Make sure your speakers or headphones are on so you can hear helpful cues and key insights throughout the course. If you’re using a mobile device, rotate your phone to landscape mode for the best view.
Sound on and screen ready!
Build your sponsorship foundations
Get started
Contents
Introduction
Understanding sponsorship
Clarify your reach
Identify your visible opportunities
Build your sponsorship offer
Your next steps
Next
Introduction
Next
Understanding sponsorship
Why does sponsorship matter?
👇 Click each flip card to discover more
Create space to invest in new programmes, events or pathways that benefit your members.
Provides predictable income that supports long term planning and reduces reliance on one source of funding.
Supports upgrades to kit, equipment or venues that improve the experience for families.
Helps keep membership fees stable by bringing in additional income from outside the club.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Improve facilities or equipment
Reduce pressure on fees
Create financial stability
Fund new opportunities
Title
Title
Title
Title
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Next
Understanding sponsorship
Donation and sponsorship are not the same
When a business supports your club, that support may take different forms. Sometimes it's a donation. Sometimes it's sponsorship. Understanding the difference between the two helps to shape expectations for both sides. 👇 Click each to find out more
Donation
Sponsorship
Next
Clarify your reach
Sponsors need to understand who they will reach and how often. Start by gathering clear, simple figures that reflect your regular audience. 👇 Explore each area to see what to include
Event attendance
Season frequency
Connected families
Digital audience
Members
Next
Identify your visible opportunities
Identify where sponsors can be seen
You now understand who your club reaches. The next step is to recognise where that audience gathers and where attention naturally sits. Click each header to see how visibility shows up in practice.
Physical visibility
Communication visibility
Kit and teamwear
Emails and newsletters
Social media and website
Training and competition spaces
Printed materials and signage
Events and tournaments
Next
Reflection: Strengthening your pillars
Most clubs already have parts of sponsorship in place. Some know their numbers but have never put them into a clear sentence. Some have visibile spaces but have never described them properly. Pause for a moment and think about your club.
- Could you explain who your club reaches in one sentence?
- Do you know where a sponsor would be seen?
- Would you feel confident explaining both clearly?
+ Mini task
Next
Build your sponsorship offer
Agree the investment
You've identified who your club reaches and where sponsors can be seen. Now we’ll turn that into a simple, one page sponsorship offer you can share with a local business. Your offer explains who you are, who you reach, what’s included, how long it lasts and the investment. Click each 'i' to build it piece by piece.
Set the length
Define the visibility
Summarise your reach
Introduce your club
Next
Build your starter offer
What does good look like?
You've built the structure of your sponsorship offer. Now let's see how that could look as a simple email you might send to a local business. Below are two ready-to-use examples. Click each to enlarge
You'll receive this editable template in your action pack once you complete the course.
Next
Your sponsorship next steps
You now have the structure of your sponsorship offer. The next stage is putting it into action. The timeline shows a simple, realistic path from preparation to your first conversation. Click the timeline below to discover each stage
Clarify the type of support
Refine your reach
Select your visibility
Draft your offer
Start one conversation
Next
FAQs
How much should we charge?
What if a business only wants to donate?
What if we've never had a sponsor before?
What if we feel awkward approaching businesses?
We're volunteer led. Is this realistic for us?
Next
Ready to put your knowledge into action?
Audio
Click ‘Save and exit’ at the top right, and we’ll send your action pack straight to your email inbox!
Events attendance
What this means in practice: The number of people who attend your competitions, tournaments or showcase events. This shows how many people a sponsor could be visible to at one time. Example:
- 300 spectators at our annual gymnastics competition
- 150 families attending our end of season football tournament
- 120 people at our annual awards evening
Tip: Use realistic estimates based on past events. If possible, note how many events you run each year.
Agree the investment
What this means: State the financial contribution clearly to avoid any future confusion. Example: "£1,200 for a full season partnership." Try this: Write the amount and what it covers in one line.
What if we've never had a sponsor before?
Answer: That's completely fine. Many clubs begin with informal support before moving to structured sponsorship. Start with one simple offer and one conversation to help get the ball rolling.
Where to go for support: Use your one page sponsorship offer template in the action pack to help draft your first version.
What if a business only wants to donate?
Where to go for support: Revisit the donation and sponsorship section to guide how you describe the support.
Answer: That's okay. Remember, if nothing is being provided in return, treat it as a donation. Be clear about the difference so expectations are aligned from the start.
Members
What this means in practice: This is the number of players or gymnasts signed up with your club. Example:
- 240 football players across 12 teams
- 180 gymnasts across different sessions
Tip: Use your current registration numbers.
Events and tournaments
What this means in practice: Events bring a large number of families together at one time. This creates concentrated visibility in a short period. Sponsors may appear on programmes, banners, announcements or event materials. Tip: Write down how many events you run each year and roughly how many people attend. This helps you explain the scale clearly.
Start one conversation
What this means: Choose one local business and begin the discussion. Questions to ask:
- Who already has a connection to our club?
- Which local businesses serve families?
- Who could benefit from visibility with us?
- Does this business align with our values?
Example: Contacting a estate agent, car dealership or restaurant. Tip: Try to make the conversation infomal, it'll help you feel more confident approaching them.
Training and competition spaces
What this means in practice: Sponsors can be visible in the spaces where sessions and competitions take place. This might include pitch side boards, banners, wall signage or branded equipment. These spaces are often where families naturally look while watching or waiting. Tip: Walk around your venue and notice where attention sits. Those are your strongest visibility points.
Refine your reach summary
What this means: Make it confident, clear and business ready. Turn your numbers into a short sentence. Questions to ask:
- How many members do we support?
- How often do families attend?
- Are our figures current?
Example: "We support 240 players across 12 teams, with around 400 parents attending weekly fixtures." Tip: Make sure you keep it factual, it's best to avoid exaggeration.
20XX
Introduce your club
What this means: Start with a short sentence explaining who you are, who you support and what you offer. Example: "We are a grassroot club supporting 240 players across 12 teams from under 7s to under 16s." "We are a local gymnastics club delivering weekly sessions to 180 children across recreational and squad pathways." Try this: Write one sentence that explains who your club supports and how often you run sessions.
Connected families
What this means in practice: Each player or gymnast usually has at least one adult who brings them to sessions or competitions. This increases the number of people regularly seeing your club in action. For a sponsor, this means your audience is often larger than your membership number suggests. Example:
- 240 football players could mean 400+ family members across matchdays
- 180 gymnasts could mean over 300 adults attending sessions and events
Tip: Think about who is regularly watching or waiting during sessions. That's part of your real audience.
Draft your offer
What this means: Bring your introduction, reach, visibility, length and investment into one clear outline. Questions to ask:
- Is it easy to understand?
- Have we stated how long it lasts?
- Is the investment clearly shown?
Example: Season long sponsorship including kit branding and two newsletter features. Tip: It's best to try and keep this to one page to avoid overwhelm.
Social media and website
What this means in practice: Your club's online platforms allow sponsors to be seen outside of sessions and events. Posts, website banners or partner pages can provide ongoing visibility to families and the wider community. Tip: Be realistic about how often you can post or update.
What if we feel awkward approaching businesses?
Answer: That's common. Sponsorship is not asking for money. It is offering visibility and partnership. When you clearly explain who you reach and where a sponsor will be seen, the conversation becomes more natural.
Where to go for support: Use the conversation prompt sheet in your action pack to prepare your opening approach.
Clarify the type of support
What this means: Decide early whether you are asking for a donation or offering structured sponsorship. Questions to ask:
- Is anything being given in return?
- Have we explained what the business receives?
- Is this goodwill support or a partnership?
Example: A local builder offers £500 to support a youth team with no expectation of branding. That is a donation. Tip: If something is being offered in return, describe it clearly in writing.
Kit and teamwear
What this means in practice: Logos on shirts, training tops or leotards are seen regularly during sessions, fixtures and competitions. Because kit is worn regularly, this creates repeated local visibility for the sponsor. Tip: Think about how often the kit is worn and where it is seen. That helps you explain its value confidently.
Summarise your reach
What this means: Explain how many people are connected to your club and how often they attend. Example: "Across the season, around 400 parents attend weekly fixtures and training sessions." Try this: Combine your membership numbers and attendance frequency into one clear sentence.
Select your visibility
What this means: Choose the spaces that make most sense for your club and are realistic to deliver. Questions to ask:
- Where do families naturally look or gather?
- Which spaces feel more visible?
- Can we deliver this consistently?
Example: Front of kit and monthly newsletter mentions. Tip: It's best to start small, you can always expand later.
20XX
Donation
What this means in practice: A donation is a voluntary contribution given to support your club. The primary motivation is goodwill or community connection. There is no structured expectation of commercial return. It's important to offer recognition for their kindness, such as an announcement or their name on a donors wall. But, not a sponsorship assset. Example: A local café contributes £250 towards a end of season awards evening because the owner's child plays for the club. Tip: If there is no agreed return, treat it as a donation.
Mini task
Write down: 1) Your reach in one clear sentence (Include numbers and how often sessions happen) 2) Two physical places where sponsors could be seen 3) One communication channel you update regularly Example: "We support 240 football players across 12 teams. Around 400 parents attend weekly fixtures. Sponsors could be seen on kit at our summer tournament, with regular mentions in our monthly newsletter. When you can explain this clearly, you're ready to build your sponsorship offer.
Set the length
What this means: Be clear about how long the agreement will last. One season? Multi-year? One tournament? Example: "Season long agreement running from September to May." Try this: Write a clear start and end point.
Define the visibility
What this means: Be specific about where the sponsors will be seen. Avoid vague phrases like "brand exposure." Example: "Logo displayed on front-of-kit for one age group mentioned in our monthly parent newsletter." Try this: List the exact spaces where the sponsor would appear.
We're volunteer led. Is this realistic for us?
Answer: Yes. Sponsorship doesn't require complex systems. It requires clear communication and simple structure. Start small and build confidence over time.
Where to go for support: Use the sponsorship action ladder in this course to help guide your next step.
Sponsorship
What this means in practice: Sponsorship is a structured partnership. A business invests in your club in return for agreed visibility or association. There is a clear understanding of what the sponsor receives and for how long. Example:
- A football club agrees a season long kit sponsorship
- A gymnastics club secures a competition squad sponsorship with branding at events
Tip: If you cannot clearly explain what the sponsor gets, simplify it.
Printed materials and signage
What this means in practice: Printed items such as programmes, fixture cards or registration packs can include sponsor branding. These items are often kept or revisited by families, creating longer lasting visibility. Tip: Think about what families take home or keep, that's where the sponsorship value is.
Digital audience
What this means in practice: Your social media pages, emails and website reach. Example:
- 1,200 Instagram followers
- 320 people receiving your newsletter
Tip: Only include the platforms you regularly use and update.
How much should we charge?
Answer: Pricing feels difficult at first, and that's completely normal. Many clubs start with season partnerships between £500 and £1,500 depending on reach and visibility. Your visibility, frequency and local context will help influence pricing.
Where to go for support: Use the offer structure template and begin with one simple agreement. Also, for more pricing support head to the Sponsorship: Pricing strategy course in ThriveHub.
Emails and newsletters
What this means in practice: Sponsors can be included in regular emails sent to parents and members. This gives them repeated visibility within a trusted communication channel. Tip: Only promise placements you can deliver consistently.
Season frequency
What this means in practice: How often your club runs sessions, fixtures or competitions across the year. This shows how regularly a sponsor would be seen. Example:
- Weekly training sessions across three terms
- Saturday fixtures for 30 weeks of the season
- Two competitions or tournaments each year
Tip: Note how many weeks your club is active each year. Regular activity strengthens your sponsorship value.
Sponsorship foundations
Jess Melville
Created on February 25, 2026
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Transcript
Make sure your speakers or headphones are on so you can hear helpful cues and key insights throughout the course. If you’re using a mobile device, rotate your phone to landscape mode for the best view.
Sound on and screen ready!
Build your sponsorship foundations
Get started
Contents
Introduction
Understanding sponsorship
Clarify your reach
Identify your visible opportunities
Build your sponsorship offer
Your next steps
Next
Introduction
Next
Understanding sponsorship
Why does sponsorship matter?
👇 Click each flip card to discover more
Create space to invest in new programmes, events or pathways that benefit your members.
Provides predictable income that supports long term planning and reduces reliance on one source of funding.
Supports upgrades to kit, equipment or venues that improve the experience for families.
Helps keep membership fees stable by bringing in additional income from outside the club.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Improve facilities or equipment
Reduce pressure on fees
Create financial stability
Fund new opportunities
Title
Title
Title
Title
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Next
Understanding sponsorship
Donation and sponsorship are not the same
When a business supports your club, that support may take different forms. Sometimes it's a donation. Sometimes it's sponsorship. Understanding the difference between the two helps to shape expectations for both sides. 👇 Click each to find out more
Donation
Sponsorship
Next
Clarify your reach
Sponsors need to understand who they will reach and how often. Start by gathering clear, simple figures that reflect your regular audience. 👇 Explore each area to see what to include
Event attendance
Season frequency
Connected families
Digital audience
Members
Next
Identify your visible opportunities
Identify where sponsors can be seen
You now understand who your club reaches. The next step is to recognise where that audience gathers and where attention naturally sits. Click each header to see how visibility shows up in practice.
Physical visibility
Communication visibility
Kit and teamwear
Emails and newsletters
Social media and website
Training and competition spaces
Printed materials and signage
Events and tournaments
Next
Reflection: Strengthening your pillars
Most clubs already have parts of sponsorship in place. Some know their numbers but have never put them into a clear sentence. Some have visibile spaces but have never described them properly. Pause for a moment and think about your club.
+ Mini task
Next
Build your sponsorship offer
Agree the investment
You've identified who your club reaches and where sponsors can be seen. Now we’ll turn that into a simple, one page sponsorship offer you can share with a local business. Your offer explains who you are, who you reach, what’s included, how long it lasts and the investment. Click each 'i' to build it piece by piece.
Set the length
Define the visibility
Summarise your reach
Introduce your club
Next
Build your starter offer
What does good look like?
You've built the structure of your sponsorship offer. Now let's see how that could look as a simple email you might send to a local business. Below are two ready-to-use examples. Click each to enlarge
You'll receive this editable template in your action pack once you complete the course.
Next
Your sponsorship next steps
You now have the structure of your sponsorship offer. The next stage is putting it into action. The timeline shows a simple, realistic path from preparation to your first conversation. Click the timeline below to discover each stage
Clarify the type of support
Refine your reach
Select your visibility
Draft your offer
Start one conversation
Next
FAQs
How much should we charge?
What if a business only wants to donate?
What if we've never had a sponsor before?
What if we feel awkward approaching businesses?
We're volunteer led. Is this realistic for us?
Next
Ready to put your knowledge into action?
Audio
Click ‘Save and exit’ at the top right, and we’ll send your action pack straight to your email inbox!
Events attendance
What this means in practice: The number of people who attend your competitions, tournaments or showcase events. This shows how many people a sponsor could be visible to at one time. Example:
- 300 spectators at our annual gymnastics competition
- 150 families attending our end of season football tournament
- 120 people at our annual awards evening
Tip: Use realistic estimates based on past events. If possible, note how many events you run each year.Agree the investment
What this means: State the financial contribution clearly to avoid any future confusion. Example: "£1,200 for a full season partnership." Try this: Write the amount and what it covers in one line.
What if we've never had a sponsor before?
Answer: That's completely fine. Many clubs begin with informal support before moving to structured sponsorship. Start with one simple offer and one conversation to help get the ball rolling.
Where to go for support: Use your one page sponsorship offer template in the action pack to help draft your first version.
What if a business only wants to donate?
Where to go for support: Revisit the donation and sponsorship section to guide how you describe the support.
Answer: That's okay. Remember, if nothing is being provided in return, treat it as a donation. Be clear about the difference so expectations are aligned from the start.
Members
What this means in practice: This is the number of players or gymnasts signed up with your club. Example:
- 240 football players across 12 teams
- 180 gymnasts across different sessions
Tip: Use your current registration numbers.Events and tournaments
What this means in practice: Events bring a large number of families together at one time. This creates concentrated visibility in a short period. Sponsors may appear on programmes, banners, announcements or event materials. Tip: Write down how many events you run each year and roughly how many people attend. This helps you explain the scale clearly.
Start one conversation
What this means: Choose one local business and begin the discussion. Questions to ask:
- Who already has a connection to our club?
- Which local businesses serve families?
- Who could benefit from visibility with us?
- Does this business align with our values?
Example: Contacting a estate agent, car dealership or restaurant. Tip: Try to make the conversation infomal, it'll help you feel more confident approaching them.Training and competition spaces
What this means in practice: Sponsors can be visible in the spaces where sessions and competitions take place. This might include pitch side boards, banners, wall signage or branded equipment. These spaces are often where families naturally look while watching or waiting. Tip: Walk around your venue and notice where attention sits. Those are your strongest visibility points.
Refine your reach summary
What this means: Make it confident, clear and business ready. Turn your numbers into a short sentence. Questions to ask:
- How many members do we support?
- How often do families attend?
- Are our figures current?
Example: "We support 240 players across 12 teams, with around 400 parents attending weekly fixtures." Tip: Make sure you keep it factual, it's best to avoid exaggeration.20XX
Introduce your club
What this means: Start with a short sentence explaining who you are, who you support and what you offer. Example: "We are a grassroot club supporting 240 players across 12 teams from under 7s to under 16s." "We are a local gymnastics club delivering weekly sessions to 180 children across recreational and squad pathways." Try this: Write one sentence that explains who your club supports and how often you run sessions.
Connected families
What this means in practice: Each player or gymnast usually has at least one adult who brings them to sessions or competitions. This increases the number of people regularly seeing your club in action. For a sponsor, this means your audience is often larger than your membership number suggests. Example:
- 240 football players could mean 400+ family members across matchdays
- 180 gymnasts could mean over 300 adults attending sessions and events
Tip: Think about who is regularly watching or waiting during sessions. That's part of your real audience.Draft your offer
What this means: Bring your introduction, reach, visibility, length and investment into one clear outline. Questions to ask:
- Is it easy to understand?
- Have we stated how long it lasts?
- Is the investment clearly shown?
Example: Season long sponsorship including kit branding and two newsletter features. Tip: It's best to try and keep this to one page to avoid overwhelm.Social media and website
What this means in practice: Your club's online platforms allow sponsors to be seen outside of sessions and events. Posts, website banners or partner pages can provide ongoing visibility to families and the wider community. Tip: Be realistic about how often you can post or update.
What if we feel awkward approaching businesses?
Answer: That's common. Sponsorship is not asking for money. It is offering visibility and partnership. When you clearly explain who you reach and where a sponsor will be seen, the conversation becomes more natural.
Where to go for support: Use the conversation prompt sheet in your action pack to prepare your opening approach.
Clarify the type of support
What this means: Decide early whether you are asking for a donation or offering structured sponsorship. Questions to ask:
- Is anything being given in return?
- Have we explained what the business receives?
- Is this goodwill support or a partnership?
Example: A local builder offers £500 to support a youth team with no expectation of branding. That is a donation. Tip: If something is being offered in return, describe it clearly in writing.Kit and teamwear
What this means in practice: Logos on shirts, training tops or leotards are seen regularly during sessions, fixtures and competitions. Because kit is worn regularly, this creates repeated local visibility for the sponsor. Tip: Think about how often the kit is worn and where it is seen. That helps you explain its value confidently.
Summarise your reach
What this means: Explain how many people are connected to your club and how often they attend. Example: "Across the season, around 400 parents attend weekly fixtures and training sessions." Try this: Combine your membership numbers and attendance frequency into one clear sentence.
Select your visibility
What this means: Choose the spaces that make most sense for your club and are realistic to deliver. Questions to ask:
- Where do families naturally look or gather?
- Which spaces feel more visible?
- Can we deliver this consistently?
Example: Front of kit and monthly newsletter mentions. Tip: It's best to start small, you can always expand later.20XX
Donation
What this means in practice: A donation is a voluntary contribution given to support your club. The primary motivation is goodwill or community connection. There is no structured expectation of commercial return. It's important to offer recognition for their kindness, such as an announcement or their name on a donors wall. But, not a sponsorship assset. Example: A local café contributes £250 towards a end of season awards evening because the owner's child plays for the club. Tip: If there is no agreed return, treat it as a donation.
Mini task
Write down: 1) Your reach in one clear sentence (Include numbers and how often sessions happen) 2) Two physical places where sponsors could be seen 3) One communication channel you update regularly Example: "We support 240 football players across 12 teams. Around 400 parents attend weekly fixtures. Sponsors could be seen on kit at our summer tournament, with regular mentions in our monthly newsletter. When you can explain this clearly, you're ready to build your sponsorship offer.
Set the length
What this means: Be clear about how long the agreement will last. One season? Multi-year? One tournament? Example: "Season long agreement running from September to May." Try this: Write a clear start and end point.
Define the visibility
What this means: Be specific about where the sponsors will be seen. Avoid vague phrases like "brand exposure." Example: "Logo displayed on front-of-kit for one age group mentioned in our monthly parent newsletter." Try this: List the exact spaces where the sponsor would appear.
We're volunteer led. Is this realistic for us?
Answer: Yes. Sponsorship doesn't require complex systems. It requires clear communication and simple structure. Start small and build confidence over time.
Where to go for support: Use the sponsorship action ladder in this course to help guide your next step.
Sponsorship
What this means in practice: Sponsorship is a structured partnership. A business invests in your club in return for agreed visibility or association. There is a clear understanding of what the sponsor receives and for how long. Example:
- A football club agrees a season long kit sponsorship
- A gymnastics club secures a competition squad sponsorship with branding at events
Tip: If you cannot clearly explain what the sponsor gets, simplify it.Printed materials and signage
What this means in practice: Printed items such as programmes, fixture cards or registration packs can include sponsor branding. These items are often kept or revisited by families, creating longer lasting visibility. Tip: Think about what families take home or keep, that's where the sponsorship value is.
Digital audience
What this means in practice: Your social media pages, emails and website reach. Example:
- 1,200 Instagram followers
- 320 people receiving your newsletter
Tip: Only include the platforms you regularly use and update.How much should we charge?
Answer: Pricing feels difficult at first, and that's completely normal. Many clubs start with season partnerships between £500 and £1,500 depending on reach and visibility. Your visibility, frequency and local context will help influence pricing.
Where to go for support: Use the offer structure template and begin with one simple agreement. Also, for more pricing support head to the Sponsorship: Pricing strategy course in ThriveHub.
Emails and newsletters
What this means in practice: Sponsors can be included in regular emails sent to parents and members. This gives them repeated visibility within a trusted communication channel. Tip: Only promise placements you can deliver consistently.
Season frequency
What this means in practice: How often your club runs sessions, fixtures or competitions across the year. This shows how regularly a sponsor would be seen. Example:
- Weekly training sessions across three terms
- Saturday fixtures for 30 weeks of the season
- Two competitions or tournaments each year
Tip: Note how many weeks your club is active each year. Regular activity strengthens your sponsorship value.