How To Approach Companies for Money
In the great quest for funding, a lot of schools simply overlook approaching local or national companies for donations or sponsorship. And when they have, I don’t believe that they have particularly done it in the right way. But the ones that have done this correctly and to a strategy have, in most cases, got their hands on the moolah.
So you have to imagine yourself and put yourself into the shoes of Mr Boss Man of your target company – he might be feeling the pinch too and wondering where his next sale is going to come from or how he can initiate a wonderful and creative local PR campaign. And then your letter lands on his desk asking for some money for whatever it is you need at the school. Just saying you want some money for x,y and z is not good enough (and I have seen this done pleny of times) – you need to be more emotive and outline very clearly the benefits of what corporate sponsorship to your school will bring to his company.
I have therefore posted below some useful tips on how to approach companies when asking for donations:
Some suggested tips:
1) First of all ask any of the parents/staff/teachers if they have any contacts in local companies, big or small, whom you could approach. A referral is always the best way to start.
2) Find out if any of the parents of the children own their own businesses and approach them for donations as they will already have a vested interest in the school
3) Find out if any of the parents are associated with any trades which the school could use at either a subsidised rate or even better FOC. For example a base work contractor or an electrician.
4) Approach big corporations as they should normally have some sort of a community engagement budget but make sure you invest a bit of time trying to find out the right person to contact before submitting any proposals
5) Approach companies who already have green credentials or a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme – try http://www.greenachiever.co.uk/company-search.aspx
6) Approach companies whose principal business activities are perhaps perceived to be damaging to the environment and who therefore could use some positive PR to counteract this public perception e.g. oil companies, landfill companies
7) Write an accompanying letter very clearly stating what you are trying to achieve and how much money you are looking to raise overall in order to purchase a particular item and then include a more detailed proposal using the template we have already drawn up for you. We can also supply to you a library of Hideout House product photos or images which you can incorporate into these documents.
8) In the accompanying letter tell the company what funds you, as the school, have already raised or can contribute to the project so it makes it look as if you are not just after an easy corporate handout. Tell them also of any other participating sponsors who have already pledged funds.
9) If you cannot get one company to donate all of the funds, you might want to consider multi-company sponsorship of the product whereby they donate funds to a specific component of the product – for example, the sedum roof, the wind turbine or solar panel package, the planters, the base works
BE CREATIVE AND STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD!
I cannot stress how important this is and one of the ways you might want to do this is by working with us on putting together a short video featuring the children and staff talking about why the environment is so important and why this product is right for your needs. Have a look at the below link to see an example of this type of video. You can send this out to these companies and perhaps also feature it on the school’s own website.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIZHVxbGx6U
LAST BUT NOT LEAST – DON’T GIVE UP IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED! NOTHING IS EASY BUT WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY.
For more information, contact Simon Fearnehough on simon@hideouthouse.com or call 01865 858982
Website: www.hideouthouse.com
The Hideout House Company Ltd, The Oaktrees Centre, 209 Thame Road, Warborough, Oxon OX10 7DH Tel: 01865 858982 Email:info@hideouthouse.com Web: www.hideouthouse.com