Fundraising, Sponsorship and Marketing

Dan Absolon Disability Development Manager, Tennis Foundation – LTA

Scott Over Senior Account Manager, WSM Communications

Overview

1. Motivated task 2. My Club 3. CASC and Charity Status 4. Fundraising 5. Grants 6. Sponsorship 7. Marketing 8. Q&A

Task 1 - Your current situation

MOTIVATED hand-out: Self assessment • M Modify the Game • O Off-Piste factors • T Team & Belonging • I Improvement Pathway • V Variety & Consistency Balance • A Aspiration • T Tournaments & Competition • E Evolution & Direction • D Delivery, Communication & Marketing

My Club • Self assessment – membership,

facilities, coaching, competitions, schools, talent development, community, diversity

• Identifying the need at the club

• Financial assessment – income and expenditure

• Partners, grants and sponsorship

• Sustainability and long term plan

• Roles in the club structure / accountability

Fundraising and Grants

CASC and Charity status CASC – Community Amateur Sports Club • http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/casc • HM Revenue & Customs regulation; generally a

‘lighter’ touch • No requirement to show public benefit • Membership open to all members of the public • Sports drawn from Sports Council’s lists

Charity status • Charitable sports clubs should comply with the

Charity Commission guidance on public benefit • Community participation (membership open to all

members of the public) • Sports which promote health by involving physical

or mental skill or exertion

Fundraising

• Fundraising starts with existing members - club subscription and membership

• Increasing membership base – Promote existing activities – Additional activities – Open days – Schools, Colleges and Universities – Community activity – Data capture for future

communication

• Diversify your membership base – Disability opportunities – Youth groups

Fundraising

• Traditional fundraising – Seeking donations – Just

Giving, traditional – Fundraising activities – Raffle, quiz night, summer

BBQ, auction etc.

• Use assets (e.g. venue) to raise income – Other clubs / sports sharing

facilities

Grants – Sport England • Sport England is committed to the creation of a world-leading community

sport system. This includes focusing investment on organisations and projects that address at least one of Sport England’s three strategic outcomes: growing and sustaining participation in grassroots sport and creating opportunities for people to excel at their chosen sport

• Sport England has a number of funding programmes open to a wide range of

organisations. These include sports clubs, voluntary or community organisations, local authorities, schools, colleges and universities – Small Grants uses Lottery funding to make awards of between £300 and

£10,000 to not-for profit organisations to help more people play sport. – Community Sport Activation Fund - £40 million – Inclusive Sport Fund

Grants – National and Regional

National • Cash for Clubs – Deadline for next round of submissions 29th October • UK Sport – TASS • Charity Partnership – Tennis Foundation with Downs Syndrome Association • Match Funding – Portsmouth FC (Respectability Programme) • Mayor's Sports Participation Fund Regional • Local councils, institutions and charities • Case Study: Wandsworth

– Current funding available – facilities, training, competitions, programmes, travel, clubs

– Roehampton University – Wandsworth College Talented Performer Grant – Greenhouse – fund underprivileged children to play sport

Sponsorship

Sponsorship • Seeking a sponsor can be a lengthy

process: be resilient • Research potential sponsors and

identify appropriate parties • What's in it for the sponsor?

– Identify the sponsor’s aims and objectives and establish how your club can fit into these

– Consider the rights and benefits that you can offer

– Personalise your proposal to suit the sponsor in question

• Importance of long-term relationships – Sponsorship relationships develop and

become stronger over time

or

Sponsorship

Sponsorship • Use existing membership networks, friends, family, local business owners • Identify compatible sponsors by asking the following questions

• What your club can offer the potential sponsor • What benefits they will get from sponsoring your club • How much sponsorship you require from them • Whether they can offer benefits in kind

Sponsorship

• Responsibility of having a sponsor – Rights delivery – Regular progress updates – Promoting core values of the sponsor – Creating a win/win partnership where

both parties benefit – Invite sponsors to events and VIP

treatment – Evaluation and adaptation – Expanding sponsorship opportunities

Marketing

Marketing

Identify target

audience

Ensure your product is

appropriate

Raise awareness of the product

Build a comms plan

Promotion and PR

Feedback

Develop and expand

Sport England Segmentation

Competitive male urbanites

Fitness class friends

Local ‘Old Boys’ Early retirement couples

Sports team lads

Older working woman

Marketing Ideas: Digital

• Websites • E-shots • Online resources • Photography

Marketing Ideas: Print

• Booklets, posters, flyers, magazines, mailings, newsletters, calendars

• Branding & merchandising

• Banners & signage

Marketing Ideas: Social

• Social media – Twitter – Facebook – YouTube – Instragram

• Local club networks – Working together

Marketing Ideas: Media

• Plan a PR campaign • Target local newspapers and news

outlets • Celebrity involvement • Be creative

Marketing Ideas: Events

• Annual party and AGM • School fencing • Go-Fence • Clinics, open days, taster

sessions • Demonstrations to

showcase the sport

Marketing – Task 2

• MOTIVATED Club Programmes: Targets • Marketing checklist

Questions

Further Information • Sport England Small Grants - http://www.sportengland.org/funding/our-different-

funds/small-grants/ • Sport England Community Sport Activation Fund -

http://www.sportengland.org/funding/our-different-funds/community-sport-activation-fund/

• Sport England Inclusive Sport - http://www.sportengland.org/media/186538/inclusive-sport-prospectus.pdf

• Cash 4 Clubs - http://www.cash-4-clubs.com/ • Mayors Sports Legacy Programme -

http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/sport/sports-legacy-programme • Local Council Sports Funding example -

http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/885/sports-development/195/sports_funding_and_policy