20 Tips and Sponsorship Letter Templates to Write Your Own

Getting a sponsor could be the single most important factor in making your next event profitable. 

Why? Because a sponsor can provide the funds to cover a good chunk of your event costs — leaving you with more of a budget to spice up your next event. 

But how do you land a sponsor? By identifying good companies to target and then sending a sponsorship letter! 

As the leading events platform, Eventbrite is home to thousands of successful event creators — and we’ve learned a thing or two from our creative event organizer community. This guide goes over how to write a sponsorship letter for event organizers. We’ll also cover sponsorship letter templates and examples that you can use to craft your own easily. 

Table of Contents 

What is an event sponsorship letter?

Why is sponsorship important for events?

How should you send a sponsorship letter?

What your event can offer sponsors

How to find corporate sponsorship for an event

How to write a sponsorship letter for events: 12 tips for success

8 Free event sponsorship letter templates to build connections

What is an event sponsorship letter?

An event sponsorship letter is typically an email sent to a brand or company inviting them to sponsor an event. A sponsorship letter is a form of outreach that helps you connect with potential sponsors. It tells the recipient about your event and highlights the benefits the sponsor could get from sponsoring the event. 

Cash sponsorship — where the sponsor contributes a cash payment to your event — is most common. But other forms of sponsorship are possible as well, such as in-kind sponsorship, where companies donate goods and services to your event.  

As an event organizer, you may find yourself writing corporate sponsorship letters to secure funding for your venue cost. Or you may be recruiting in-kind sponsors, like beverage vendors to stock the bar at your event. Whichever type of sponsorship you need for your event, knowing how to write a sponsorship letter will increase your chances of getting sponsors.

Why is sponsorship important for events? 

Running your own events requires a well-thought-out event strategy and careful planning and budgeting to ensure profitability. Event sponsorship can make your events more profitable because it offers a significant infusion of cash (or cost savings from in-kind sponsorships). But it can also get your event off the ground in the first place since you may be able to get some funds in advance.

If you’re an event organizer running an event management business, sponsors can positively impact your business’ ROI. And if you’re running nonprofit events, sponsors can help your nonprofit organization reach fundraising goals. 

A sponsor can often provide the boost you need to create a fantastic event, including:

• Providing tangible resources: A sponsor could supply your attendees with food or beverages.
• Offsetting event costs: In exchange for a prime promotion spot, a sponsor might cover the cost of your AV needs or the table and chairs rental.
• Boosting event revenue: Sponsors can boost your revenue, making it easier to turn a profit or improve fundraising efforts. 
• Reaching more people: Sponsors can help with your event marketing plan by extending your reach. They’ll also benefit from promoting your event themselves, for instance, by sharing it on their social media profiles. 
• Brand recognition: Associating your successful events with the names of popular, impactful companies can garner more attention for your event.

Sponsorship can be helpful for virtual events, in-person events, and hybrid events alike. Similarly, events of just about any size can benefit from sponsorship opportunities. That said, larger events will typically have more success when it comes to attracting big-ticket sponsors. 

How should you send a sponsorship letter? 

A sponsorship letter for event outreach is typically sent by email or other digital methods. There are a few different ways to approach potential sponsors, which are outlined below.

LinkedIn outreach

LinkedIn is the social network of choice for professional networking. It can be very useful for cold outreach for sponsors. It’s also an effective tool for identifying the right person to contact at a specific company. 

Keep in mind that free LinkedIn accounts only allow you to send messages to people you’re already connected with. So you’ll have to request a connection first before sending messages. With LinkedIn Premium, you can send InMails (direct messages) to any LinkedIn member. 

💡Pro Tip: You can locate a potential sponsor’s email address by checking the website contact page, the person’s author page, or subscribing to the company newsletter. From there, you can also locate the person’s LinkedIn page by searching with the email address you’ve identified. Sites like Hunter.io can also help you locate business emails so you can then search for the person via LinkedIn. 

Email outreach

Email is a good choice — if you have the right person’s email address! Emailing the primary company email listed on their website is unlikely to yield a timely response. For the best results, you want to email the person who’s in charge of making marketing and sponsorship decisions. This could be a higher-up in the marketing department or the company owner.

Cold emailing has a relatively low success rate. 23.9% of sales emails are opened, and approximately 8.5% of outreach emails receive a reply. To improve your odds of success, interact with the person on LinkedIn or X so that they recognize your name when you email them. 

💡Pro Tip: Email outreach is often best for people you already have a connection with. Look through your contacts to identify past sponsors, vendors, and other businesses that may be interested in sponsorship. 

Phone outreach

Giving someone a phone call can be a more personalized way to make a connection. Of course, you’ll need to have the right phone number. This is another method that works best for outreach where you already have a connection at the company. But even if you don’t, it’s worth giving it a try.

💡Pro Tip: Phone calls can work better for making connections with business owners over the age of 55. Data shows that phone calls are the preferred communication method for 52% of people aged 55–64 and 62% of those over 65. 

What your event can offer sponsors

Sponsors can benefit from the exposure that your event program and marketing create for their company. Data shows that 23% of event organizers say that event sponsorship is the primary source of income for virtual events. In 2019, 77% of surveyed companies used event sponsorship in their marketing strategy. 

Event sponsorship is a beneficial partnership where both you and your sponsors stand to extract value from the process. The key perks for event sponsors include:

• On-site benefits, including prime booth location, VIP tickets for staff and employees, and prominent signage for your sponsors.
• Co-branding on promotion materials, like your event graphics, marketing emails, and social media posts.
• Post-event follow-up, such as your attendee contact list. This can then be used in their future marketing efforts. If you use this approach, make sure that your attendees opt-in to share their information. 

Depending on how many sponsors you’re looking for, you can let potential partners know if these potential benefits will be exclusive to them. 

💡Pro Tip: Having various sponsorship packages with different benefits can drive better sponsorship outcomes. This will allow you to seek out multiple types of sponsors with varying budgets. You can use event sponsorship examples for some inspiration.

How to find corporate sponsorships for an upcoming event

Corporate sponsors can be excellent targets for sponsorship because they often have significant marketing budgets. Locating them can require some patience — but it’s much easier if you have a system in place. Here’s how to go about finding sponsors for your next event.

Make a wish list

Think about what your dream sponsors would be, and make a list. Then, begin to narrow down the list by thinking about which brands align with your company’s mission and values. Also, start thinking about how your event can help achieve the sponsor’s business goals. 

💡Pro Tip: Think about the companies that your attendees might enjoy interacting with. For instance, if you’re looking for sponsors for a fitness event, a running shoe company might be a perfect outreach target. 

Think about the type of attendees your event will attract and how those people can benefit your target sponsors. Make sure to highlight your event’s reach and attendee stats in your email outreach.  

Reach out to sponsors from related events

Research events similar to yours, and consider contacting the sponsors from those events. Include information, such as your attendance at events this company has formerly sponsored.

💡Pro Tip: Search events in your area (or in your event category) on Eventbrite. There are thousands of active event listings on the Eventbrite platform, and you can quickly identify similar events to yours. Then, see if they’ve listed their sponsors on the event listing or on their social media or event website. 

Find companies that align with your values

The companies that sponsor your event must make sense of the event’s design and your brand’s reputation. If you’re organizing an event about sustainability, you won’t want companies known for environmentally harmful practices to sponsor your event.

💡Pro Tip: Use sponsorship network services to connect with a wider variety of potential sponsors. Looking for Sponsor, ZipSprout, and Sponsor My Event are good places to start.

Use your network

As an event organizer, you likely have several contacts in the events space. Other people in your organization may also have potential sponsor connections. Speak to your colleagues and contacts to see if anyone you know has connections at the organizations you’re looking to contact. A personal introduction is a great way to get your foot in the door.

Use LinkedIn to identify potential connections (and connections of connections) to reach out to. Even a secondary connection can produce better results than a completely cold outreach. 

💡Pro Tip: Join your local Chamber of Commerce to expand your network. The Chamber can help you meet and network with other business owners, and attend Chamber-hosted events in your community.

Create a sponsorship pitch deck to include in your outreach campaign

A sponsorship pitch deck is a document that outlines the sponsorship opportunities at your event. You can use it in outreach to potential sponsors as a way to advertise your offerings. 

The sponsorship pitch deck should include details like:

• Details about your audience
• The size of your event (and expected attendance)
• The different sponsorship packages available
• The potential reach of your event (media coverage, social following, etc.)

When you send a sponsorship email or letter, attach the pitch deck as a supplement. That way, the email itself can be very short and to the point, and then the sponsor can read more in the pitch deck if they’re interested. 

Alternatively, you can send an initial outreach email with no deck attached. If the potential sponsor is interested and replies, then you can send over your pitch deck. 

💡Pro Tip: Attach your pitch deck in .pdf format so it’s easy for anyone to open, regardless of their operating system or software stack. Even if you create your deck in PowerPoint, you can still save it as a PDF by selecting File > Save As > .pdf.

How to use your sponsorship pitch deck

Your sponsorship pitch deck will generally be used in three ways:

1. As the first contact with you and your event

If you’re cold-emailing people, it’s best to keep the email brief. You can then attach the pitch deck so they can learn more if interested. This is a quick way to convey the necessary information without too much back-and-forth and gives a professional first impression. 

2. As a follow-up and reminder of the key points discussed in your conversation

This is the best possible use of your deck because it doesn’t introduce any new information. Instead, it helps remind your potential sponsor of the main reasons why they should be your event sponsors.

3. By your contact to pitch the sponsorship to their colleagues

A pitch deck provides key talking points for your advocate within the sponsor company. For instance, maybe you send a pitch deck to the head of marketing who’s on board but needs to get budgetary approval from the finance team. Your pitch deck provides the necessary info and helps present your event as professionally as possible. 

💡Pro Tip: The event sponsorship proposal should be short, direct, and supportive of your overall sales pitch. This is not the place to include everything you can possibly share about your event. These things may come up in conversation, or someone can look at them on your website. The pitch deck should be solely focused on the benefits of sponsorship, pricing, and potential reach. 

How to write a sponsorship letter for events: 12 tips for success

Once you have a list of your ideal sponsors and a plan for what to offer them, it’s time to reach out. We’ve pulled together some tips for making your first communication with potential partners memorable.

1. Determine your goals

If you’re not sure what the end goals of your event are, you won’t be able to communicate them to a potential sponsor. Understand what your company is looking to achieve by organizing this event and what your plans are for the sponsorship funds. Sponsors will be interested in hearing about your goal attendance, as this reflects the reach of their advertising opportunity. 

2. Assess your needs

What do you want from the contact or their organization? Do you need money, time, a partnership, or merchandise for your event? Consider offering potential sponsors different partnership levels to provide more choices for each budget.

3. Give sponsors a reason to open

As you approach potential sponsors, remember that your first goal is simply to get them to read the message. “The average person receives over 120 emails a day,” says Taylor Price, former Creative Strategy Manager at Grammarly. “If your subject line asks too much or comes off as needy, it’s likely to end up in the trash.” Instead, write a subject line that gives the sponsor context for why you’re reaching out to them.

4. Personalize your letter

“Imagine you made contact with someone that works for a prospective sponsor at a recent networking event,” Price says. “If you’re convinced they’d remember you favorably, it’s always helpful to bring it up.” 

A subject line that says “Met you at [Event]. Let’s connect!” sets the context for your message and extends an invitation to continue the relationship. The same strategy works when emailing a referral, too. All you have to do is say, “[Referrer Name] recommended I get in touch.”

5. Start off hot

Convincing a prospective sponsor to open your email is just the beginning. Your next challenge is keeping their attention. To keep their interest, lead off with a strong highlight about your event. For instance, highlight the reach of the event: “Want to get your brand in front of 500 people in your ideal target audience? Let’s talk about sponsoring this event”. 

6. Avoid “hope you’re doing well”

“It’s a stock opening that we’re all too familiar with,” Price says. “For in-person conversations, it’s socially mandated. But on email, you risk sounding insincere.”

Instead, take the time to do a little research and personalize your letter. Include a sentence or two at the opening of your email to show you’re familiar with the recipient’s work or organization. Let’s say your prospect was recently recognized as an industry leader by a well-respected publication. A brief note congratulating them on their accomplishments will demonstrate that you’ve done your research.

7. Mention how you’re connected

“Again, mentioning a mutual connection is a huge plus,” says Price. “People are much more receptive if you’ve been referred by someone they know and respect.” But while it’s important to give context to your relationship with the sponsor, don’t write a novel. 

Once you’ve briefly mentioned your mutual connection, transition into the purpose of your email. Here’s an example: “I recently had lunch with [Referrer Name], who shared some of your ideas. I was blown away! I think your approach would be perfect for a project I’m working on.”

8. Seek their expert opinion

Remember — sponsorship is supposed to be a win-win. Asking a prospective sponsor for help taps into ego. “We like to be thought of as experts,” says Price. “We like to know that our opinions matter.”

The key to success, according to Price, is making your request seem effortless. “Keep in mind that you’re not the only person asking for their time,” he says. “If you let them know how long your request will take, they’ll be more likely to respond — and commit.”

You can demonstrate how much you respect their time by keeping your request concise. “Spare 15 minutes to give your expert feedback?” is only eight words long and articulates the request perfectly.

9. Keep it short

Your initial sponsor letter for event sponsor opportunities should be concise, with short paragraphs that are easy to understand. The ideal email copy length is between 50 and 125 words.

10. Mention the benefits

Don’t forget to tell potential sponsors what they receive if and when they partner with your organization or sponsor your event. Sponsorships are transactional, so you want to ensure you’re selling what’s in it for the brands helping you. 

11. Ask for the referral or meeting

By now, the potential sponsor should know who you are and what you want from them. The last piece of the puzzle is telling them what you want them to do. Be explicit, and include a clear call to action.

12. Start with a sponsorship email template

If you want a simple place to start, use a sponsorship letter template like the ones outlined below. These make it simple to plug in your details, customize the message, and hit all the key points. 

8 Free event sponsorship letter templates to build connections

The templates below provide examples of types of sponsorship letters for several different communication scenarios. These examples will be helpful if you need some help jump-starting your sponsorship letter for event sponsors.

1. The cold introduction

✉️ Use this template when: You’re introducing yourself and your event to potential sponsors you’ve never met before.

Hey there,

I saw on LinkedIn that you are involved in {{related product/project}}. I would love to connect and ask your thoughts about an exciting event I’m working on.

Are you free tomorrow at 3pm?

Thanks,

{{Your Name}}

💡Pro tip: Personalize your email in a way that shows you’ve done your research. In your messaging, include why you’re emailing that specific person, how you can help them, and how they can help your event. Research shows that people are more motivated to help others when they feel uniquely qualified to do so. Get specific about why your event and this sponsor are a perfect match. 

2. The follow-up email

✉️ Use this template when: You’ve made a personal connection with a sponsor representative at a networking event and want to follow up with them to find out who the decision-maker is.

Hey {{Contact’s Name}},

It was great to meet you last week at {{Event Name}}. Any chance you can suggest the best contact for those in the {{Related Product/Project}} side at your company?

Thanks,

{{Your Name}}

💡Pro tip: Include where you met in the email title. That way, they’re much more likely to open your email and give you a chance. Also, don’t be too aggressive by asking for sponsorship right away. Get to know them a bit first, and then see where the conversation goes.

3. The meeting request

✉️ Use this template when: You begin to establish connections at your target sponsor company and want to win a meeting with the decision-maker.

Hello {{Prospect’s Name}},

Your colleague, {{Colleague’s Name}}, mentioned you were the manager for {{Related Product/Project}}.

I would love to set up a quick call to discuss some of your areas of focus and see if there is common ground between your priorities and our event plans for {{Year}}.

How does your schedule look on Wednesday? Does 10am or 3pm work for a phone call?

Thanks,

{{Your Name}}

💡Pro tip: Don’t just ask the decision-maker if they want to meet. Instead, give them a couple of specific meeting time options, and offer enough information to spark their interest.

4. The sponsorship request letter

✉️ Use this template when: You’ve had a meeting with the decision-maker and are ready to send a sponsorship request (complete with a proposal tailored to the company).

Hello {{Prospect’s Name}},

Thank you for meeting with me on {{Date}}. I enjoyed learning more about what {{Company Name}} is looking for in an event partner and how {{Event Name}} can help. As promised, here is a sponsorship proposal tailored to {{Company Name}}. 

Inside, you’ll find a list of activations I have personalized for your business goals, which will provide the most impact on your investment. Please look it over and let me know if you have any questions. I’d love to schedule a call in the next week to go over the details — how about Tuesday at 10am?

Thank you,

{{Your Name}}

💡Pro tip: When crafting your sponsorship proposal, make sure to include your sponsorship pitch deck. If you don’t have one, include essential information in your email that can help your sponsor evaluate the opportunity. This includes your elevator pitch, demographic data, ticket/registration sales figures, and social media reach. You’ll want them to see your past events, too, so if you have an event page, send them there so they can see how you present your events.

5. The negotiation email

✉️ Use this template when: You find yourself emailing back and forth with an interested sponsor about pricing for different activations. This is a critical stage for getting the most money possible.

Hello {{Contact’s Name}},

Thanks for getting back to me about the pricing for {{Activation}}. I hear what you’re saying, and I’d like to take a moment to explain how I landed on that number.

Your goal is to {{Reach # of people or impressions on brand visibility/RFID bracelets scanned/email addresses collected, etc.}} and I know {{Activation}} will deliver.

The majority of my attendees are in your target market, {{List of demographic details and/or attributes that prove this point}}. By sponsoring our {{Activation}}, you’ll gain critical face-to-face exposure with this particular group and help them make incredible memories that they’ll associate with your brand.

I’d be happy to jump on a call real quick to discuss. Let me know when is a good time to schedule 15 minutes today or tomorrow!

Best,

{{Your Name}}

💡Pro tip: Focus on the business value your event will offer your sponsor. If they push back on pricing, highlight any areas where you think they may be underestimating the value of your proposal. If there’s a genuine budget mismatch, consider pointing them to lower tiers of your sponsorship packages.

6. The coordination/logistics plan

✉️ Use this template when: You have signed the contract and are collaborating with your sponsor’s team to ensure they have what they need before your event.

Hello {{Contact’s Name}},

Hard to believe, but {{Event Name}} is just a few months away! This means it’s time to kick off planning and ensure you have everything you need to succeed on the big day.

A few essential details to keep in mind:

{{List out any relevant information for your sponsor that directly impacts them, including date, time, venue, location, any equipment needs, etc.}}

Attached, you’ll find our first pass at the logistics plan. Take a look and let me know of any edits. And, as always, please reach out with any questions.

We’re so grateful for your help making this year’s {{Event Name}} the best one yet!

Cheers,

{{Your Name}}

💡Pro tip: You should have a fully thought-out event logistics plan in place before sending this email. Depending on your sponsor’s level of involvement, you may even want to attach a logistics plan to the email. Keep them up to date with any changes, as well.

7. The email promoting your sponsors to attendees

✉️ Use this template when: You’re ready to share the good news with attendees about which sponsors you secured for your event. This might also be an activation sold to a sponsor.

Hey {{Attendee’s Name}},

Every year, the {{Event Name}} team collaborates with the best brands to bring you unique experiences. And we’re super excited to share this year’s sponsor lineup with you!

Here are just a few of the things you can expect to see at {{Event Name + Year}}:

• {{Sponsored experience #1, brought to you by Sponsor Name}}
• {{Sponsored experience #2, brought to you by Sponsor Name}}
• {{Sponsored experience #3, brought to you by Sponsor Name}}

We’re counting down the days till {{Event Name}} and know you are, too. Visit our website to check out the full lineup of sponsors for this year’s event.

Cheers,

{{Event Name}} Team

💡Pro tip: Unlike sponsor outreach emails, this message will be going out to a crowd. To ensure delivery and comply with the CAN-SPAM Act, make sure you use an appropriate email platform. Eventbrite makes it easy to send event emails and organize your marketing activity. Eventbrite has built-in email marketing tools and also integrates with Mailchimp, a leading email platform.

8. The report-out and renewal ask

✉️ Use this template when: Your event is over and it’s time to follow up with your sponsors to share important performance metrics.

Hello {{Contact’s Name}},

A big thank you from the whole team at {{Event Name}} for being a sponsor this year! Thanks to you, it was a fantastic event, and attendees had a blast.

Attached is our fulfillment report for {{Company Name}}. Inside, you’ll find:

• Attendance stats on demographics and engagement
• On-site stats, including in-person activations
• Off-site stats, including social media

We look forward to meeting with you soon to go over the fulfillment report and get your feedback on the results. What does your schedule look like next week?

Cheers,

{{Your Name}}

💡Pro tip: Focus here on thanking your sponsor genuinely before asking for a sponsorship renewal. Try to schedule a meeting to go over the results, and thank your sponsor again for their support. Once you’ve shared results, then you can inquire about future arrangements to establish long-term relationships with sponsors. 

Become a pro at securing event sponsorships

With a list of dream sponsors and our helpful sponsorship letter templates, you’ll be ready to secure the support you need for your next event. 

Sponsors are just one tool in your event-organizing toolbox. For help managing all aspects of your upcoming event, try Eventbrite, the leading event management platform.