How to Create a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (+ Templates)
Finding sponsorship is tough, I’m not going to sugarcoat it.
But if you take the time to do it correctly, you’ll see positive results.
The beauty of sponsorship is that it’s almost limitless. Meaning, you can find sponsors anywhere.
Just to give you an idea, global sponsorship spending across all sectors is expected to reach $96.4 billion in 2025, with opportunities spanning from local community events to international entertainment festivals and beyond.
So, how do you take advantage of this momentum?
I did the research for you and collected all the tips and tricks to help you conduct strategic research and create communication materials that will get you the sponsorships you seek.
Whether you're organizing a local community event, launching a creative project, managing a sports team or running a nonprofit initiative, this guide shows you how to find sponsors who will want to support your mission.
If you're short on time, here's a quick step-by-step guide to help you land a sponsorship or partnership. When you're ready, dive in below.
A sponsorship opportunity is an arrangement in which an organization provides financial support, products or services to an event, person, team or cause in exchange for promotional benefits and brand exposure.
In a typical sponsorship, the sponsor (the company providing support) receives some type of value. This is achieved through various forms of visibility, such as having their logo displayed, being mentioned in promotional materials, getting speaking opportunities or through activations.
Through these opportunities, a sponsee (event organizer, athlete, nonprofit, etc.) receives the resources they need to fund their event, activities or operations.
In their video titled How to Get Sponsorship for Anything, The Sponsorship Collective defines it like this:
“Sponsorship is a marketing discipline that reaches across the entire marketing and advertising world to borrow from all disciplines in order to do one thing: connect an audience to a brand in a meaningful way.”
Sponsorship opportunities can be categorized into four main types: financial, in-kind, media and promotional partnerships.
Aside from those, you can also sub-categorize them into sport and event sponsorship opportunities.
Furthermore, it’s important you know that the word sponsorship can be described using other words that mean the same thing: influencer partnerships, affiliate programs, ambassador and creator programs.
For the sake of brevity, I’ll stick to the term sponsorship throughout this guide.
Finally, you also need to know about digital sponsorship, which is sponsorship that only exists in the digital space.
| Type of Sponsorship Opportunity | How it Works | Examples | Who It’s For |
| Financial or Cash Sponsorships | The sponsor provides monetary support. | Direct payment for event costs, athlete salaries or operational expenses | Companies with marketing budgets that wish to support non-profits and community initiatives. |
| In-Kind Sponsorships | The sponsor provides goods, services, or resources instead of money. | Free venue space, equipment loan, catering services or professional services | Businesses that can leverage their existing products or services and want cost-effective marketing exposure. |
| Media Sponsorships | Sponsoring media companies provide advertising space, coverage, or promotional airtime. | Radio mentions, social media coverage, newsletter features or podcast advertisements | Media companies looking to build relationships and content creators seeking exposure |
| Promotional Partner Sponsorships | Organizations cross-promote each other's brands, audiences, or initiatives for mutual benefit without direct payment. | Joint marketing campaigns, shared content creation or audience cross-promotion | Organizations with complementary audiences and similar target demographics |
| Event Sponsorships | Sponsors support specific events in any of the top four sponsorship types. | Conference sponsorship, festival support or community event backing | Any organization hosting or participating in events |
| Sports Sponsorships | Sponsors support teams, athletes, leagues, or sporting events in any of the top four sponsorship types. | Team jersey logos, stadium naming rights or athlete endorsements | Sports organizations, athletes and sports-related events |
There are several sponsorship benefits for both the sponsor and the sponsee.
Asset analysis can help you identify and secure the right sponsors by evaluating your resources and aligning them with potential partners. This approach examines both:
There are three types of asset analysis that you can use to help you find a sponsor online or offline that best aligns with your cause.
In the video below, you can learn about each analysis type in depth, thanks to the people at JoinIt.
But how do you actually use asset analysis to find sponsorship opportunities? Here’s a basic step-by-step:
1. Start with the financial analysis. Calculate your exact sponsorship needs and determine the financial value your audience can bring to sponsors. Use this data to research companies that sponsor organizations with similar budgets and audience sizes. Look for businesses whose typical sponsorship investments match your funding requirements.
2. Continue with operational analysis for targeting. List your unique operational strengths. Are they event production, content creation, community access or distribution channels? Then, search for companies that need these exact capabilities. If you excel at community building, target brands launching community initiatives. If you have strong event capabilities, focus on companies seeking event partnerships.
3. Apply strategic analysis for alignment. Research potential sponsors’ values, target audiences and brand messaging. Look for companies whose corporate social responsibility initiatives, customer demographics or brand positioning align with yours. These strategic matches often create the strongest, longest-lasting relationships.
4. Cross-reference your findings. Create a shortlist of potential sponsors that appear in multiple analyses. A sponsor that needs your operational capabilities, shares your values and has the right budget represents your highest-probable partnership opportunity.
Before diving into specific tools and websites, it’s important for you to understand that brand sponsorship opportunities exist everywhere, from local businesses supporting community events to multinational corporations backing major initiatives.
The key is knowing where to look and how to approach potential sponsors strategically.
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll find in this section:
Finding the right sponsors requires a strategic combination of research, networking and relationship management tools. Here are the most effective tools and platforms to help you discover and connect with potential sponsors in any industry.
The first and foremost tool you should be using for finding sponsorship opportunities is LinkedIn. As a sponsor seeker, building an active LinkedIn presence will connect you directly with the decision-makers.
If you aren’t yet, start creating a network right away by researching the companies you shortlisted from your asset analysis and connecting with the relevant people (I share who those people are a bit further on).
Some of the benefits of using LinkedIn as a sponsee include:
In addition to being a great place to connect with decision-makers, LinkedIn is also becoming a hotspot for sponsorship content, much like TikTok and Instagram have been doing for years.
Self-proclaimed LinkedIn influencer Tamilore O is a great example. Here’s a sponsored post that she shared for her partnership with Claude.
So yes, LinkedIn is a powerful tool for finding sponsorship opportunities. However, one thing you shouldn’t do is send cold messages without personalization. Likewise, when you connect with a new prospect, don’t pitch them right out of the bat; build a conversation first.
Finally, don’t spam multiple people at the same company at the same time. Doing so will make you appear unprofessional, and that could kill your opportunities from the start.
TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are full of sponsorship-related content you can analyze for your own research.
Spend time on the platform that best suits your organization’s target audience, and identify brands that are active in sponsorships. You will notice them tagged on content creators' posts or on posts where the sponsors themselves share about partnerships.
Follow them and take note of the brands that seem to align with your asset analysis.
Start engaging with the brands that interest you. Look at the content from events and content creators that businesses are sponsoring. Create a shortlist and then look for their relevant contacts on LinkedIn and start having conversations.
If you’re looking for sponsorship opportunities on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, then you most definitely need to be active on the platform. The idea is that through your regularly-posted professional content, you build brand visibility, credibility and a presence worth a sponsor’s time and money.
Another important activity to remember about social media is tracking your analytics and metrics. You need this information when connecting with potential sponsors; they want to know how powerful your brand and presence are before making a decision to sponsor you.
In this YouTube Short, The Sponsorship Collective shares great tips for using social media correctly for landing sponsorship opportunities, plus what NOT to do.
Managing relationships with multiple potential and repeat sponsors requires organized systems to track communications, follow-ups and partnership progress.
Below are two CRM tools that will support your efforts in keeping everything aligned with your sponsors.
Effective sponsor communication often requires strategic outreach campaigns and professional communication management. These two tools are a great starting point.
In-person and on-screen connections often convert better than faceless outreach. This makes networking events crucial for building sponsor relationships. Check out the options below.
Moving on, let’s talk about the best websites that will help you find sponsorship opportunities for nonprofit organizations, events, podcasts, sport teams or community initiatives.
Aside from these websites, if you already have a brand in mind, visit their site to see if they have a page with sponsorship information.
You might even find the one you’re looking for in this list of brands with sponsorship pages or this other list of organizations that sponsor events.
And remember, look for the decision-makers on LinkedIn and get in touch through mutual connections and engaging conversation.
As I mentioned earlier, you must communicate with the right people in order to land the opportunities you seek.
These are the job titles of the people you need to get in touch with:
But how do you find these people? Yes, LinkedIn is one way, but there are a few others:
Let’s look at things from another perspective.
First, consider what Edward White, Head of Growth at beehiiv has to say about this angle:
“Sponsors aren’t buying your story - they’re buying reach, action, and trust. If you forget that, you’re asking for a donation request, not a deal.”
So, instead of simply chasing sponsors, focus on making your organization attractive to potential partners. These are some of the activities you can undertake. I’ve included how Visme can help you achieve each of them.
Before you can attract the right sponsors, you need to know who they are and what drives their sponsorship decisions. So, you must figure out who they currently sponsor and why.
Use the tools and websites I mentioned above to study their existing partnerships and understand their sponsorship criteria, types and the value they seek. Take note of sponsored content posted that mentions them, the events they support and the communities they engage with.
Through your research, pinpoint and define what value means to the sponsors you’re analyzing. Different sponsors prioritize different outcomes, some seek brand awareness, others lead generation, while some want access to the sponsee’s community.
Use Visme’s comparison templates or tables in a whiteboard to organize your sponsor research. Create a visual comparison of sponsors to map out the opportunities you should concentrate on.
Develop a strong brand presence where your target sponsors are looking and paying attention. As you create and post compelling content on these platforms, establish a consistent presence. At the same time, work towards building an engaged community that sponsors will want to access.
The best outreach isn’t about mass emailing, it’s about crafting personalized and value-driven communications that demonstrate you’ve done the work and understand the sponsor’s specific needs.
Research when your target sponsors typically plan their partnerships (many work on quarterly or annual cycles) and reach out during their planning periods, not when they need immediate activation.
Ideate sponsorship packages and personalized activation ideas that will resonate with your target sponsor. Craft the offers and benefits so they make sense for the sponsor.
Keep records with clear metrics, success stories, and data that prove the value you can deliver to sponsors. Track engagement rates, conversion metrics and qualitative feedback from your community and previous partnerships. Keep all this information on hand so when a potential sponsor asks for it, you have it ready to share.
Once you’ve got a shortlist of potential sponsors, it’s time to get your pitch in front of them.
One way is by using the websites I mentioned above. Another, more personalized route, is through a well-crafted outreach email. Both options will need you to have a pitch deck or video presentation.
In the body of the email or pitch intro on the websites, summarize everything that’s in your deck. Then, either embed it into your email, add a live Visme link or attach a digital PDF. Choose whichever option will be easiest for your prospect to view, because you don’t want them jumping through hoops to get to it.
Here’s a simple script you can use to get started with that outreach message.
Subject: Partnership Opportunity with [Your Organization Name]
Hi [Contact Name],
I hope this email finds you well. I'm reaching out because [specific reason related to their recent activity/values/campaigns].
I'm [Your Name] from [Your Organization], and we're hosting [specific event/initiative] that reaches [specific audience number and demographics]. Based on [Company Name]'s commitment to [specific value/cause they support], I believe there's a natural partnership opportunity.
What we offer:
What we're seeking:
I'd love to discuss how we can create mutual value. Would you be available for a brief 15-minute call next week?
Best regards, [Your Name] [Contact Information]
On to your sponsorship deck. Do you know what to include in it?
Here’s a visual rundown.
Made with Visme Infographic Maker
Aside from the necessary sections on your pitch deck, there's more you can do to secure a sponsorship. Andrew Bates, COO at Bates Electric, for example, creates an extra option in his sponsorship decks.
“I lead our sponsorship and partnership outreach, and I create a presentation for each pitch.
There's one slide I always include in my presentations, and it's quietly responsible for roughly 40% of our closed deals. It’s not the main offer. It’s a side-door option - lower lift, faster to greenlight, easier for someone to champion internally.
I began incorporating this after a solid pitch went nowhere, and later I discovered a smaller program would’ve been approved immediately if we’d just suggested it. That stuck with me. Now, I build every presentation with the assumption that someone in the room isn't sold on the main idea but might be interested in something simpler.
The rest of the deck tells our story: our results, reliability, and safety statistics. But that one "optional path" slide allows people to say yes without saying yes to everything. That’s often how we get in the door - and once we’re in, we usually stay.”
Having professional documentation ready demonstrates your credibility and makes the sponsorship process smoother for potential partners.
Here are five types of documents to incorporate in your efforts. I’ve added them in order of when you must use them.
By using any of the Visme templates I share below, you have access to Visme AI features. For instance, the AI Writer for generating text or summarizing long content, the AI Edit Tools to customize images in several ways and Text to Speech to create audio narrations from your written content.
Sponsors prefer brief but engaging communication before asking to know more about your offer or giving the green light for detailed proposals.
A sponsorship request letter introduces your organization and makes a specific ask. Unlike a detailed proposal, this communication is concise and serves as an introduction.
Here’s a template you can use straight away. It’s designed for a podcast sponsorship request, but it’s easy to update with your own information. Then, using the editor, change the letterhead design to align with your brand.
Use our collaboration features at every stage of the process. Draft the request letter content synchronously with your team by meeting with an infinite whiteboard.
Then, once in the editor, implement workflows to help your team members know what you expect them to take care of.
When you have a final result, save the design as a template. Then, you and your team simply reuse the same letter for several sponsors, making sure that you personalize the information.
A sponsorship deck or presentation provides an overview of your company, event, sports team, podcast, etc. Use one for support during discovery meetings or send it as a follow-up to your initial pitch.
The slides must clearly showcase the benefits you offer to potential partners in exchange for their financial support or in-kind resources. The deck helps you tell your story visually by including testimonials, past success stories, and personalized activation ideas.
Use the template below and leverage Visme's animation features, interactive elements, data visualization tools and anything you might need from our vast design library. With just the right amount of customization, it’s easy to create a compelling sponsorship presentation that stands out.
A branded and professional proposal shows potential sponsors you're serious and organized. At this point, they have seen your sponsorship request letter, your sponsorship deck and you might even have had a meeting. The results of those actions are potential sponsors asking for a proposal.
This document is where you provide detailed information about the sponsorship. Some of the details you should include are:
Visme has several proposal templates for you to choose from. In this video, we share 20 of them. Plus, you’ll learn several sponsorship proposal tips to help you design and customize the templates to suit your sponsorship needs.
And here is a sponsorship proposal template you can open and personalize immediately. This particular template is designed for a music event. The information on the pages includes information for a sponsor to review before accepting.
Page eight is a repeating design with four sponsorship packages. To personalize this layout, click on the text to update it and change the color of the shape’s background. Adjust the size of the boxes according to the number of packages you have.
Make it even more valuable by adding interactive hotspots and popups that offer detailed information about each cell, section or sponsorship level. After you’ve sent it to your potential sponsor, use Visme’s analytics dashboard to check if they’ve opened it and how long they looked at it.
Finally, once the sponsor accepts the proposal and wishes to move forward, send them a sponsorship agreement or contract. This is a legally binding document that outlines deliverables, timelines, payment terms and expectations for both parties.
It’s important to use this type of communication because clear agreements prevent misunderstandings and protect both parties' interests.
Like lawyer Alex Solo shared in an article on his website,
“Sponsorship agreements are not just about exchanging money for exposure. They play a critical role in shaping a professional relationship that is both legally robust and strategically beneficial. By clearly defining the relationship, these agreements help prevent misunderstandings and reduce the potential for disputes.”
So, while the final documents should be reviewed by attorneys, Visme templates will help you create professional-grade contract documents with clear formatting and branded headers. Once you’re done with it, talk to your legal team about next steps.
Here’s a Visme template you can use straight away. It’s already set up with a draft text that you can personalize with your company and sponsorship idea information. Visme’s dynamic fields feature is extremely handy in this case. The data for each field, once inserted, will be saved for future agreements and contracts.
Learning from real-world sponsorship successes provides valuable insight into what makes partnerships truly effective.
The best sponsorships go beyond simple logo placement; they create authentic connections between brands and audiences while delivering value to both parties.
These examples highlight innovative approaches to sponsorship activation. They demonstrate the importance of brand alignment and how creative partnerships can exceed expectations.
Apply similar strategies to your own sponsorship opportunities and ideate proposals that potential sponsors won’t want to pass up.
Redbull´s motto is “gives you wings.” Basing all their efforts on that phrase took the energy drink company much further than a spot in a convenience store fridge.
RedBull is different than other brands. As sports manager, Alessandro Caldera remarks,
“Traditional sports sponsorships, like Nike in basketball or Rolex in tennis, focus on logo visibility and association with winning athletes. Red Bull, on the other hand, has turned sponsorship into storytelling. It doesn’t just put its name on events, it creates, manages, and integrates them as a fundamental part of its brand identity…Red Bull has taught us that sponsorship is not just an advertising investment, it’s a story to be told.”
As a brand, RedBull used their identity of providing energy and excitement and started sponsoring extreme sports athletes and events. With time, they grew into something much bigger, like sponsoring base jumps from space. They now have their own F1 racing team and run RedBull-branded sports events like RedBull X-Alps. One of the sponsorship activations in 2025 was the RedBull KM, an add-on to the Giro D’Italia bicycle race.
Check out this inspiring video featuring Matt Jones, an athlete sponsored by RedBull. He shares his remarkable journey of pursuing sponsorship from various brands and opens up about how landing a partnership with RedBull transformed not only his career but his entire life.
2025 was the second year Pinterest partnered up with Coachella Music Festival and fashion designer Ramisha Sattar to create the Pinterest Manifest Station during the event.
The partnership between starts way before the festival itself. Months before the event, users search for Coachella outfit inspirations on Pinterest itself.
In a press release, Sara Pollack, VP of Global Consumer Marketing at Pinterest shared about why they created the Pinterest Manifest Station,
“Searches for Coachella start spiking at the beginning of the year on Pinterest and nearly half of those searches are driven by Gen Z. This gives us an early peek into what trends are likely to pop this festival season. We’re excited to help festival-goers put a new spin on their identity by exploring and shopping the trends on Pinterest, and to give Coachella fans the opportunity to create an aesthetic all their own at the festival with our stylists and trend experts.”
Here’s an interview with Ramisha Sattar published as a YouTube Short share by Styled by Jules.
Now, let’s look at successful examples from big-scale events. In this case, INBOUND, the biggest digital conference in the United States. This event, created by HubSpot, attracts major sponsors every year. Some names you might recognize include Vidyard, Wistia and Proposify.
In their partnership prospectus for 2025, you can see audience metrics, ROI results from previous years and the detailed partnership packages they offer. Browse their presentation to see what a successful sponsorship deck looks like.
Source: HubSpot
Now, I’ll answer some frequently asked questions about sponsorship opportunities that you might still have.
Here are some of the techniques to find companies that are open to sponsorships:
These are the sections you must include in a sponsorship proposal. In some cases, you’ll include some and not others. But this is a comprehensive rundown:
These are some of the ways you can get a sponsorship opportunity. But most importantly, do you know how to attract sponsors?
There’s no definitive list of companies that sponsor events, podcasts and sports teams. But there are types of companies that make perfect sponsors. They include:
Brands and companies sponsor initiatives because they’re looking for something in return. Like, for example:
To close deals with potential sponsors, follow these steps:
Both types offer value, but in-kind sponsorships can be more cost-effective for businesses that can leverage their existing products or services.
Keeping sponsors happy is the best way to land continued sponsorship opportunities in the future. These are the actions you can take to achieve ongoing support.
As the sponsorship industry keeps growing, opportunities arise for organizations of every size and mission. But only those who can present themselves professionally while demonstrating clear value will secure the best sponsorships.
Use and follow all the tips in this guide to support your sponsor research and proposals, and you’ll see how much better your results are.
So, are you ready to elevate your sponsorship game by attracting the right partners and building lasting relationships?
Start using Visme tools and templates to create professional sponsorship materials for events and hundreds of other content types that can support your efforts.
Open a Visme subscription for your team and join all the organizations successfully leveraging design to secure the partnerships that fuel their growth.
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