Jr PacersFunding Strategy
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Corporate Sponsorship Program

The highest-leverage funding move we have — bigger and more reliable than any single grant. A tiered program that local businesses renew year after year, that the board can run, and that doesn't depend on a foundation's priorities or grant cycles.

$15,000–$30,000/yr potential  Board-run · renews

Why This Beats Chasing Grants

Honest math: grants will likely top out around 15–25% of our budget — they're a floor, not the answer. A real sponsorship program (not one-off asks) can fund as much as all our grants combined, renews automatically, and survives volunteer turnover. Local auto dealers, insurance agencies, and contractors sponsor youth sports at these levels for the visibility alone. We already have warm targets (Wind Supply, City Electric, the dealership, Night's Kitchen & Bath, Old Dog) — this turns those one-off checks into a structured program.

The Sponsorship Tiers

draft — board to approve

🥉 Bronze — $500

  • Name on the sponsor banner
  • Logo on our website sponsors page
  • Social media thank-you post

🥈 Silver — $1,500

  • Everything in Bronze, larger banner placement
  • Logo on team apparel / program
  • Game-day announcer recognition

🥇 Gold — $3,000

  • Everything in Silver, premium banner spot
  • Helmet decal on a team's helmets
  • Sponsor of a specific team / division
  • Booth/table at a home event

⭐ Presenting — $5,000+

  • "Season presented by [Business]" on materials
  • Top billing everywhere + a field banner
  • Recognition at the spaghetti dinner
  • Custom benefits — make them feel like a partner

Numbers are a starting draft sized to local youth-sports norms — adjust after the board weighs in. A single Gold + two Silver + a few Bronze already clears $6–8K.

How to Run It

the board's part
  1. Approve the tiers at the June 22 meeting (5 minutes).
  2. Build the target list — 10–15 Delaware County businesses whose owner/manager has a kid in the program or strong community ties (auto dealers, insurance, contractors, restaurants, banks, medical/dental).
  3. Assign personal asks — your 5 most-connected board members each take 2–3 businesses. Personal asks from someone they know convert far better than a mailed letter.
  4. Use the one-pager below + the existing 2026 Sponsorship Letter. Lead with the tier menu and the visibility.
  5. Deliver fast — banner up, logo on the site, the thank-you post. Sponsors who see their name renew.
  6. Track + renew — a simple sponsor list with tier, contact, and renewal month. Aria can keep this on the board hub.

Target List

from our own history

Built from past sponsors + recent donors. Next to each, write the board member who knows them best — that person makes the ask. Warm relationships convert; cold letters don't.

Renew / Already Warm

Wind Supply (~$1K last year) · City Electric (Travis) · Chesrown dealership · Night's Kitchen & Bath · Old Dog · TJ's "sheets guy" ($500 prior). These should be locked first — they've already said yes once.

Past Sponsors to Re-engage

Servpro of Delaware (the Cottrills — gave $500+) · Modern Maid · Heritage · Honda Marysville / Performance Jeep · CyberPros · Sheetz · Delaware Sheds & Barns · Rise Fitness · Dry Step · Modern Woodmen · Pacer Inn. Pull their logos from the NAS Sponsor folders for the banner.

Big Donors → Upgrade to Sponsors

People already giving $100–$1,000 who could become tiered sponsors: James Smyth (Kemnay, $1,000) · the Cottrills/Servpro · Scott Huffman ($250) · Kurt Fountain ($200) · Zachary Sebren (NDT Seals, $150) · Paul Rockwell. Ask them to formalize as a Silver/Gold sponsor with the recognition that comes with it.

New Prospects by Category

Delaware County auto dealers, insurance agencies, contractors/trades, banks & credit unions, restaurants, dental/medical, real estate. Best leads: a business whose owner/manager has a kid in the program. 10–15 names, 5 board members, 2–3 asks each.

🖨️ Printable sponsor sheet (leave-behind)

The Sponsor Pitch

copy-paste
openingJr Pacers Youth Football & Cheer is an all-volunteer nonprofit giving nearly 200 Delaware kids a safe, affordable place to play every year. Our families, players, and fans are your neighbors and customers. A sponsorship puts your business in front of them all season — on our banners, our jerseys, our website, and over the loudspeaker at every home game — while directly helping local kids who otherwise couldn't afford to play. Every dollar stays in the community and goes straight to the athletes. Here's how you can partner with us:

Follow with the tier menu above. Personalize the close: "We'd love to have [Business] on the field with us this season."

The Bigger Picture (also worth building)

Two more renewable sources beyond sponsorship + grants: a parent/alumni annual fund ("kids who played, pay it forward" — $50–100 to 200 households = $10–20K, and it compounds), and squeezing more ROI from one marquee fundraising event (a golf outing or reverse raffle can net $20–40K in a single day — more than three county grants). Grants reduce what the neediest families pay; these build the base.