Are you hoping to grow your child sponsorship program? In this post, we’ll discuss acquisition and share the top 7 insider tips to gain new sponsors and grow your sponsorship program.
Acquisition, or gaining new sponsors, is essential for the growth of your child sponsorship program. If an organization relies too heavily on a small group of sponsors, it can be vulnerable to economic shifts. Acquiring new sponsors can also encourage an organization to innovate. By listening to the needs and preferences of new sponsors, an organization can identify areas for improvement. It’s important to tailor the acquisition strategy and provide clear and compelling reasons for people to become child sponsors through your organization.
1. Develop a messaging strategy
With a combination of stories and statistics, create a clear and compelling message that resonates with the target audience. Raise awareness about the problems faced by the children you serve and how child sponsors will improve upon those challenges.
2. Use social media platforms
Where are you telling your stories? Are you fully leveraging your social media channels? Many organizations give too little thought to their storytelling. Share photos, videos, and updates about the children and encourage people to share with their friends and family. You could also consider using online advertising to reach a wider audience.
3. Create email and/or direct mail campaigns
Regularly update the potential sponsors who are already on your email or blog distribution list. Educate them about the sponsorship program and the impact they can make by sponsoring a child. Offer a subscribe option on your website or blog site to connect with new followers of your organization.
4. Host outreach events
Gatherings such as a fundraising dinner, walk, lunch-and-learn or other community gatherings can be used to promote the program and engage with potential sponsors.
5. Network with local businesses, churches or schools
Identify larger groups where you could share your organization’s mission and goals. Ask your staff, Board of Directors, volunteers and online audience to share their faith, business, civic or community group connections, if they feel they may be interested in learning more about your organization. In the future, these relationships may lead to partnerships that will promote the program to their wider audience.
6. Sharing with personal connections
Oftentimes a volunteer’s unique skill set and heart to share your organization’s story is a real catalyst to connect unsponsored children with potential sponsors. However, you must be intentional, have a clear plan and work toward specific goals in a deliberate and purposeful way. Invite friends and family to share their experience with the sponsorship program to encourage others to consider sponsorship.
7. Collaborate
There are many opportunities to collaborate with podcast hosts and bloggers, for example, in order to share the impact of your sponsorship program and the ways to get involved.
It’s important to remember that acquiring new sponsors is an ongoing process that can take time to bear fruit. With the right approach, tools and strategy, you can be successful and see growth in your sponsorship program.
Organizations who want to change the world need the tools to do it. While you serve vulnerable children worldwide, BrightPoint for Children works behind the scenes to manage your sponsorship program. We’ve spent over a decade refining our processes to improve accuracy, reduce errors, attract new sponsors, keep existing ones and serve more children. More than a boxed software product, we become your full service child sponsorship team. You’re making a difference; we’d like to make it easier.
Want practical ideas to grow your existing child sponsorship program?
Download our FREE eBook at www.brightpointforchildren.org
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