In this section, you’ll find a sponsorship package template that can be customized to fit the scale and specificity of your institution’s event. It is important to set realistic sponsorship goals, and primarily target local businesses as you are seeking sponsorship for your site’s event only, not the entire initiative – this will also reduce any conflicts with the national SR organizers. Most institutions have an advancement office responsible for industrial partnerships – getting the support of this department will greatly increase the effectiveness of your fundraising efforts. Many faculty members will also have industrial contacts, which will be invaluable sources for networking and initial contacts in your site’s fundraising campaign.

There are two main avenues of fundraising:

• Internal Funding
• External Funding
  • Large businesses
  • Small businesses
  • Grants

Internal Funding

Contacts:

• Departments (heads of departments), Institution’s Administrative offices – such as the dean, the provost
• Create an excel sheet of these contacts for future years

Email:

• Keep it brief and mention the key points
• Attach a formal funding request letter
• Attach an impact report/survey for your site or SR Canada wide (request raw data from SR National)
• Template emails are available

Formal Funding Request Letter:

• Mention the importance and overreaching goals of SR ,
• Note the potential impact on your students, fostering a community through engaging students across various ages and academic backgrounds.
• Note that SR is the national kick-off event to NSERC’s Science Odyssey Week in Canada
• Discuss your specific plans for the festival
• Request a specific monetary or in-kind amount
• For previous donors ask for 50% more than what they gave previously

Impact Survey Report:

• Request raw survey data for your site or for Canada from SR National
• Use Canada-wide data if your site is new or has few survey responses
• Organize the data into a report with easy to interpret graphs
• Interpret each graph with a short (2-3 sentences) blurb
• Template reports are available

External Funding

(Use sponsorship brochure from SR National or create a new one)

Small Business

• Grocery stores, brokers, dentists, coffee shops, toy stores.
• Approach them with a formal funding request letter (templates available)
• Focus on the impact of SR on your community and volunteering aspect
• Assign different stores/businesses to your executive committee
• Have the committee members approach the stores/businesses in person

Large Business

• Repeated emails, have them call your organizer

External Grants

• Adhere to the criteria of the grant
• Contact SR National if you require assistance