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Fri 15 Aug, 2003 01:21 pm
Another question about fundraising:
I have developed a list of various sponsorship levels -- for example, a company that donates $1,000 is donating at the "Bronze" level, which entitles them to certain perks. A company that donates $2,500 is at the Silver level, with more perks. Up through Gold and Platinum, and Title is the highest.
This terminology is standard, but also rather boring. Can you help me think of any terminology that would carry the same implication of ranking/ increasing worth, but is more interesting? The conference will be for Deaf/hard of hearing people in the Chicago area.
And anyone who suggests "just hatched"/"newbie"/"near-enthusiast" et al shall be summarily shot.
Jewels are lame, right? Opal, Emerald, Ruby, Diamond... (Heck, I don't know if rubies or Emeralds are more valuable, anyway.) (It's all way too girly.)
36-A, 36-B, 36-C.....
Yeah, also girly. Coming up with ranks ain't easy. Army ranks would sound weird.
Hmmm.
How serious is the event? If it's a more light-hearted affair you could make the names something silly. You could have the "Muckity-Muck", "Big Cheese" and "Grand Poohbah" levels.
For sponsorship that might be odd. Hmm.
How about "scrooge", "tight wad", "eleemosynary", "naive"....
These things are never easy.
Hoity Toity titles seem to work with those who want kudos for their cash.
Patron
Founder
Grantor
Advocate
Sponser
Benefactor
Philanthropist
I don't know which ranks in hoity-toity appeal. But, doesn't everyone want to be assigned 'philanthropist' designation?
Consider a target-shooting-target as a visual aid and:
Valued Rim Contributors
Second Circle
Inner Circle
Bull's Eye
Or since generous sponsors are an rare and endangered breed try:
Panda Bear
Siberian Tiger:
California condor
Etc.
Or think about animals with ears--conspicious ears:
Jack Rabbit
Burro
Elephant
Hound dog/spaniel
Etc.
Hold your dominion.
Fishin', I like the goofy stuff, but yeah, "If you donate $5,000 you will get the High Up Muckety-Muck Package!!" doesn't tend to go over very well.
Hoity-toity is definitely good, but there aren't clear enough ranks in your suggestions, Sofia. Like, they'll all be either sponsors (corporate donation) or grantors (apply for and receive a grant.) Founder doesn't really work for a one-time event. Etc.
Here's some things that have come up and have been rejected, to give more of an idea:
Illinois sports teams -- trademark/ copyright issues (would the Bears White Sox etc. allow their names to be used?) plus ranking -- are the Bears "higher" than the White Sox? Etc.
Illinois cities, by population -- Chicago would be the biggest, but there is major rivalry between Chicago and Springfield, and Springfielders would be mad about being #2, and Chicagoans would pooh-pooh any suggestion that we're #2 -- etc.
Deaf Illinoisans -- two hurdles, one, are there enough famous Deaf people from Illinois?, two, the ranking thing.
Chicago streets -- Michigan, etc. Too obscure, too Chicago-specific.
Famous Deaf people in general -- again, problems with ranking, gets political fast.
It IS tough!
Missed ya there, Noddy. Conspicuous ears... hee hee!
I was goan suggest Chicago Bulls but that has issues as well.
Still, you could tell them to be like Mike and donate a chunck!
When you get the money always ask for extra large.
You could do a "level in heaven" one. Tell teh biggest contributer that he/she will share God's own bed.
Then there is the tax angle.
"Dissin' Uncle Sam"
to
"You are now wearing Uncle Sam's shirt"
Bronze, silver, gold, platinum, unobtainium sound fine to me.
Everybody's used to the medals/metals, they're very clear,
and you have no extra connotations or politics to deal with.
Kryptonite? Plutonium?
Hydrogen, Helium, Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen?
Mayor, Government, Senator, Embassador, Dictator?
Plankton, Algae, Plant, Herbivore, Carnivore, Homo Destructus/Superior?
Meteor, Comet, Star, Galaxy, Constellation?
Seed, Sprout, Sprig, Sapling, Tree?
Foal, Yearling, Stud, Stallion, Patriarch?
ROY G. BIV -- Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.
Rhythm, note, chord, measure, stanza, chorus, melody, movement, symphony.
Plankton, Algae... gets my vote.
You're right, I keep coming back to the metals thing 'cause it's standard and unoffensive, and standard and unoffensive is pretty much the name of the game in seeking sponsorships. Still hoping for something with a wee bit more pizazz, but...
I like the music one... Everybody sings together,
whatever part they can,
and the result is bigger than a symphony.
(sorry, I back-editted the post while you were replying...)
But, uh, a DEAF conference...
(Nice idea, though!)
I really like the seed ---> tree one -- someone else here (Seal?) pointed me to some cool tree-in-a-tube souvenirs (baby trees), and I smell a theme comin' on. But the $1,000 contributors prolly wouldn't appreciate being called seeds. ("You want seed money, here's seed money!" <tosses a quarter>)
Hee hee! Nooooooo problem. Happens all the time.
After a severe fire or avalanche, what are the stages that a forest grows back ... words for first-growth, second-growth, mature permanent forest?
Grass, flower, sage, elm, oak, redwood, sequoia?
Breeze, Gust, Wind, Gale, Hurricane, Typhoon/Tycoon
Letter, word, sentence, paragraph, chapter, section, epic
Symbol, phrase, expression, measure, poem.
Life Raft, Dinghy, Ferry, Cutter, Schooner, Tall Ship, Flotilla/Convoy (oooh!)
Symbols, symbols, codes, ...
Mountains--
Everest
The Matterhorn
Mount Kilamanjaro
Mount St Helens
Mountains have glamour--even if Everest is the biggie.
Soz, what is the subject matter for the conference? Perhaps that will help us come up with something.
For what purpose will the results of the fundraising be used?
Seed, seedling, sapling, shrub (heehee - sorry, there ain't no way round that one, bush doesn't work any better), birch, larch, maple, oak, sequoia?
I keep forgetting...
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