Summary: Nonprofits can create new, predictable revenue streams, expand their reach, and strengthen relationships with the business community by offering newsletter sponsorships. In this article, we’ll explain the benefits of newsletter sponsorships to both nonprofits and businesses and how to get started.
Sponsorships aren’t just for nonprofit events. Nonprofit newsletters, whether email or printed, are valuable real estate for local businesses, creating a win-win that benefits both the nonprofit and the sponsors.
Email has been called the “King of ROI” for consistently delivering measurable bang for the buck for decades. Although print versions have higher overhead, direct mail has seen a renaissance since COVID as people look forward to receiving and reading physical mail.
Keep in mind that you don’t need a huge audience to attract sponsors. You need the right audience – people who are highly engaged and read your newsletters because they’re passionate about your mission!
5 Benefits of Nonprofit Newsletter Sponsorships for Your Nonprofit
Assuming you publish and distribute a newsletter regularly, sponsorships offer opportunities that go beyond revenue (although that’s a big one!) Here are five of the biggest benefits to your nonprofit:
- Additional, predictable revenue. Newsletter sponsorships help you diversify your revenue streams beyond donations and grants. This is funding you can count on every month to support a specific program or as unrestricted income.
- Access to a wider audience. Local businesses love to tell people about the nonprofits they support! Sponsors are fantastic ambassadors and may even share your email or printed newsletters with their customers.
- Offset publishing and distribution costs. Newsletters aren’t free. Sponsorships can more than cover the cost of publishing and distribution, allowing you to redirect funds to other needs in your organization.
- Stronger business partnerships. Local businesses are valuable partners for small nonprofits. They can share resources, make valuable introductions, and amplify your message with their customers and social media followers.
- Potential in-kind donations. In addition to financial support, sponsorships create opportunities to receive donations of goods and services from sponsors and their business partners.
5 Benefits of Nonprofit Newsletter Sponsorships for Local Businesses
Many businesses will gladly sponsor your newsletter to show the community that they support your organization. However, newsletter sponsorship is also good business!
Here are five of the biggest reasons why sponsorships are valuable opportunities for local businesses:
- Goodwill from positive brand association. Sponsorship helps build or reinforce the company’s reputation as a visible, socially responsible member of the community. These businesses sponsor nonprofits whose values align with theirs.
- Engaged audience. Donors and volunteers have a history of active engagement with nonprofits and pay attention to the newsletters and other communication they receive.
- Targeted marketing. The business reaches a defined audience supported by data from your donor management software. Sponsors don’t have to guess who will receive the newsletter
- Measurable results. Clickable links make email performance and user activity easy to track, while unique offers and QR codes enhance tracking for both email and print.
- Reliable delivery. Unlike social media posts with limited organic reach or other platforms affected by ad blockers, sponsors should feel confident that newsletters make it to the recipient’s inbox or mailbox.
How to Get Started with Nonprofit Newsletter Sponsorships
Step 1: Clarify Your Sponsorship Value Proposition
Use your donor management software to build a narrative about your audience.
Include their connection with your nonprofit, demographic data, location, shared interests, and any other relevant information. This will show why your audience is valuable to local businesses.
Here’s an example of a value proposition: “Our newsletter reaches 1,200 local animal lovers who are committed to supporting shelters and pet-related businesses. Sponsors are featured alongside impactful stories to increase visibility and connect with readers on an emotional level.”
Step 2: Define and Price Sponsorship Opportunities
Where and how will sponsors appear in your newsletter?
For example, a newsletter might offer a banner at the top, a mid-content feature, a sponsored story, small ad boxes, and/or logo placement. The digital version will include clickable links that are trackable. Create a mockup so sponsors can visualize their options.
These options should be tiered and priced based on visibility, value, and the ability to track and measure ROI, not just audience size. The longer the sponsor’s commitment (three, six, 12 months), the lower the sponsorship rate.
Step 3: Create a Sponsor-Ready Kit
Make your sponsor-ready kit simple, easy to read, and mobile friendly!
Include your nonprofit profile and mission statement, the impact of your programs and services, a description of your audience, the newsletter value proposition, sponsorship options and pricing, how ROI is tracked, sample sponsor placements, and success stories.
Finally, end with a call-to-action that summarizes the value proposition, provides contact information, and explains next steps.
Nonprofit newsletters sponsorships create valuable opportunities – and not just financial – for both your organization and the local business community. The key is to understand and define your value, and communicate it to potential sponsors as clearly as possible to build long-term partnerships!
