Create a list of potential sponsors from your local community. If certain organizations sponsor other arts programs, they may also be interested in sponsoring you.
Analyze the basic demographics of your customers and clients. For instance, if you run a children’s theater, you likely have many child guests along with their parents. Once you know your target audience, you will have a better idea of where to look for sponsors.
Create a short list of the benefits of sponsorship. Adverting, brand awareness and community perception are all benefits of sponsoring local arts. You will want to present these benefits to potential sponsors.
Contact sponsors via phone or email and explain your arts program and the benefits of sponsorship. Small businesses can usually be reached directly, but you may need to call around with larger companies to find the correct person — usually sponsorship decisions are made by a community relations or event-marketing department.
Offer attendees an easy method for sponsorship. A donation box or simple webpage that individuals can visit after seeing one of your performances is an excellent method for earning small donations.
Look for sponsors that can help you with more than monetary donations. For instance, a local candy company may not have money to give, but may be able to send you a box of chocolate bars that you can sell at a concession stand.