development of sponsorship strategies and marketing plans. Part 2 provides advice on conducting research, writing proposals, selling sponsorships, and carrying out negotiations. Part 3 examines issues that nonprofits may face after obtaining a sponsorship, including publicity, evaluation, and renewals. Appendix contains a sponsorship agreement worksheet.

• "Growing Your Own." Corporate Philanthropy Report 16 (May 2001) p. 1, 4. Explains some of the considerations that need to be analyzed when nonprofits anticipate strategic partnerships with corporations.

• Leigh, Edward. "Cultivating Corporate Relationships." Association Management 56 (September 2004) p. 65-9. Strategies for enhancing and nurturing the association with corporate sponsors.

• Martin, Patricia. Made Possible By: Succeeding With Sponsorship. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2003. This workbook explains how corporate sponsorship typically works and provides information to help nonprofits assess their capacity for engaging in this type of relationship. Part two provides practical advice for finding a sponsor and fulfilling the contract. Includes numerous worksheets, templates and samples.

• Wymer, Walter W., Jr. and Sridhar Samu (eds.) Nonprofit and Business Sector Collaboration: Social Enterprises, Cause-Related Marketing, Sponsorships, and Other Corporate-Nonprofit Dealings. Binghamton, NY: Best Business Books, 2003.

For other books and articles about corporate sponsorship, try searching our Catalog of Nonprofit Literature (CNL), the Center's bibliographic database. You could start searching on the subjects "Corporate sponsorship", "Cause-related marketing", "Sponsors", or "Corporations, marketing".

Many of the books and articles found through CNL can be located in Center Libraries and Cooperating Collections. It is best to call ahead to verify a specific library's holdings. All articles, but not books, can be obtained through interlibrary loan at your local Cooperating Collection.

To learn more about corporate giving, attend our Introduction to Corporate Giving, a free one-hour class.

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