Little League Sponsorships - A Successful Model

When the equation works intuitively for both the group and the sponsor and no complicated valuation metrics are required, the model runs like a well-oiled machine. In youth sports, the advantages for both sides are such that year after year local sponsors wanting visibility, the goodwill of the community and a leg up on their competition, put anywhere from $25 to $1000 for the privelege of associating with youth baseball or other sports.

The wide range of sponsorship types also allows sponsors from a wide variety of trades, industries and services to participate in meaningful ways in these important community events and resources.

In an informal Groupable study and poll, just how varied the sponsorship opportunities are is a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of volunteers nationwide.

Here are some of the more tradtional AND more off-beat ways in which sponsorships in youth baseball have been offered and sold for this upcoming 2009 season:

Gold Sponsorship

Fuzzy Bunny

1. $250 - gets your logo on a team uniform AND a date with the commissioner of our league [picture here - CA]
2. $300 - sign at [field name] and a free bunny, the real kind, not chocolate - IN
3. $150 - Gold Sponsorship - $250 for a chance to win a gold watchdonated by Feldman Jewelers
4. $400 - Rose Sponsorship - a dozen roses for every win your sponsored team gets (payable in May in time for Mother’s Day)
5. $500 - Corporate Sponsorship in honor of your favorite player. You’ll get $100 back if your honoree wins the best sportsmanship award
6. Big Shoe Sponsorship - $50 times the average shoe size of the coaches on your sponsored team

And so it goes…do you have any ‘innovative’ sponsorships that you’d like to add?

Municipal Micro-Sponsorship: Another Success Story

Suffolk County Legislator Lou D’Amaro (D-Huntington Station)

Lou D’Amaro (D-Huntington Station), an innovative local politician in New York’s Suffolk County, has found a creative solution to his county’s budget woes.  Ripping a page from Groupable’s playbook, he recommends local sponsors be allowed to sponsor suitable locations within his county’s park system.  In his own words:

“Sponsorship of suitable parkland facilities provides an excellent opportunity to both generate much-needed funds and the goodwill of businesses throughout Suffolk County.  It is a definite win-win situation for everyone involved.”

Under the proposed plan, the Park Commissioner receives the authority to design sponsorship opportunities that are both relevant and tasteful and prioritize local businesses with good community standing.  D’Amaro’s plan reinforces Groupable’s philosophy.  We believe whenever groups and sponsors connect at the micro-level, they’re able to negotiate deals of extraordinary benefit to both parties.

Groupable wants to help connect groups of all kinds with sponsors.  In this instance, the “group” in question is the entire population of Suffolk County.  If the county government really wants to remain innovative as sponsorship trends evolve, we recommend they turn to Groupable to manage this program.  In any case, we’re excited to watch how this program develops.

Note: Groupable does not endorse candidates for political office.