1. Have an up-to-date, attractive website.

Don’t look like you stopped working 10 years ago.

Hint: Lots of photos and up-to-date news and events help!

2. Have active social media accounts.

Businesses want their name promoted through you, so it matters what channels you have.

3. Tell businesses how they can help.

Include different partnership/sponsorship options (e.g. Donate, sponsor, volunteer)

Hint: The more work you do for them, the less steps and potential barriers to the boss’s sign-off.

4. Tell them who to talk to.

Don’t give them three general people’s contact details, or worse, none. Show that you are professional enough to have a dedicated and knowledgeable contact for them to work with. Include their position too.

5. Take and share lots of photos regularly.

Think about how you can make their communications (think annual reports, newsletters etc) extra special.

6. Show them who else is on board.

If other people/businesses are supporting you, it will reinforce the business’s decision to support you too. It will also give you extra credibility.

7. Show them your media coverage.

Hint: They’ll think they will get more coverage because of you.

8. Be clear about what you do.

Businesses need to be able to articulate to their people what you do and why it’s important (in a few short sentences). Make sure they can do that properly.

Hint: Think ‘copy and paste’ straight from your website into their CSR report.

9. Use the right words so people can find you online.

Make sure your website says who you work with and why (e.g. Youth from at-risk backgrounds to help them reach their potential). Use the right words so your charity shows up when people search them.

Hint: Pretend that everybody who comes to your website homepage has no idea who you are. If they can’t search for your name, what would they search?

Make sure you’re getting these simple things right, so next time a business goes looking for a worthy charity

to sponsor, they find you.