Fundraising Coordinator

Month 2

• Identify fund raising/sponsorship goals
  • Your priorities in fundraising (that is, money from sources other than registration fees or Science Atlantic) is to raise approximately $50 per student to cover the student discount on registration, and $400-$1,000 (or more) for each guest speaker (depending on where they are coming from and for how long they will need hotel accommodations).
  • Example: if you are expecting 100 students and two speakers, set a minimum fund raising goal of:

    (100*$50) + (2*$400-$1,000) = $6,000-$7,000

    Beyond the basics: If you have reached your goal but have more sponsors to approach, please continue! There are many costs associated with a conference (take a look at the budget template for a typical list of expenses). After necessary costs are covered, consider approaching sponsors for travel subsidies for students, T-shirts, promotional items (“swag”), banquet entertainment, further reduction of registration fees for students and faculty, or reduce the amount of funding requested from your Dean’s office and Science Atlantic.

• Obtain last year’s sponsorship spreadsheet from conferences@scienceatlantic.ca to identify companies who have sponsored in the past
• Contact your Dean for potential sponsorship opportunities
• Develop list of sponsors to approach (sponsorship worksheet) – consider contacting textbook reps as potential sponsorsNote: Please use the sponsorship worksheet. It is an invaluable resource for next year’s organizers and it is used by the Science Atlantic office to recognize sponsors in the Student Awards Yearbook and Annual Report.
  • • Obtain last year’s sponsorship worksheet (if available) from conferences@scienceatlantic.ca to identify companies who have sponsored in the past
    • Brainstorm potential new sponsors with your organizing committee

Month 3

• Review the standard Science Atlantic sponsorship options package, which provides suggested financial levels of sponsorship (download here)Click here for more information
• Determine with your organizing committee whether to include information about a Grad Fair/Trade Show in the sponsorship package (see optional Grad Fair/Trade Show Coordinator Timeline here)
• Mail or email sponsorship request letters (template available here) and sponsorship options to your list of potential sponsors
  Note: if you are emailing your requests, remember to save your documents as .pdf files so the recipient can easily open them

Month 4

• Mail or email a confirmation letter (download here) to those who given their support
• Ongoing duties:
  • In conjunction with the Treasurer, collect sponsor contributions and send email confirmations of the funds received
  • Update sponsor worksheet with details of sponsorship received so you can send thank you letters and receipts as soon as the conference is over
  • Collect logos from sponsors and send to the Webmaster to post on sponsor page
  • Continue looking for sponsorship

Months 6, 7, and 8

• Continue seeking sponsorship and following up with companies you have connected with.

Month 9

• Ensure sponsor logos are included on posters, website, T-shirts, etc. in accordance with the sponsor’s option package
• • • Collect sponsor brochures and swag

During Conference

• Personally welcome and thank sponsors if they are attending the conference; introduce them to VIPs, speakers, other sponsors, etc.
• • • If available, in conjunction with Grad Fair/Trade Show Coordinator, ensure the sponsor’s booth is available and all needs are met
    • Ensure public recognition of sponsors is in place (signage, verbal recognition in speeches, etc.)

1 Week After

• Send thank you letters and summary of highlights to sponsors (thank you letter template can be downloaded by clicking here)
• • • In conjunction with the Treasurer, follow up with unpaid sponsors
    • Update sponsor worksheet (available here) for inclusion in final report or mail directly to conferences@scienceatlantic.ca
    • Write recommendations and provide to Chair for final report