Ideas please!

Have a photo album ready.

"A picture is worth a thousand words"

Showing what the money will go to will always help.

Cool. Good idea. Since the event WILL happen rather than HAS happened, though, what do you think it should be pictures of? The hotel, organizers, similar events...?

Hmm, dunno. The photo albums I was talking about were usually ones showing food being delivered to really destitute people. It served as a way to put a face to a donation.

I'm not sure what imagery would best benefit your case but IMO it should focus on people rather than the hotel etc.

The best source of corporate donations seem to be personal contacts developed in the normal course of business. Not trying to be cynical, soz, but there are an incredible number of solicitations, and only so much budget. If you can enlist the aid of a couple of corporate officers involved in purchasing, do it. Their suggestions to their own vendors can be helpful.

One of the most popular givaways at are the little rear view mirrors that attach to monitors, but they don't really carry your message around like pens and notepads. I don't think the particular company you use makes any more difference than your office supply company, as they all seem to be working from the same catalogs.

I think an 8 coarse Byzantium meal that people actually pay for.

just a thought but something around the idea of ASL- might pique some interest.

My friend is raising money for a charity, and throwing a fundraising dinner/auction.

She's actually doing pretty well getting donated gifts from companies. Cell phone, palm pilot, a patio furniture set, ect. She's just cold-calling, walking into businesses.

OOh! Auction! Love it. This isn't for a charity, per se, but I can play up the whole poor pitiful deaf people thing.

Roger, any specific company suggestions? I did a search on the 'net and got a catalogue from one that is totally crappy.

Our local organization had a fundraiser where members themselves donated items for a silent auction. The mimimum value of the items donated were specified, so that we didn't get junk.

I think that cosmetic and fragrance companies are a good place to start. Also, Slappy has a good idea about just droping into local businesses.

Hiya Soz,

It sounds like this is an established charity. The place to start would be with their previous sponsors and patrons, use those contacts to get suggestions for other (potentially) interested parties.

The hotel may be of some help as well, they (most likely) hold alot of fund raisers.

Auctions, at these events, are usually a big draw. Companies (and individuals), who may not be able to donate money, usually will donate goods or services in exchange for a mention in your program and press release. This includes liquor/wine companies, you should be able to make a deal with the hotel for a lower cost, if you can get the wine donated.

Any of the Deaf/Hearing Impaired schools in that area, may help you by suggesting some of their benefactors, or local politicians who support them as potential supporters of your cause.

Trinkets, and such cost you money and usually aren't so effective,..they get tossed out, unless they're really great. A clever invitation is usually a better place to spend that money.

Just some thoughts!

Ok,..just read the part about it NOT being a charity,...oops!

(in my best Emily Litella voice),.."Never Mind"

That's good stuff anyway, Jerry.

A bit more detail:

There was a big cultural event in Washington, D.C., home of Gallaudet, the nation's only Deaf University, in 1992. It was huge; vendors, art exhibits, scholarly presentations, banquets, etc. Ran 4 days, I think. 1994, Illinois had their own version for people who hadn't been able to make it to D.C., or who had, but just wanted something more local. It was a huge success.

D.C. had their 10th anniversary event (only the second one -- nothing in between '92 and '02) and we are putting on a 10th anniversary event here, too. So I have the most recent D.C. event and the decade-past Illinois event to call on.

There are a few obvious corporations -- AT & T, who host a relay service, Wyndtell, which manufactures an email pager for Deaf people -- etc. I have made a list of everyone who contributed to the '94 and '02 events. Looking for donors beyond that as well, though.

Also want to figure out how to make the presentations. What to offer with each tier of sponsorship, for example. There are a limited number of *things* that can be sponsored -- the banquet, the art exhibit, different stages -- these can have big banners proclaiming sponsorship. But also want to have things like, $1,000 level is called ___ and gets ____, $5,000 level is called ____ and gets ____, $10,000 level...

OK,
So if this event is going to modelled after a previous convention, then I would kind of work at it backwards. Work out how many sponsored presentations are available, which were the most successful before, see if those companies would be willing to sponsor an updated version. Then I would break up the rest to use as bait for new companies,...AT&T signed on for this, and this company signed on for that,..these are the spaces we have left..which one would you like?

As far as finding which companies to go after, I would use the societies that benefit the deaf/hearing impaired as a reference. Which are the companies that have the most employees that are affected by this. Which are the companies that donate the most towards this kind of event. What companies can benefit the most from a little "softening" of their image. (maybe computer companies/financial companies).

We use Bates-Wells, soz, but primarily because we like the local sales rep.

Jerry, good stuff. Very good. Thanks.

And thanks for the name of the company you use, roger.

Here's a couple of other things I found, which are pretty useful:

http://www.nationalfishingandboatingweek.org/planning_materials/sponsorship.cfm

http://www.nonprofits.org/npofaq/17/28.html

I've been finding lots of good stuff; feeling more confident about the process.

One thing I found is that "your local CVB" is a good place to find sponsors. What's a CVB?

Just a little off topic-but at trade-shows we now handout trees in a tube - when you're on a tradeshow bandwagon there is no end to the freebies, eveyone has hats,tee-shirts, Keychains, pens, and little post-it's. Trees in a tube will last for some timeframe - but I cannot remember how long and kind of a Green thing and folks remember that.

Oh, I love the trees in a tube idea!! Cool!

Tree in a tube -
Sozo
here you go:
Ecolinx Website

EcoLinx, Inc.
800-348-1488

Robert is the guy's name. Nice to deal with.


ps - wait until you see the tree seedling in a tube and that sponser! IDEA!!