How to Get Local Businesses Excited About Your Fundraiser

Every week, local businesses are asked to sponsor something. Sports teams, school galas, charity runs — the requests never stop. So how do you get a business genuinely excited about your fundraiser instead of politely filing it away?

Here's the short version: stop asking for money and start offering a deal. Businesses want new customers, community standing, and low risk — build your pitch around those three things, make the numbers real, and bring a ready-to-go proposal they can approve in two minutes.

Stop asking for money, start offering a deal

This is the single biggest mindset shift. "Can you sponsor us?" asks a business to give something for nothing. "Can we sell your vouchers to our community?" offers them something in return. When a business sees how a partnership benefits them, the conversation changes completely.

Know what businesses actually want

Local businesses want three things:

• New customers. People who walk through the door for the first time.
• Good community standing. Being seen as a supporter of local causes.
• Low risk. Support that doesn't cost money upfront and doesn't eat their time.

Build your pitch around those, not around your needs.

Make the numbers real

Don't say "we have a big community". Say "we have 120 families, and last year's campaign reached over 400 people." Businesses respond to specifics. If you can show that even 30 voucher sales means 30 new faces in their shop, you've made the decision easy.

Bring a simple, ready-to-go proposal

A one-page summary beats a conversation. Include:

• What you're raising for and why it matters.
• How many people you'll reach.
• What you're asking them to provide (vouchers at a wholesale price).
• How they benefit (new customers, promotion, community goodwill).
• The link where they can list their products in two minutes.

If they want to see the business side first, point them at the wholesale catalogue or the business page — it explains the model in their language.

Make it easy to say yes

The best partnerships happen when the business's only job is to approve. You handle the selling, the promotion, the thank-yous. If they hesitate, offer a smaller first step: a limited voucher run, a trial with a low share percentage. Once they see it work, they'll come back.

Celebrate them publicly

Tag them, thank them, show them the results. Businesses that feel appreciated become repeat partners — and they'll tell other businesses about you. Your first partnership is also your best marketing for the next one. The social media story guide shows how to make those shout-outs feel genuine rather than transactional.

Remember: you're offering value

You're not begging. You're giving a local business a chance to grow its customer base while doing genuine good. When you pitch it that way, with a clear plan and a low-friction first step, you'll be surprised how many businesses get genuinely excited.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best way to approach a business?

In person if you can, with a one-page summary — or a short, warm email with the same content. Come with the offer already shaped; don't ask them to figure it out.

How many businesses should we approach?

Five to ten is a good first wave. A collection of smaller partners funds most campaigns, and no single business carries the load.

What if a business has never heard of voucher fundraisers?

Explain it simply: "Supporters buy a voucher from you, you get paid in full, our group earns a share, and you gain new customers." Then let them see it working.

What share should we ask for?

Don't ask — let the business choose (the minimum is 10%). Businesses who choose their own share feel in control and often give more than the floor.

How do we keep them for next season?

Thank them publicly, report the results, and invite them back first. Businesses repeat partnerships where they felt appreciated and saw results.