Many great ideas are often rejected, not because they are not significant, but because the event funding proposals are not up to the standard. In Kenya, most organizers are proving that, with the right approach, securing an event sponsorship can be very easy. At Tujiamini, we believe that every project or event particularly the local ones, can get access to sponsorships, if the proposal is compelling enough and aligns with our goals, mission and vision.
Bringing an idea to life requires you to craft a strong and well-organized funding proposal. When you organize a tournament, a cultural festival, or a youth tech conference, sponsors need to see the goals, the planning, and the community impact. At Tujiamini, our real successful stories prove that the event funding proposals that have a purpose and align with the sponsor's mission truly stand out. In this guide, you will learn how to create the best proposals and gain insight on what makes them stand out.
Why do event proposals fail? It is because of the small mistakes that make a huge impact. This includes mistakes like vague language, incomplete details and focusing too much on money. Here, we’ll help you learn about the common mistakes you might make that will lead to rejected proposals and how to avoid them.
The biggest pitfall in a sponsorship proposal is using unclear or vague language. Most sponsors desire clarity; for example, what will happen, how many people will be in attendance, and how will the brand benefit? Instead of relying on just claims, use facts and figures. for example, you can say, “our last event saw an attendance of 2,500 people, but we expect 3,500 this year.” This type of language helps to earn the trust of the sponsor.
Before creating an event proposal for sponsorship, you should know that sponsors are not there to just provide the finances; they also want to know how they will benefit. Therefore, if your event focuses on just how you'll benefit, you're missing the whole point. For better results, show the sponsors how your event reflects their goals; for example, if the sponsor is an active supporter of education and your event targets the youth, it’s already a good proposal.
Most sponsors are keen on knowing who their brand will influence or support during the event; therefore, proposals that don’t include the details of an audience seem unprepared. Instead of generalizing information, provide information like age group, gender, location, and social media reach. In addition, briefly describe the impact of the partnership; for instance, how it will support the youth, empower community talent, or create employment opportunities. This helps sponsors see the bigger value.
To get access to finances, you need to give sponsors exactly what they are looking for. This includes clear objectives, a defined audience, and value in return. Sponsors always want to see who'll interact with their brands and what the outcome will be. Below are some sponsorship proposal tips to attract the interest of sponsors:
If you're wondering how to write an event proposal, first, you have to know why you're hosting the event and what you aim to achieve. Ask yourself questions like:
Sponsors take pride in supporting events that are purposeful and have measurable return on investment. The proposal should be direct and very specific.
Sponsors are most likely to back an event if they know who will be in attendance. The audience should also align with the brand; people who match their customer profile. In your sample event funding proposal, you can include facts like age, gender, region and interests. Including such details will help the brand find value in the audience and also help them decide if audiences fit their profile.
In order to make winning an event funding pitch easier, answer the most valuable question that the sponsors ask: what do we get in return? To answer this, make sure the benefits you give align with their goals and mission, including getting new customers and boosting the image of the brand. You can tell them how the event will help in brand promotion, for example:
Having a good idea is a plus, but to achieve better results, you need to know how to present it in an organized structure. Such a proposal will help sponsors understand what your event is about and why it is important. In this section, we will guide you through creating an event funding proposal, from crafting an event description to coming up with a budgeting and marketing plan.
An executive summary is the first thing that the sponsors will engage with; therefore, you have to make it count. Write a short and clear summary with around 100 to 150 words. Make sure it comprises what the event is about, when and where it will take place, and why it is important. Also, pay attention to the language you use and make it exciting and confident to hook the reader.
The event description should be clear and give the sponsors a clear picture. It should answer questions like:
To appeal to different budgets of the sponsors, you can offer tiers and give a description of each. Examples of event sponsorship packages include: Gold, Silver and Bronze with each level highlighting an increasing value. For instance, for a gold sponsor, you can include an amount of Ksh 500,000 with benefits like their brand logos on shirts and banners, speeches from different brand representatives, and mentions in social media and radio/TV advertisements.
To show the sponsors where the money is being channeled to is very important, you can show then a simple breakdown on a table or a chart, to make it more understandable. In addition, such transparency makes your proposal more believable and credible. Here is a table showing an event sponsorship proposal sample:
Category
Percentage
Venue
30%
Logistics
25%
Marketing
20%
Entertainment
15%
Staff and administrator
10%
Sponsors also need to know how you will promote the brand using the event. You can mention your social media audience, for example, 100,000 followers on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. You can also include media partners like radio and television programs involved and influencers to spread the reach of the event. All these event sponsorship proposal examples show the sponsor ways in which you can help them increase their public exposure.
To improve your own proposal, you can learn from looking at successful examples. By doing this, you will get to know why their pitches worked, how they got the funds they needed and what made them stand out from the rest. This can include powerful visuals, messages and alignment with the brands. Here are some examples to inspire you to write a winning proposal:
Tujiamini, a Sportpesa initiative, is a platform that supports grassroots talents all across the country. Through our sponsorship programs, we have sponsored local teams like Murang'a Seals and Kwale United FC, who received the Cheza Dimba Award worth Ksh 250,000. One Tujiamini case study shows how a football team secured a sponsorship through a local football tournament by aligning its goals with Tujiamini’ s mission. The proposal stood out because it advocated for more than football and brought people together to raise awareness on health issues. The proposal also used clear language and well formatted headers. In addition, they also showed how many people would benefit and even explained their goal to make the event happen annually. This event sponsorship example shows that a good proposal is all about aligning with the sponsors' goals, that is what got the team funded.
The FundsforNGOs model, it is a strong template for community focused events. The proposal started with a compelling introduction that explains how cultural festivals work to create unity and diversity. It also included a problem statement and clear objectives like promoting cultural diversity and supporting local artists. Another was the presence of the detailed event components which also showed how the sponsors will be integrated such as booths. In addition, the proposal broke down the logistics and provide audience data to help the sponsors measure the exposure value.
Social Tables is an event technology company that provides strategies in sponsorship proposals. This conference proposal won by focusing on ROI. It offered:
A generic proposal doesn’t work when applying for sponsorships. This is because different sponsors care about different things, so you need to customize your proposal to fit the sponsors needs. You have to speak their language and offer benefits that align with the brand’s goals, vision and mission.
One thing you should consider before sending your proposal is learning about the sponsor. Know what they support, the most common examples include education, youth empowerment, technology and the environment. Make sure you show how your event reflects their mission. If a company you're targeting supports community health, show the wellness impact of your event.
A personalized proposal includes mentioning the name of the brand, referring to past events that they have supported and explaining why the event is a good cause for them. It also shows the sponsors that you care and have done proper research. On the other hand, copy paste applications includes using the same text for every company which does not address each directly. It also shows that you're disinterested and the chances of getting rejected are high.
When writing your event funding proposal, you need to show the sponsors how and where the brand will appear.
Sponsor quotas: these are exclusive benefits that are given to specific sponsors based on their contribution. For example, a gold package sponsor will get unlimited speaking opportunities at the event, which creates a sense of urgency and adds value to the sponsor.
Logos: inform the sponsors about where their logos will appear, for example, on t-shirts, wristbands, flyers, banners, and social media.
Audience specifics: break down the audience that will be in attendance to make the sponsorship look more real. Talk about the age group, specific interests, location, and the estimated reach, for example, 3000 to 5000 people.
Your proposal message is just as important as how you present it. You can use clear visuals, charts and layouts to make your proposal look engaging to the readers. The following sections shows the best visual tools to help improve your proposal’s effectiveness.
Infographics and quick-read visuals
Long paragraphs and texts may be too much for readers, which may result in boredom or even skipping important information. Infographics are visual summaries that help to simplify information such as budgets, event timelines, and the expected audience reach; examples include tables, pie charts, and diagrams. You can try tools like Canva and Google slides which are easy to use and provide free event grant proposal templates to make your graphics look professional and also save the sponsor’s time.
Sample proposal templates via Qwilr and Storydoc
Qwilr and Storydoc are online platforms that can help you create an interactive sponsorship template for events. These platforms allow you to add videos, which makes you feel like you're telling a story with animations and even charts. They often work because they offer exclusive content; for example, you can add embedded videos of past events, clickable graphs and statistics, and trackable exposure. Using these platforms also shows that your event is up to date with the current trends, well managed, and worthy of funding.
Good layouts and designs help to keep sponsors engaged to your content. Examples of digital tools that offer great layouts and designs to make your proposal more appealing to the sponsors include:
Using email is considered the most professional way to send a proposal, just by attaching it or sending a link through Qwilr or Storydoc. After submitting your proposal, you have to follow up and show gratitude after the event, which will help you build a long-term partnership with the brand.
When it comes to sponsorships, timing is key. Work on sending the proposal as early as possible, for example, 4-6 weeks before the event. This will give the sponsors time to think and respond to the offer. The best strategy is to:
Read Also: Event funding proposals that actually work: A guide with real examples |Tujiamini
If the sponsor does not reply to the proposal you sent, wait for around 5-7 business days to send a follow up email. The message should be short, respectful and not pushy. If you fail to get a reply after the second follow up, try to focus on another opportunities.
Don’t just stop after the event is over, make sure you send a post event report that shows your appreciation to the brand which creates room for future partnerships. The report can include photos and videos from the event, the number of people who attended the event, testimonials from the guests and the participants and a well personalized message to show gratitude.
Most of the strong and catchy event funding proposals go beyond just the basic ideas. They reflect value and purpose. With the Tujiamini event sponsorship proposal examples, we help to prove that sponsors reply to clear goals and well-organized plans. Use these strategies to turn your ideas into winning opportunities and leave a long-lasting legacy.