Sponsors and financing
What sort of ways can sponsors assist with the event?
Sponsors can be approached to provide any of the following:

• Freebies such as mouse pads, stickers, mice, balloons, pamphlets, calculators, pens, career option information, women and equity information, educational opportunities information, trial versions of software on CD.
• Door Prizes
• Sample Bags
• Catering
• Hardware or Software Demonstrations
• Vouchers such as gift vouchers, meal vouchers and gym passes
• Software to be used at the event
• Hardware to be used at the event
• Trade displays
• Thank you gifts
• Technical support
• Computer Training for participants
• Mini-discs, blank cds, floppy disks, USB hard drives
• Event promotions
• Venue for the event.

What sort of sponsors should we target?
Suitable sponsors may include the following:

• Local education and training providers (Eg. State, Catholic and Independent schools, Universities, TAFE, private education providers eg Drake, Business Colleges)
• Local ICT businesses
• School suppliers
• Local businesses
• Local council and local government (they may have discretionary funds you can access)
• Head office of large corporations (sometimes local offices do not have funds for this type of event)
• State Government Departments (Eg. Office for Women, Fair Trading, Employment and Training, State Development and Innovation, Equity)
• Computer Competition organisers (Eg Australian computer competition)
• Women In Technology
• Association of Women Educators
• Professional Associations: QSITE,
• Women’s Networks within large organisations (Eg Universities, TAFE)
• Major computer companies (Eg Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Macromedia)

How do we target sponsors?
There are a number of ways to target sponsors including:

• Cold calls via telephone, email, in person or fax. It is important to follow-up with a letter so that sponsors know exactly what they are responsible for.
• Through established networks of people. Your local council may be able to help you learn about networks that already exist.
• Attending local council and business association meetings.
• Through established relationships with industry (Eg. Go through committee members’ schools’ ICT suppliers)
• Through current contacts of committee members. Committee members’ friends and family may be associated with possible sponsors.
• Using student created promotional items (Eg. Student-created multimedia CD promoting the event)

What other tips can you offer regarding sponsorship?
Do

• Encourage sponsorship by providing advertising of their business in the school newsletter, on event information pamphlets, and at the events.
• Develop a partnership with sponsors by encouraging a long-term commitment by sponsors rather than just support for a single event.
• Personalise your requests by telephoning prior to mail outs. Use the information from the telephone call to personalise the letter mailed to the potential sponsor.
• Use letterhead if possible.
• Request sponsorship from school suppliers even if you don’t have many local businesses to approach.
• Mention and thank sponsors in all publicity.
• Thank sponsors after the event.
• When approaching sponsors, have a clear idea of what you want or give them some choices. Here are some examples of contribution choices:
  • cash donations
  • human resources such as committee members, speakers and mentors
  • physical resources such as equipment to borrow, freebies and prizes
  • assistance with promotions such as mail outs, media releases and creating promotion materials
• Approach participating schools to make the event an item in schools’ budgeting.
• Remind sponsors of the importance to attract more women into ICT education, training and industries. Make it clear that this event promotes and encourages young females in the local area. Link the benefits of this to the sponsor’s businesses.
• Invite sponsors to attend the event. Sponsors appreciate the opportunity to speak informally with the participants, perhaps during dinner, breakfast, etc.
• Thank the sponsors informally and formally.

Don’t

• Give up if you get knock backs.
• Leave sponsorship arrangements to the last minute. Sponsors need ample time to respond, approve the support through management, purchase equipment, and send it to you.

previous | back to kit contents | next