HOSPITAL IDEAS FROM LORI HARRISON’S – Atlanta - SUCCESSFUL 2010 SPONSORSHIP
**Each situation will vary, but here are the tools that Lori used that proved to lead her to a sponsorship.

1. I first called (got number off their website) and was surprised that sponsorships went through their media and public relations department (and not some financial department). I was able to speak with the second in charge for media relations and she was happy to help our cause and was surprised she had not heard of us before (this hospital claims to deliver the most babies in the US).

2. I asked what the sponsorship committee was looking for to approve a sponsorship and she advised me to send in information on the Promise Walk, PF itself, history of the walks, attendance, events that I am planning and the sponsorship levels.

3. The packet I sent included the PF Medical Board Letter, brochure, 501c3 form, special sponsorship levels developed by National walk team, and past totals of funds raised

4. My packet led with my personal letter which I tailored specifically for this hospital sponsorship. I delivered my son at this hospital so it was easy to incorporate that and name drop with the Doctors that treated me. I incorporated the history and information about the walks from a national level as well as the fundraising totals that you had given me into my personal letter.

5. After sending in my packet, I started an email correspondence with the person I had spoken to on the phone regarding the status of the sponsorship. She is the one that helped me get the logos and also donated some hospital women magazines for my “goodie bags” at the walk. With the PW being the same weekend as the Race for the Cure they were not able to send anyone out to man a booth but I was happy to pick up and display the hospital banners myself

6. Their sponsorship committee only meets once a month and there was a month they skipped in there so it was the week of the deadline for the t-shirt logos that I found out that we got the sponsorship. I say that just to advise that coordinators get their requests in early, like now. I am planning to call soon to be sure the rules have not changed and send in my stuff to the hospital early this year (hopefully the letter will come easier to me this time around).

Follow up notes:
[b]
Other Items Discussed in addition to the walk call outline above. [/b]
➢ Remember to check the PW forum for notes and other walk planning information

➢ All related call and walk planning documents are located under the coordinator resources page – only those coordinators with log in access can retrieve the following documents. If you do not have a walk site location up yet and cannot log into the coordinator resources area where these documents are housed, please send me an email so that we can discuss where you are in your site location process and can arrange to send you the documents; Sponsorship letter examples, Sponsorship benefits, Sponsorship commitment form, Deposit form, Style Guidelines (specifically pages 5-8), 501c3 Preeclampsia Foundation, Medical Board Letter

➢ Kohl’s A-Team Volunteer request and monthly Wal-Mart grants (these opportunities are found on the forum).

➢ ALL checks need to be sent to FL office and FL address is listed several places

o Ideally a sponsor or donor could donate online, but if they send a check, please direct them to send it to the FL office, not to you!
o ALL monies will be tracked through the PW site and this is how we will create our database, as well as it serving as a checks and balance accounting record.
o The FL accounting office would like the coordinator to enter all monies they anticipate from a sponsor or donor, for example: You were told by so and so that they are sending a $50 check and firmly believe they will, so you will enter the sponsor/donation but DO NOT check the received box. The FL office will check that box when the sponsor check is received, thus indicating both the office has received the check and you, the coordinator, know it was received.
o Checks received: fill out the deposit form (copy under coordinator resources). You no longer have to send a copy with the check, but make sure to scan the check or make a copy for your records if you prefer.
o If you need a refresher on entering monies into the site or are new and have access to coordinator resources at this time, there are a couple of tutorials that Bluesky put together to help you with entry.

➢ Make sure that if you have any old documents with the MN address, such as letterhead, thank yous, or brochures you are fixing the address first or not using the items. There is a sticker template for the brochures if you have MN address brochures. Please contact Becky to receive the template.

➢ All volunteers that are working with your local team need to fill out a vol. app., and anyone that coordinators decide will be working with confidential information, such as money, email addresses, internal PW documents, or accessing the coordinator resource section of the site, must send in a code of conduct. Both of these items can be found on the Preeclampsia Foundation website under Making a Difference, Volunteer Center. Please send scanned copies via email to Megan Stuart or to Becky. If you do not have access to a scanner, contact me and I will provide alternative ways for you to submit code of conducts. If you have not already, please send Becky the names of everyone I should be contacting for your location. The PW location contact page can now hold more than one email address so make sure if you are a returning coordinator you have updated this page. This will benefit everyone on your team when I utilize the coordinator messaging system on the site.

[b]Next Call: December 14th - contact becky.sloan@preeclampsia.org to be added to the call list.[/b]

NOVEMBER 9 - GETTING THOSE SPONSORSHIPS: Sponsorship info; monetary, in-kind, media - identify your needs/targets, how to get through the door, sales pitches, sponsor deadlines, marketing materials

Guest: Shanna Michel, Boys Scouts of America District Executive

Hosts: Becky Sloan, PW Walk Director
Jamie Schmidt, PW Sponsorship/Local Media Coordinator

5:30 PM PST/7:30 CST/8:30 EST, will last about an hour

Contact becky.sloan@preeclampsia.org for dial in information.

[i]Donors don't give to institutions. They invest in ideas and people in whom they believe.
- G.T. Smith[/i]

[b]WHO is a good sponsor? Who to Target, make a list.[/b]
Who sponsored your event last year? Go there first. Can you increase their amount?
Who can your “yes” sponsors recommend to you? Do they have connections?
Who did you approach last year that said “no”? Is it worth going back? Get them earlier!
What new businesses are new and need exposure?
Who do your friends know? Who do your peers know?
[b]
HOW to approach that sponsor:[/b]
Recommits: call, call, call!
If you have a name from last year, call and set a time to meet.
Email if you have their email address
Mail prospect letter, etc to cold leads (Important to follow up on cold calls)
If your friends/peers/family knows someone, can they help you set appointment and then go with you?
[b]
WHAT will they get out of sponsoring Promise Walk?[/b]
Warm Fuzzies are good; but not enough! It’s a marketing/ business decision
They will get: exposure within the community
Name/logo prominently displayed (depending on Sponsor amount),
If other media is secured they could get media attention
Opportunity to attend Promise Walk and meet potential customers

[b]Challenges/ Rewards[/b]
Reaching out to businesses can be scary, but the worst that can happen is they can say “NO”
However, they may very well say “YES” and you have a victory!
Use all types of communication… phone/email/mail. Be sure to follow up.
Remind yourself before every contact, that you are asking on behalf of yourself and/or others who have suffered from preeclampsia.
[b]
Proposed Media Ideas [/b]
Shanna to review
How to use at local level
Benefit

[i]When we recognize that a better word for Fundraising is “friend-raising,” we open limitless doors to creativity in support of our causes. - Sue Vineyard[/i]