How do we get sponsors for our cheerleading squad?

Looking for how to get sponsors for cheerleaders?

Winning & entering competitive cheer events can become expensive very quickly, can’t they ?  Your cheer team needs thousands of dollars for uniforms, entrance fees and hotel and travel expenses. Where will you raise money for all of this?

One of the best cheer fundraising ideas to raise money is to get corporate sponsors. This article we give you our best tips for getting cheerleading sponsors. And will also point you to a cheer sponsor letter sample template you can use.

What do you want from your cheer sponsors?

You must know what you want before you can ask for it.

Here are three reasons why cheer teams hope to get sponsors.

• Ask local companies for an outright donation to support your cheer squad.
• You can ask them to buy Advertisements in your newsletter or for your cheer website.
• You can also ask them to donate something you can raffle off or have a silent auction for.

So, which one will you be asking for?

TIP: Don’t limit yourself to only one. The most successful cheer teams will often use all three.

How to get corporate sponsors for cheerleaders – THINK like a business owner

Just as a cat has to learn how to think like a mouse if he wants dinner tonight, your cheer team will need to THINK like a business owner if you want to “catch” a sponsor.

What does a business owner want?

• BRANDING: They want to get their NAME out there.
• MORE business. Tell them about all the families that are in cheer as well as all the local people that go to your high school football games that could be potential customers.
• Satisfaction: They want to FEEL good about supporting a good cause, so tell them about your cheerleading fundraiser.

TIP: Make sure you combine all three of these in your pitch.

Brainstorm a list of potential local businesses that might make good sponsors.

We showed you how to brainstorm for unique cheer fundraising ideas here. Use the same principles to get sponsor ideas.

Here are a few more tips:

• People are more apt to give to someone they know than to a stranger. So list all the people you know that own businesses. Next, think of all the people you know and list the companies they work for.
• Research female owned business owners in your area. You might be surprised to learn that some were high school cheerleaders when they were students. If not, they may be open to helping other young women to enrich themselves.
• Pick Alma Maters from your high school and ask them to show a little of the old school spirit by supporting your squad.

Practice! Practice! Practice!

Just like you would never dream of competitive cheerleading without practicing, don’t  wait till you talk to a business owner to practice. You must practice your pitch and explain why you are raising money at home!

Before leaving, hand them a copy of your cheer fundraising flyer that has your contact info on it.

Write a cheerleading sponsor letter or a cheerleading sponsorship proposal

Whether you are writing an all star cheerleading sponsorship letter or just a donation letter for cheerleading in general, there are several tips to keep in mind.

TIPS:

• First of all, your cheer fundraising letter is simply your sponsorship pitch in print, so write like you speak.
• Remember to include WHY you are raising money for your cheer team.
• While you are specifically looking for companies that sponsor dance teams or cheer teams, you want to send letters to all the local businesses in your neighborhood. It is important to let THEM decide for you.
• Furthermore, remember to include the 3 options they can use to help. Include any cheerleading sponsor duties if any. Keep this as EASY and simple as possible so you don’t scare them away.
• Finally, make sure to include what is in it for them. Highlight the three benefits we discussed above.
• You also may appreciate this cheerleading sponsor letter sample to give you some ideas.

In conclusion, we hope these ideas on how to get sponsors for cheerleading was helpful to you.

If you would like some additional free cheer fundraising ideas and advice, grab your fundraising kit here.

You also may enjoy reading these cheer fundraising articles:

• Unique cheerleading fundraisers
• Cheer fundraising email
• Successful cheer fundraisers
• Easy cheer fundraising ideas