For grassroots teams, a sponsorship deal can be the difference between funding the season or coming up short. And while securing sponsors is no easy task, it’s essential for grassroots clubs’ survival.

You must create your own bespoke sponsor value and assets that align with both your own sport club and a sponsor’s goals.

While many companies are open to sponsoring clubs, there is a right and wrong way to pursue such deals – HONESTY COMES AFTER NOTHING.

5 Things most potential sponsors are looking for, even on a smaller scale: Honesty, Visibility, Storytelling, Fan-Base, and Community.

Your club will have a multitude of assets that can generate ROI (return on investment) for sponsors. Things like your kit or advertising at your ground or facility may seem obvious, but there are many other, smaller assets that you can monetise too.

• Your Ground or Facility – do you have a stadium, a pitch, an indoor hall?
• Your Teams or Squads – how many teams do you have? Whether it’s one or many, note this down
• Your Clubhouse or Cafe Area – You probably get a lot of footfall here so it’s a valuable asset for sponsors
• Your Digital Channels – your social media accounts and CRM (like www.socaaX.Co.Za) database provide sponsors with new, engaged platforms to promote their brand and content
• Your Match Days – these are prime opportunities to boost a sponsor’s brand awareness within the local and surrounding areas

If you’re thinking about engaging with local or smaller businesses that have a limited budget, reflect on what your club needs for the season aside from funding.

But not before you’ve identified what makes your club stand out from the crowd.

If sustainability matters at your club, look for sponsors that produce zero-waste, reusable, or recyclable products. If you can find a link between your club and their brand, you’ll find it easier to pitch the value of sponsoring your club.

Every sponsorship opportunity will be different, so it’s important that you modify each one to maximise the potential synergy between you and a sponsoring company – they don’t want a generic offering, as it’s all about creating a return on investment for them. By that same token, each plan will be different, so the goals and objectives that go along with them will also change.

It is important that your organisation is always changing and adapting – make sure that you move along with it.

Remember “Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with lies.”