I work in a small shop as Lake Ontario Waterkeepers. For me this means an opportunity to work very closely with all aspects of the organization and working first hand with the people managing the programs that drive our mission. It also means I have my fingers in all the fundraising pies. I play a part in sponsorship; grant applications, events, and individual donors.

The first day of Sponsorship Week was “Sponsorship Boot Camp” with Bernie Colterman. This was a chance to get at the real nuts and bolts of sponsorships, with a look at every aspect of this fundraising avenue. We touched on sales techniques, valuation calculations, and project research and cultivation. For me the big ah-ha moment was related to the concept of ‘shared fate rationale’. I took from this session that what is good for the community can be good for a particular brand. When we can work with a brand towards a common goal we create a win-win-win situation where we, the brand, and our clients/customers all have an improved experience or quality of life.

The next two days of Sponsorship Week were dedicated to presentations and smaller break-out workshops. This provided opportunities to learn, as well as explore real-life examples of successful and not-so-successful sponsor relationships. When you spend two days seeing inspired and creative solutions that bring together a brand, and event or cause, and a group of fans or clients, it is uplifting in a way internalize and apply learning that case studies and articles don’t come close to. I came away with reams of notes on how to apply what I saw to my own challenges.

During this time I was also able to take advantage of a one-on-one session with Marian Ruston. This was a chance for me to candidly discuss the challenges I was facing in my sponsorship work and get some hard-hitting advice. My take-away: focus on the prospects that have the funds and motivation to think big.

My final day at Sponsorship Week was spent with William Pitcher in his “Deep Dive: What Sponsors Really Want (and how to give it to them)” session. Our group was able to learn from decades of William’s experience and use his real-life examples of sponsorship challenges that we work shopped as a group. The result was a powerful way to internalize the sponsor perspective. It was in this session that I began to see all of my charity’s programs and events as a cluster of opportunities to support sponsor’s goals, rather than independent properties I had to acquire funding for.

Putting my big learning moments all together, I was able to craft insights that would not have come from reading, workshops, or networking on their own. My insights from everything Sponsorship Week had to offer came together to make me think about my approach as a sponsor seeker, the needs of my sponsors and the people we serve, and what we have to offer very differently. I am now seeing the bigger sponsorship world, and not just single, unrelated opportunities, sponsors or programs. I am looking forward to applying this to the work I do to create my own win-win-win situations. 

Donna Wawzonek
Pay it Forward Bursary Recipient, 2016

With over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Donna has helped organizations throughout Canada and internationally with their funding needs by providing expertise in grant writing, sponsorship relations, and capital campaign management.