There is a right way and a wrong way to approach corporations for donations, sponsorship or assistance with your fundraiser.
Often folks get a little frazzled and frustrated when trying to contact the right person in a company and they feel as if everyone they talk to is passing the buck, avoiding them or making it nearly impossible to get past the front office secretary.
Believe it when I tell you that most companies field 100s of requests a day from non-profits for help of some kind, especially in times of economic hardship.
Remember non-profits are amongst the first and hardest hit as the economy goes south and consumers stop spending and tighten their budgets.
When contacting corporations you must have tenacity, patience and never take it personally when rejected.
Indeed, you must also have a bit of perseverance and take it on as a challenge.
If you meet the right person and you find they need a professional proposal, you are going to have to make one.
If you use Microsoft Products you might be pleasantly surprised to find templates already formatted for MS Word that make your proposals look sharp and professional, best of all they are free: http://office.
microsoft.
com/en-us/templates/default.
aspx Now realize that sending out un-solicited proposals is not a wise idea, instead you need to talk to someone on the phone, make sure that is the right person and then find out what they are looking for in a proposal and what sorts of things that they are willing to fund.
Then you send your professionally done proposal; Attention; Mrs.
That Person.