Attracting sponsorship for an athlete

[TUS373]

My son has been selected for a Commonwealth sporting event having been recognised for his strong track record. Its essentially one rung on the ladder below the Olympics. Whilst we are tremendously proud, especially as he also has a health problem, it's a huge expense. The event is this July....in New Zealand.

He is 17 years old and took up the sport 11 years ago. In all that time, we have funded his kit, travel, training, licences, entry fees, flights and insurance. He has never had sponsorship, but it is a rare thing in his sport...fencing.

You see, it's strict how kit is presented. The clothing is both a kind of PPE as well as being electrically conductive, to register hits. There is no where to put a sponsor's name, so we have never asked.

This competition is really expensive. The flight alone is £2,200-2,500 per person.

I wanted to ask for advice from anyone who knows about raising private sponsorship and how to approach raising a sum. We could approach places to get publicity...local BBC, newspaper...but how can we turn that into donations if a sponsor cannot obviously get something back in return.

With thanks.

[alscar]

I was curious especially at the “ lack of space “ comment
Have a quick look at this.

https://www.leonpaul.com/blog/new-fie-rules-and-th...

Best of luck.

[TUS373]

Thanks for directing me to that. It is sabre, so not a lot of space at all - just thigh area, one side on the breeches. I have to say, I do not recall any GB fencer having sponsorship logos on their kit. I have seen competitors from other countries having logos on their team track suits, so that must be a bigger and national deal, and OK with the National Governing Body. My son was supported by Leon Paul for World Championships, as were other fencers in the GB team, so had a large conductive LP logo on his back. That sponsorship was central, supporting the whole team. It still personally cost me thousands of pounds though, for a week spent in Bulgaria. Not the top of my travel bucket list!

What I really need is a local fund raising /sponsorship strategy - the target is £3,500 by July. I need to get started, but where? A 'Just Giving' 'Go Fund Me' type page has its merits I expect making it easy, but I don't know how appropriate or successful that would be in itself.

Many thanks.

[BobToc]

Honestly I think the gofundme approach is likely to be the most successful unless you find a local entrepreneur willing to chip in.

[alscar]

BobToc said:

Honestly I think the gofundme approach is likely to be the most successful unless you find a local entrepreneur willing to chip in.

Tend to agree. You could post up a few paragraphs on your local Facebook page too - I’ve seen local businesses support individuals before this way.
Failing that knowing nothing about yourself is this something your employer would be interested in or alternatively within your Industry do you have access to other companies ?

[beambeam1]

TUS373 said:

Its essentially one rung on the ladder below the Olympics.

Is it though?

If it is close to that level then it should be supported by national governing bodies and performance squads. Don't get baited into attending too many events, domestically and abroad, when they may not be as meaningful as actual ranking or challenging events for your son. I was ditching a lot of old trophies and medals recently from my childhood (different sport, similar potential) and we realised that a lot of time and money was wasted attending (and winning) certain events when it could have been spent at training camps or events that were more challenging (juniors competing against seniors, for example) and facilitated development rather than results.

That several grand towards this trip could easily fund several shorter trips to closer countries against opposition much tougher than you'd typically face in commonwealth nations. Just a quick glance at the overall results from the Tokyo olympics shows no medalists from a commonwealth nation, if you get my point.

Not sure on the health problems your son may have but if it requires certain types of medical equipment then it is always worth seeking out the manufacturers. I am deaf and managed to get various bits of kit and occasional fuel costs funded by hearing aid manufacturers but overall it was difficult to find sponsorship for an individual rather than a team - a better approach might be to collectively fundraise as a group of athletes attending this event together.

[TUS373]

Thanks.

Well - he has done World championships and Euros, and that took a lot of qualifications. As Commonwealths come around every 3 years, now is his big chance before A levels and university come around. There are no other major competitions left other than the Olympics, and best will in the world, regional qualification is so tough (and also expensive if you consider it a full time occupation being an amateur), it is difficult to have that on the table.

There is central support for competitions through the NBG, but by and large the competitors have to pay travel, hotel and kit. We therefore do not 'feel' the benefit of central sponsorship, but it is there for all of the athletes. After all, we are not paying for staff, coaches and referees.

Kind regards

[Ean218]

Have you looked into local charities?

Locally we have a number of local trusts and foundations set up over the last couple of hundred years or so to help children/young adults with educational/sporting needs.

[andyA700]

I just Googled - National Lottery funding for fencing and it was quite depressing really. There was advice for allotment owners and then this:

https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/grants...

I can only agree with a previous poster who suggested choosing event more carefully, maybe less events but nearer to home.

[jeremyc]

You need to give some consideration to what you/your Son can offer a sponsoring company in return. There needs to be a variety of ideas since every sponsor will have different goals. These might include:

• A means to get the story about sponsorship into the media (newspapers, social media, TV). Are you or your Son prepared to put in the hard yards to make this happen (interviews, writing press releases, contacting media outlets etc.).
• Inspirational/educational talks with the company's employees and/or at company events. Could your Son talk to them about the training regime, how he motivates himself and the returns from putting in such efforts? Is there a powerful story he can tell about his journey to the Games (and beyond)?
• Running training sessions/demonstrations for the sponsoring company - perhaps a means to get employees interested in exercise/wellness?

Another alternative is to consider approaching those that can provide services/goods instead of cold, hard cash. An obvious one might be a travel company, airline or hotel chain who might be able to get your Son to the games at a lower cost (or free) in return for acknowledments (as above).

Good luck.

[bangerhoarder]

Most athlete sponsorship is around social media presence now - when I was a kid it was more based on kit worn in races and during media activities but it's much more constant now. How's his social media presence? Plenty of followers and regular content? That's what sponsors want to be part of with sports people - the old days of going begging in the regional papers for a local business to stump up some cash (which was rarely successful) have moved on.

In fencing, that'd start with him producing content that's different, engaging, shows his skills, and hooks in to what the sport's kit suppliers and others want to be part of.

Sorry if this is obvious, but when I see most athletes on social media it's a mix of skills, nutrition, curated holiday and social pictures, and showing personality and a sense of humour.