Participants of previous WUPIDs had their expenses paid partially or in full by a single benefactor or a combination of several sponsors. The majority of this funding has come from their home universities, local businesses and private or corporate foundations.
WUPID acknowledges all organizations or individuals that sponsors the travel of the respective universities to the Championship via a Team Sponsor sponsorship package. The benefits are:
- The team sponsored will bear the corporate title of the sponsor i.e. ABC Princeton.
- The corporate logo will be published on our official website, souvenir magazine and shall be announced on all our social website group database: Yahoo and Facebook.
Below is a simple and useful fundraising tip or guide in acquiring sponsors for your travel to WUPID:
Step 1: Prepare a Budget
When planning your sponsorship effort think about your potential expenses.
- Travel cost
- Visa and insurance cost
- Registration fee (if required)
- Other miscellaneous and overhead expenses
Before you start fundraising, prepare a detailed budget and outline the costs in each of these categories. Think of what expenses you may encounter and identify those expenses that you are unable to cover personally. It is a good idea to divide the total cost into several groups (equal amount or category), as you have chances of finding several smaller contributors ready to sponsor only a part of your expenses. Make sure to let your potential sponsor know what your total budget is, what percentage of it you contribute yourself, and which share of it you expect them to contribute. Despite the amount they contribute, each sponsor will be recognized equally.
It is very important to start your fundraising with a positive and ambitious mindset. You have to realize that there are companies and organizations that are interested to support your initiatives, and it is only a matter of approaching the right sponsors. By sponsoring you, these entities are not making you a favour, but rather pursuing certain goals to fulfill their CSR policies and missions. It is therefore very imporant to emphasize that you are supporting their activities as much as they support you.
Step 2: Gain Knowledge of WUPID
Before starting any fundraising activities, it is important that you know what the World Universities Peace Invitational Debate (WUPID) is. Browse through our web-site to find more information that will support your applications and requests.
You need to understand what you will gain by attending the WUPID: will the conference support your academic or professional career, will it help you become more experienced in certain fields, will it help you with your research or other projects etc. You need to justify why attending the WUPID is important to you, and more importantly what you think you will gain as a result of it and how this new experience will help you give back to your community.
Brainstorm to identify how the WUPID will benefit various aspects of your life, and have this list ready when approaching different sponsors – there should be something on this list to appeal to them.
Step 3: Identify Potential Sponsors
You may then narrow down your list of potential sponsors by doing an online research and identifying which of these support particular fields of concern to WUPID: leadership, sustainable development, human rights, intercultural communication, human rights, peace and justice etc.
The better you know your potential sponsors, the more you can address their particular “needs”. Make sure you know the terms they are using – by using these their terms you can better relate to them.
Chambers of Commerce, Visitors’ Bureaus, various Ministries usually have public listings (books of lists), which profile businesses and community organizations with their contact information. Other places that might provide these listings may include local media outlets, prominent businesses, investment firms etc.
Step 4: Approach Potential Sponsors
The people you will be dealing with are extremely busy! It is therefore very important that you have everything ready when you approach them. By the time you make a contact you should know precisely:
- What the organizations does
- What CSR policies it has in place, if any
- What funding / scholarship resources it offers, if any
- Who the right person to contact is
Based on this information, you should customise your request/application to address the ”needs” of a certain potential sponsor.
- Phone call
There is nothing better than a personal contact. You should therefore start with a phone call to the organization. Be prepared to answer the three basics that people will want to know immediately:
- Who are you
- What you are doing
- Why are you approaching them
This is a fact-finding endeavor for you as much as making a personal impression. After introducing yourself, you need to find out who your contact will be in the organization. If you can’t speak directly to them talk to their personal assistant (Personal Assistants are extremely valuable!). Be honest in your dedication, polite and pleasant when interacting, provide information when they request it – be professional.
- Sending the Information
Most organization will ask you to provide something in writing. Have a package prepared, ready to go out, that includes some or all of the following:
- Cover letter
- Copy of your acceptance letter
- Your budget
- Letter from WUPID to your sponsor
- WUPID schedule of events
- Your team / university debating resume/CV
- Reference(s) from university staff
- Reference(s) from an employer
- Promotional materials
A good cover letter is one of the most valuable ways to communicate your need. It should clearly outline everything that has been presented in the introductory phone call. It as well gives you a chance to show something a little more personal, like: why is it so important for you to participate in the championship, what do you hope to achieve or how will you use what you have learned to improve your community. However, it must remain professional. Keep it simple and concise.
If you need a letter addressed to a potential sponsor on your behalf signed by WUPID, please email us at wupid@hngsc.com
- Follow Up
Never let too much time lapse between the receipt of your package – whether by post or fax – and your follow up phone call. If they do not hear from you in a reasonable amount of time they will simply remove your information from their desks.
Again here is another chance to make a personal contact. This is where you want to begin the push for a meeting, if not with the original contact (“he’s too busy”) that with whoever you think is the best choice instead? Would the original contact be willing to speak over the phone if he/she can’t set up a full meeting?
- The Meeting
You must always be prepared when you walk into that meeting – this is your chance. Have all the materials you need or that they have requested, dress professionally, be on time, but most importantly it is your presentation that will sell the sponsorship. Have a clear plan of presenting your case to the decision maker:
- Introduce yourself again – briefly, if they are already familiar with your case
- Description of the conference
- What you see as the benefit of attending for yourself
- What you propose to give them back in return for sponsorship
- What are their benefits from sponsoring you
- Facts and figures on costs
- Have deadlines handy
Step Five: Fulfill Your Obligations
Once you’ve received a sponsorship it is very important that you fulfill all the obligations you’ve undertaken. You need to make sure you inform us about the sponsorship and send us your sponsors logos on time, so that their support is acknowledged. You also need to send a thank you note to your sponsor, describing how much you value their contribution and what impact it had on your professional and academic career. Send them links to web-site pages where their logos are placed, and any other materials that mention their support to you. Do not forget to send them a written report upon coming back from WUPID.
Good luck!
