Cause-Based Fundraising Models

Silent partners have their place. Sports sponsorship isn't one of them. A silent partner puts up the money, steps back, and lets others run the show. Too many brands act like silent partners in their sports sponsorship investments. Many brands give their sponsorships little more than basic administrative support. Signage goes up, free tickets get distributed, and leaders show up in the hospitality suite a few times a year. The sponsorship partner may check all the boxes and deliver what's promised, but there is no "whole is greater than the sum of the parts" dynamic. Sponsors in these situations are usually disappointed in the value and impact the relationship generates. The data tells the story. According to a WFA/Lumency study, for every dollar spent on rights fees, brands invest only 81 cents in activating the sponsorship. Nearly half of all sponsors aren't even clear what they're spending on activation. 9% of brands are spending 20 cents or less for every dollar of rights fees. Every CMO with any significant sports sponsorship investment needs to ask themselves: Are you spending beyond the deal itself? The sponsorship fee is the entry ticket, even if it provides some activation as part of the deal. Activation is where the value gets created. Content, experiences, media amplification, and community integration. That's the work. The logo on the Jumbotron is nice, but it's a thin slice of the full value opportunity. Who in your organization owns the sponsorship? Are they actively shaping the relationship or just doing the minimum required to support execution? Relationships don't deepen on autopilot. The best partnerships require continuous attention, and not just mid-level attention. Are you using the full breadth of what the sponsorship can offer? Most brands scratch the surface. Signage. Hospitality. Maybe some social content. Meanwhile, the partnership could be fueling demand generation, building your employer brand, enhancing customer experience, and driving executive visibility. If you're only leveraging what's in the contract, you're leaving enormous potential untouched. If you're not investing in activation, it's a donation, not a sponsorship.

76% of marketers can't prove ROI on their sports sponsorships. The market is set to double anyway. The global sports sponsorship market is projected to grow from £97 billion in 2023 to £190 billion by 2030. And three-quarters of sponsors can't prove what they're getting from the biggest line item in their marketing budget. This is the Emperor's New Clothes of sports business. On this week's The Attention Shift Podcast, Jo Redfern made the point that we're stuck in a loop where everyone's pretending the old metrics still work. Logo appearances. Time on screen. Impressions. These tell you nothing about whether anyone actually cared, bought anything, or remembered your brand. Most sponsorship deals are still built on passive logo placement. Pay money, get visibility, job done. Except visibility doesn't equal value anymore. What actually works? Look at what Maybelline did with Olivia Mahr at the New York Marathon. Natural. Authentic. Connected to the athlete's existing brand. Or Spotify's content-led approach with FC Barcelona - creating cultural moments through artist collaborations rather than just slapping a logo on a shirt. These aren't traditional sponsorships. They're partnerships where both sides understand the audience and create something worth paying attention to. Lee Radbourne put it well: The sponsorship market won't double because the current model works. It'll double if brands stop renting eyeballs and start building actual relationships through athletes and properties that genuinely connect. Full episode with Jo Redfern and Lee Radbourne is live now https://lnkd.in/eszKhjNJ

Sponsorship is less about what a driver wins and more about what a driver represents. When pitching partnerships for talent, it’s tempting to focus on their accomplishments: - podiums - trophies - follower counts. But here’s the truth: brands don’t sponsor drivers because of their stats. They sponsor them because of the stories they can tell and the problems they can solve. Here’s the approach I would use to land partnerships for drivers and talent if I were Head of Partnerships, specifically on LinkedIn in 2025: 1. Profile Optimization → A clean, professional presence is non-negotiable. → Headline: Keep it simple. No fluff or hyphenated titles. → Banner: Highlight the driver’s personality but keep it polished. →About Section: Make it fun, authentic, and engaging. Sponsors connect with personalities, not resumes. 2. Niche Down with the Rule of One Focus on: → 1 specific audience → 1 specific problem → 1 specific solution For example, a driver’s narrative about overcoming adversity could resonate with brands looking to inspire resilience. 3. A Strategic Funnel Approach → Top of Funnel (TOFU): Share key moments. Team announcements, major collaborations, or updates in motorsport that spark interest. → Middle of Funnel (MOFU): Dive deeper. Showcase how the driver or talent aligns with the brand’s mission. For example, what separates them from the pack? What’s their unique edge? → Bottom of Funnel (BOFU): Highlight case studies and show sponsors a before-and-after transformation. Did the partnership increase engagement, reach new demographics, or drive ROI? The numbers tell the story here. Drivers aren’t just a list of achievements. They’re storytellers and problem solvers. Sponsors don’t just want visibility; they want alignment. So, before your next pitch, remember this: - Don’t sell the driver’s stats. Sell their story. - Don’t push the driver as a product. Position them as a solution. You move beyond sponsorships by aligning your talent’s narrative with a brand’s mission. You build partnerships. Stunning photos by Antoine Truchet & Race Service

Large companies, especially those with decentralized structures, often accumulate more sponsorships than they can effectively manage. This typically leads to bloated portfolios, underutilized assets, and declining returns on investment. To avoid these pitfalls, it’s essential for management to regularly (ideally every couple of years) review the sponsorship portfolio to determine whether adjustments, additional investments, or terminations are needed. Here are some key questions I recommend asking during this evaluation: 1. Was the original business problem that led to this sponsorship solved? Does that problem still exist today? 2. Does each sponsorship serve a unique, clearly defined purpose that no other asset in the portfolio addresses? 3. Are there more effective or efficient ways to achieve your business objectives through different assets, renegotiated rights, or even by eliminating certain partnerships? 4. How many countries, brands, and departments within your organization are actively and willingly leveraging this asset? 5. If you were to end this partnership today, what tangible impact would it have on your business? Crafting an optimal portfolio of partnerships requires discipline, strategic insight, and skilled negotiation. It’s never a product of chance, regardless of your marketing budget.

Sponsorship without fan alignment is like racing without fuel—it simply won’t go anywhere. Fans are the heartbeat of sports, bringing passion, emotional stakes, unwavering loyalty, the thrill of shared victories or the depression of the lack thereof. But what makes sponsorship truly effective is how it taps into these emotions and cultural values. Ferrari's Tifosi is the perfect example. Ferrari aligns so deeply with Italian fans’ that it’s often said that in Italy, there are two religions: the Christian Church and Scuderia Ferrari. Despite a 17-year championship drought, Ferrari’s century-old existence keeps fans loyal. Sponsorship is so much more than just slapping a logo on a car, a jersey, or a stadium. It’s about creating an emotional connection, embedding a brand into the moments that matter to people. At its core, sponsorship is an investment—not in visibility alone, but in cultural relevance, loyalty, and long-term growth. I had to pick one brand that does it best, it's Red Bull. In 2022, Red Bull invested $1.4 billion in extreme sports events, building an empire of adrenaline-filled moments that translated into $9.8 billion in revenue. Compare that to Pepsi's $2.4 billion ad spend, which relies on traditional campaigns most of us barely remember and never associate any feeling with. Red Bull proves that creating community-driven experiences leads to deeper brand connections. At this point selling drinks is just a side quest for them. Great sponsorship is built on three pillars: 1- Cognitive Connection: Align brand values with the event to establish credibility. 2- Emotional Engagement: Evoke pride, excitement, and trust to build lasting loyalty. 3- Behavioral Impact: Inspire action—whether it’s making a purchase or sharing content. The framework is pretty simple just apply the 4 A’s of Sponsorship - Awareness: Maintain visibility across channels. - Alignment: Reflect brand and audience values. - Activation: Engage audiences with experiential campaigns. - Adaptation: Tailor to cultural and regional specifics. Ferrari, sponsored by Peroni, an alcoholic beverage brand, faced a challenge when racing in Arab Muslim countries. Instead of alienating their sponsor by removing branding entirely, they adapted by promoting it as Tifosi 0.0%, effectively engaging fans while respecting cultural values. Consider this contrast: LeBron James sipping Sprite at a press conference feels mismatched for an athlete promoting peak performance, whereas Franco Colapinto drinking Myprotein, a brand perfectly aligns with the image of an athlete dedicated to fitness. Alignment matters—consumers buy when the messaging feels authentic. A sponsorship announcement is a first impression, and first impressions last—they set the tone for all that follows. A well-crafted message can boost recall by 60% and enhance brand affinity by 20%. What’s your take? #SportsBusiness #FanEngagement #MotorsportMarketing #SponsorshipTrends #SportsMarketing

What does good sponsorship look like? In a previous post, I wrote that sponsors use their influence to create opportunities for you, elevate your visibility to senior leadership and influence organizational decisions to your benefit. But exactly does that look like and what differentiates effective versus perhaps less effective (or perhaps counterproductive) sponsorship? Effective sponsors are ‘super mentors’ who collaboratively shape your journey in a deliberate manner. Their insights into future possibilities allow them to guide you in a more efficient manner and prepare you for roles that are several positions into the future. They help you achieve a good balance between optionality and focus turning one path into several. Those same sponsors use their access with other leaders to make you visible. They can speak at length about your strengths, areas for development and how certain roles could help your growth but also the business. Rather than it just being about you, it becomes about what could benefit the team as well. Ideally, they incentivize other leaders to want to know you and perhaps also become mentor/sponsors. They influence their team/organization to give you developmental assignments and consider you for future roles. I liken this approach to opening a door to another room – what the individual does next is on them. However, they do not get you that job or advocate on your behalf when it doesn’t make sense for you or the team. Admittedly it is a bit of a tricky balance for sponsors and those being sponsored. They want what is best for you and for you to succeed. But it must be done in the right way. The worst thing that could happen is if you, your sponsor or worse yet the organization believes you achieved ‘success’ through advocacy alone. You deserve the right to be considered on your own merits. If you did not ‘earn’ that promotion or that new role, you are likely to be less well prepared and likely branded as achieving success through favoritism. Over time, you will be seen as that person who rose through the ranks due to factors outside of your abilities. Less effective sponsorship comes when the sponsor loses objectivity about their protégé, perhaps ignoring feedback from teammates or other leaders. Their advocacy becomes an exercise in organizational power, usually stiffening resistance from other leaders. Even worse if they insert themselves into the decision-making process or become the final decision maker. The process and the candidate become suspect as a result, and no one wins. Similarly, ineffective (or excessive) sponsorship comes when your candidacy is pushed in the face of superior candidates. Your sponsor will lose credibility and you lose their help and are likely to suffer from somewhat of a negative perception by other leaders. Ideally, great sponsors create opportunities for you to be considered but then step back to let others weigh in and decide. Your qualities should speak for themselves.

Nonprofits, if I had to build corporate partnerships from scratch today, here’s the upgraded playbook: 1. Stop Begging. Start Co-Building. Instead of: “We’re looking for sponsors.” Try: “We’re designing the first zero-waste pilot for the city. Want your R&D team on the blueprint?” Why it works: You’re offering frontline innovation hours, not asking for a hand-out. 2. Scrap the Medal Tiers, Design Micro-Experiments. Offer partners bite-sized proofs of concept that grow: • Idea Auction: Their employees vote which of three micro-projects to fund, instant internal buzz. • Reverse Shark Tank: Your beneficiaries pitch company execs for skills-based support hours. • Impact API: Grant the partner early access to your data set (carbon metrics, food-waste stats, etc.) so they can build case studies that matter to their marketing team. Give them a storyline, not a plaque. 3. Run a LinkedIn Play That Feels Like Product-Led Growth. • Build a “Partner Wishlist” public Trello board, tag each dream company in a post when their card moves to “Conversation Started.” • Launch a 90-second Loom series (“What If We Solved ___ Together?”) and DM it to the exact decision-maker, not their generic inbox. • Leverage comment stacking: Recruit five allies to add thoughtful comments under every mission post, signaling social proof before the partner ever replies. Visibility → Familiarity → Pipeline. 4. Assemble a Failure-Lab Advisory Circle. Invite 8 execs to a quarterly dinner where you unpack both wins and flops, under Chatham House Rule. What they contribute: • Hard-won lessons that shortcut your learning curve • Candid connections (“Talk to our supply-chain VP next week”) • Personal stake in turning “near-misses” into success stories People back the messes they helped mop up. 5. Make the Yes Easier Than Scrolling TikTok. • Interactive one-pager: Three clickable funding tiers that auto-populate a DocuSign. • 90-second decision timer: “Pick an option before this video ends, your brand’s social clip is pre-queued.” • Real-time Slack channel invite: They join, drop questions, get instant answers, no calendar ping-pong. Friction kills deals; speed revives them. 6. Follow Up Like a Storyteller, Not an Auto-Responder. • Send a mobile-shot React video when a child opens a textbook you supplied, no polished edit, just authenticity. • Drop a voice memo celebrating their core value in action (“Saw your DE&I lead speak on stage, here’s how we echoed that message yesterday”). • Ship a desk-size artifact: a 3-D-printed model of the water filter prototype they helped fund, land on the desk, live in the memory. Stay relevant without spamming the inbox. Connect with me, comment “Partnership,” and I’ll send a free resource our paying clients use to find thousands of opprutnties for corporate partners on LinkedIn. With purpose and impact, Mario

I’ve been fortunate to negotiate well over $100 million in sponsorship deals across my career in the sports business. And if there’s one lesson that stands out, it’s this: Sponsorship isn’t just money coming in — it’s a promise that needs to be delivered. Too often, I see organisations treating sponsorship as general revenue from day one — before properly planning for what it costs to bring the partnership to life. Before any funds are allocated to consolidated revenue, we should be asking: 1. What are the hard costs? (tickets, signage, events, merchandise) 2. What resources and headcount are needed? (account managers, campaign leads, creatives) 3. What activation and servicing is required? (media, content, digital, reporting) 4. What else is needed to meet the terms of the deal? Only after those are accounted for should the remainder be considered “net IP.” And that number matters. 👉 Net IP is not just what’s left over — it’s a true measure of the strength of the deal. It shows how efficiently we’ve built the partnership. It also reflects the real value of the IP we’re offering the sponsor to leverage — our brand, our platform, our audience, and our cultural relevance. A strong deal leaves room to deliver, service, and grow the partnership. A weak one risks underdelivery, strain, and no renewal. The stronger your brand, the better your platform, and the more engaged your audience, the higher your net IP should be. But this isn’t just a numbers game. It’s about delivering outcomes. Sponsors care about: ✅ ROI: What return are they getting financially? ✅ ROO: Are we helping them meet their objectives — brand uplift, community engagement, reach, perception? Which brings me to the most important point: Values matter. The best partnerships are built on trust and shared belief. If that’s not there, no amount of exposure or activation will make up for it. We’re talking about outcomes, relationships, brand alignment, and long-term growth — not just spreadsheets. 📌 Bottom line: If we want to grow, renew and retain great sponsors, we need to stop treating sponsorships like windfalls — and start treating them like long-term commitments. And this can’t just be an accounting exercise. Commercial leaders need to drive these discussions — not just finance teams. #Sponsorship #Partnerships #SportsBiz #CommercialLeadership #ROI #ROO #Marketing #NetIP #BrandAlignment #ValuesMatter #StrategicDelivery

🧩 The best sponsorship strategies don’t just find brand fit, they reframe it Want to know what makes a killer sponsorship strategy? Unconventional thinking. Most sponsorships are all too obvious. The same brands, in the same categories, doing exactly what everyone expects them to do. 🏦 A bank? The Six Nations 🎰 A betting company? The Premier League 💻 A technology firm? Formula 1 This is conventional brand fit — logical, safe, and predictable. It’s what happens when sponsorship strategy doesn’t reach a deeper layer of meaningful exploration. Because when every competitor can make the exact same play as you, it’s no longer strategy, it’s symmetry. 📋 Brand fit for most is a box-ticking exercise, not a barrier-breaking one Most sponsorship strategies run through a simple logic test: Category Fit is the surface layer. - “We sell cars, so let’s sponsor motorsport.” Audience Fit is the middle layer. - “Our audience loves Formula 1, so that's where we'll be too.” Values Fit is the lower layer - “We stand for innovation & progress, so does this team” This is where most brands stop and select. But the deepest layer is where the greatest sponsorships begin. 💫 Meaningful Fit is the deep layer. This is where sponsorship becomes something bigger than itself. A shared emotional space where brand and property fuse together, embedding meaning within broader culture. It's born from unexpected connections — the cultural tension, the shared truth — that no one else saw. It’s not driven by chasing brand fit. It creates it. By reframing what’s possible. 🏙 It’s how O2 turned a failed landmark into a living signal — transforming the Millennium Dome into The O2, a cultural hub powered by connection and creativity. 🚴♂️ It’s how Sky turned a sponsorship into a movement — using cycling to embody its brand promise “Believe in Better”, to inspire a nation to get on a bike. 🎧 It’s how Spotify turned a shirt into a stage — remixing football and music to make FC Barcelona the world’s loudest cultural platform. None of these sponsorships were obvious, but each transformed the brand, property, audience and culture itself.  For brands looking to follow these incredible examples, here’s my advice – don’t. Find your own meaning, don’t mimic someone else’s. 🔥 Because great sponsorships aren’t born from following brand fit, they’re forged by those determined to reframe what’s even possible.  #sponsorship #partnerships #marketing #brands #strategy #sports #sportsbiz #sportsbusiness #sportsmarketing #sportsindustry

You can spot a weak sponsorship package from a mile away. You know the ones I mean — Pages of generic deliverables: “Logo on website.” “Logo on banner.” “Mention in opening remarks.” None of that builds ROI. None of that motivates a renewal. None of that earns higher investment. Strong sponsorship is built on: – Alignment – Audience targeting – Conversion mapping – Moments, not logos – Activation strategy – Clear metrics – Access (the real kind, not the vague kind) – A reason to come back If you want sponsors to stay, pay more, and advocate for your event, you must design opportunities that help them hit their business goals — not your guesswork. Sponsorship is strategy. Not decoration.