As a nonprofit, you need sponsors and donors to keep helping your community. That’s why optimized sponsorship form templates are so important. You can create a straightforward way for people to contribute without spending your time building a form from scratch.
When I make donations to nonprofits, I see the power of forms. If a form is sleek and professional, I don’t pay any mind. I just make my contribution. However, if a form looks like it’s from 1992 or asks for way too much information, I question if the nonprofit is legitimate at all.
So a solid template can significantly impact an organization's ability to secure sponsors. (P.S. An attractive website works wonders, too — and it doesn’t have to be costly!) Below, I'll share tips for finding the perfect sponsorship form template for your nonprofit. Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
- What is a sponsorship form?
- Excellent Sponsorship Form Template Samples
- How to Create an Online Sponsorship Form
- What are the best sponsorship form tools?
- The Best Sponsorship Form Templates
- Sponsorship Page Examples
What is a sponsorship form?
Your non-profit organization uses sponsorship forms to forge partnerships with communities or other companies. Ideally, your sponsorship form will outline the agreement between both parties and detail what the sponsor receives in return for its contribution.
You‘ll notice there are two main types of sponsorship forms. The first allows website visitors to learn that your organization is seeking sponsors. The second makes it clear that you’re accepting sponsorship requests.
Non-profit organizations harness the first type to seek long-term relationships with new supporters. The latter form makes sense for companies looking to make a difference in their communities, allowing them to identify potential contribution opportunities.
Regardless of type, a sponsorship form aims to establish a long-term relationship between the sponsor and your business. This intention differentiates sponsorships from donations, too. While donations are typically one-time gifts, sponsorships cultivate ongoing support, which is why I've noticed it is especially impactful for non-profits.
Developing a sponsorship form with limited resources can be tough. Sponsorship form templates can help. (Don‘t worry — I’ve compiled a list you can reference.)
Pro tip: Include a call to action (CTA) on your website inviting visitors to become sponsors.
Sponsorship Form Template Components
An effective sponsorship form template does the following:
- Collects sponsor names.
- Keeps track of addresses.
- Collects contact information such as emails and phone numbers.
- The amount of money the sponsor is willing to commit.
Keeping track of this information is essential for record-keeping and communicating consistently with your sponsors.
In addition to capturing basic data, your form’s design is also valuable. While having an interesting background or including your corporate logo is visually engaging, the primary concern is user experience. Potential sponsors must find your form easy to navigate and complete.
Pro tip: Try to anticipate any questions potential sponsors may have. For instance, it’s worth including information about your sponsorship goals. You can also briefly describe your mission and monetary needs. If you’re taking sponsorship requests, clearly outline what you’re looking for in potential candidates.
Why use a sponsorship form template?
To maximize reach, using a digital sponsorship form is the most impactful way to secure new sponsors. You must add a form to your website to do this successfully. However, creating one yourself without the assistance of a template can be daunting or complicated. You may even forget to include critical questions.
A sponsorship form template guarantees you will collect all the necessary information from potential sponsors.
Pro tip: By clearly outlining what sponsors gain for their monetary support, you’ll help demonstrate the value your organization can offer in return.
Excellent Sponsorship Form Template Samples
Here’s a look at a few effective sponsorship forms that convert visitor interest into action.
Basic Sponsorship Form
Not every sponsorship form needs to be online. Your non-profit can use this sponsorship form for an event or to foster a long-term partnership. Its sections are digestible and offer a succinct description of what the sponsorship entails.
What I like: This form is simple and straightforward and can be modified for use by any non-profit. I suggest using this template when tabling in-person events. I can envision this form printed and on a clipboard.
Online Sponsorship Form
If you have a website, you can leverage it to create convenient sponsorship forms to access and fill out. Above is a helpful example of a form used to attract sponsors for an annual event.
What I like: Underneath the title “Sponsorship Form,” you can comment on why you’re seeking a sponsor. You can be as vague or as granular as you want.
Tiered Sponsorship Form
This letter describes different sponsorship “tiers” available to supporters while communicating the benefits of sponsoring. Potential supporters have multiple options to make an impact, depending on their financial situation.
What I like: There's no room for confusion with this sponsorship form template. Every tier is clearly outlined.
Event Sponsorship Form
You can use this sponsorship form template if you have an upcoming event. It includes details about the intended purpose and how sponsors can contribute.
What I like: This form outlines what sponsors get for their monetary contributions.
Now that you have a few sponsorship form template examples, let’s dive into how to start building one for your organization.
How to Create an Online Sponsorship Form
I’ve shown you what an engaging sponsorship form template looks like. Now, it’s time to create your own. Don’t worry — I’ll help you through this process, too, so you don’t have to do it alone.
1. Log into your form-building software or account.
Since HubSpot provides a free form builder, I’ll walk you through the process using that. If you don’t have a HubSpot account, create one for free.
Once you log in, go to your form-building interface. In HubSpot, the “Marketing” tab is where you can build forms and customize ads, emails, and web pages.
2. Select a form type.
Most form builders provide you the opportunity to select a form type. Here’s where you can decide whether to put the form on a new, standalone page or embed it into an existing one. You can also create a pop-up form to grab a visitor’s attention while they’re scrolling through your site.
3. Add form fields.
Next, choose the contact fields you’d like to add. Our example form comes with a standard email field, but consider adding first and last name, street address, and phone number for these purposes.
4. Include form fields that collect sponsorship information.
Aside from basic information, you’ll also need to include fields that obtain specific information for sponsorships. These are fields like donation amount, company information, and checkboxes for contract compliance.
In HubSpot, scroll down the left-hand side menu to the “Create New Field” section. Here, you can select the style of field you want and define the data you want to capture.
5. Create a follow-up email.
After a sponsor completes your form, send them an automated message to thank them for their commitment. You can also use this email to provide them with additional information. The best way to do this is through a follow-up email triggered automatically upon form submission.
6. Publish your sponsorship form.
Congratulations — you’ve officially created a sponsorship form! Now, you can copy and embed the form code into your website or get a sharable link that sends the form to specific contacts in your CRM. That way, if you have sponsors that you know are interested in partnering with you, you won’t have to create a brand new web page to collect their information.
Pro tip: If your form aesthetic doesn’t match your branding, it can erode trust. If you publish your form on a customer-facing web page, the design must be cohesive with the look of your website. (Psst: I’ve listed some tools below to help you accomplish this.)
What are the best sponsorship form tools?
The good news? You can use various tools to build your sponsorship forms and make them look visually compelling. Here are some standout tools I’ve tried and love.
1. HubSpot
Price: Free
I’ve coded forms from scratch in the past. It’s tedious work and even the slightest HTML mistake can lead your form to break. Beyond that, you may even need to use Java, a language that’s more difficult to learn.
HubSpot makes the process easier. You know some of the critical features that HubSpot’s form builder provides. But there’s more to learn — and love. Here are some features that make the HubSpot form builder stand out.
It uses a drag-and-drop editor to add and remove form fields easily. It also has many field types, ranging from multi-line text fields to date pickers. This gives you everything you need to create an effective sponsorship form, even with little or no web design experience.
2. Gravity Forms
Price: Starts at $59 per year
Gravity Forms offers an array of tools necessary to create polished sponsorship forms. Beyond that, your form needs to support different methods of payment. Gravity Forms makes it easy by supporting third-party services like PayPal, Stripe, Zapier, and Twilio.
Not to mention it has a HubSpot and Mailchimp add-on.
3. Forminator
Price: Free
Forminator is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to easily create forms, quizzes, polls, and calculators. It also streamlines sponsorship payments with support for Stripe and PayPal. I also love that it integrates with HubSpot, so you can automatically transfer all of your information to your CRM, and that this builder also offers drag-and-drop functionality.
4. HubSpot WP Plugin
Price: Free
HubSpot’s free WordPress plugin gives you the power to create great sponsorship forms and keep visitors engaged with live chats and chatbots. Plus, all website forms automatically sync with your HubSpot CRM, saving you from manually transferring all the information. Talk about convenient!
5. WP Forms
Price: Free
WP Forms is a powerful drag-and-drop builder that’s user-friendly, 100% mobile responsive, and free. If you have a WordPress site, this is an excellent option, as embedding it into your website is simple. I also love that it’s speedy and won’t bog down your site.
6. Wufoo
Price: Free to start, upgrade starts at $14.08 per month
WuFoo is an online forms builder with a cloud-storage database for all your templates. Check out its basic features for free or pay for a Starter Plan that includes tools like customized branding.
If you’d prefer not to build your sponsorship form, I’ve got you covered with some great free template sites.
The Best Sponsorship Form Templates
If you’d prefer to go the sponsorship form template route, I’ve rounded up some tools you can use.
1. JotForm
JotForm offers various sponsorship form options, including request forms, event forms, and tiered sponsorship forms, all for free.
Some templates are relatively vague and only offer a few questions. Others are highly comprehensive; it’s up to you to decide how much information you’d initially like to collect. Once you select a template, you can customize it to add a pop of your organization’s personality.
What I like: JotForm’s sponsorship forms run the gamut on industries and topics, so whether you’re seeking one for an arts organization, a local sports team, or beyond, you’re sure to find a suitable template.
2. Sample Templates
Sample Templates provides specific sponsorship forms for charity support, immigration sponsorship, and sports fundraising.
What I like: If you still use paper forms, you’ll be excited to learn that Sample Templates allows you to print a PDF version. Alternatively, you can use these forms for inspiration and adapt them digitally using a form builder of your choice.
3. Words Templates
This site offers PDF templates of basic sponsorship forms, providing a great starting point for your business. Look no further if you want a no-thrills, bare-bones sponsorship form template.
What I like: These form templates are straightforward and digestible. Because of this, it would also be easy to adapt them for digital use.
Sponsorship Page Examples
Sponsorship pages are just as important as the sponsorship forms. The difference between the two is that forms capture your potential sponsor’s information, while the page gives you the opportunity to tell the sponsor why they should invest in you. In this section, we will review five compelling examples of sponsorship pages.
1. National Public Media
I am an avid NPR listener, from driving in the car to listening to podcasts on walks. And, I’m not alone; NPR has an estimated 42 million listeners. Because I love the organization so much, I try to donate where I can. That’s especially true if there’s a little NPR gift with my donation.
Beyond average listeners, NPR’s sponsor page knocks it out of the park. The organization offers an in-depth look at its listeners. I like that sponsors have access to key information about their members, such as testimonials, level of influence, and skill set.
The organization also reassures sponsors that they can help them reach their target audience in this challenging digital marketing landscape.
What I like: My favorite offering on their page is the visitor’s ability to express interest in sponsoring without leaving the website. NPR makes it easy for a sponsor to make a quick, informed decision by clearly defining their audience and offerings in exchange for donations
2. City Mom Collective
City Mom Collective is dedicated to supporting mom-preneurs by providing a membership-based community to empower, connect, and inspire 2,000+ moms while they pursue entrepreneurship.
City Mom Collective excels in visually informing potential investors about the advantages of advertising within their community. Beyond simply showcasing the community’s size, their nationwide image effectively pinpoints the geographical distribution of members, providing important insights for interested investors.
What I like: What truly stands out to me the most is their single sponsorship page, which offers a seamless experience for those searching for advertising opportunities. On this page, investors can delve into detailed demographics, the community’s longevity, current partnerships, and advertising opportunities
3. Destination: Home
Destination: Home is a Silicon Valley-based advocacy group focused on ending homelessness in the Bay Area. This group partners with corporate donors, community groups, and nonprofits to advocate for policies designed to prevent homelessness.
When it comes to finding sponsors, Destination: Home’s Open Funding Opportunities page offers many options. Donors can help fund technology tools for partner organizations, support a dedicated employment assistance fund, or support an innovation fund. By being specific, sponsors know exactly where their money is going.
What I like: Destination: Home’s about section includes a list of corporate partners. Potential sponsors can see that large, trusted brands partner with the organization to give back to the community. They can join an organization that’s also supported by Apple, Cisco, and Google.
4. The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is an organization dedicated to ending LGBTQ+ suicide by providing resources, advocating for LGBTQ rights, and providing education about this community.
The organization’s corporate sponsorship page is very straightforward. There is one prominent CTA that takes interested parties directly to a sponsorship form. Plus, the submit a request form is already categorized for you, making the process easy.
What I like: The Trevor Project includes a corporate sponsor showcase. You can see what initiatives other brands have supported in the past, helping sponsors visualize what their contribution can achieve.
5. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
A corporate sponsorship often involves more than just filling out a donation form online. Donors will likely want to engage in a back-and-forth conversation. What can they sponsor? How exactly will their branding appear? Can they sponsor an event? An exhibit? A fund?
SFMOMA understands that a sponsorship form just opens the conversation. The organization opts for a simple form that requests contact information and a message. They can go into depth about what the sponsor wants to support and the amount of the contribution in the future.
What I like: This online page keeps the process simple. Interested parties can read a brief description of what brands can sponsor and see who has partnered with the museum in the past.
Use Seamless Sponsorship Form Templates to Attract Sponsors
Remember: The best sponsorship forms allow interested individuals to connect with your organization effortlessly. The user experience should always be front and center — so keep this in mind when deciding which tools you'd like to use. Happy form building!
Editor's note: This post was originally published in March 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
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