Finding a sponsor for your club: best practices

Sponsorship is a crucial funding lever for sports, cultural, or associative clubs. But how to attract the attention of potential partners? What steps should be taken? And most importantly, how to organize to effectively manage your partners? Here are some concrete tips, with a focus on Kananas, the association management solution that can change everything.

Why seek a sponsor for your association?

Whether it’s buying equipment, organizing events, or covering travel expenses, a club’s expenses can quickly add up. Public grants are not always sufficient, and membership fees have their limits. That’s where sponsorship comes in.

A sponsor doesn’t just finance your club: they associate their image with your actions, your values, and your community. In return, you offer them visibility, local recognition, or territorial anchoring.

1. Identify what you can offer

Before looking for a sponsor, ask yourself the question: what can you offer in return?

• Visibility on jerseys, banners, or social media
• Presence in newsletters or on the website
• Privileged access to your events or your audience

Every association, even modest, has unique assets. Kananas helps you centralize this information: number of members, participation statistics, event calendar… all useful data to enhance your club.

2. Target the right sponsors

There’s no need to aim too broadly. Focus on local businesses, nearby shops, or brands whose values resonate with yours. Prepare a clear and personalized presentation, with a well-defined partnership proposal.

Thanks to Kananas, you can generate professional activity reports in a few clicks, to support your requests with reliable data.

3. Nurture the relationship with your sponsors

Getting a sponsor is good. Keeping them is better.

• Publicly thank your partners
• Provide them with a visibility report
• Invite them to your events
• Maintain regular contact

Kananas offers a partner management module that allows you to track your relationships over time, automate certain communications, and keep a complete history. Ideal for not forgetting anything and professionalizing your image.

4. Organize yourself like a small business

Sponsors invest in serious and well-managed structures. A vague or artisanal organization can scare them away. That’s why more and more associations are equipping themselves with tools like Kananas, which offers an all-in-one platform:

• Membership and fee management
• Tracking of funding and donations
• Simplified CRM for partners, volunteers, or suppliers
• Automatic generation of documents (invoices, tax receipts, etc.)

A valuable asset to show that your club is trustworthy.

In summary

Finding a sponsor takes time, preparation, and a good dose of professionalism. With a well-thought-out strategy and a tool like Kananas to support you daily, your club can not only secure partners but also build lasting and fruitful relationships.

👉 Want to discover how Kananas can save you time and enhance your association? Request a free demo.