Many companies are willing to sponsor volunteers, but they usually want something in return (nothing is free!). The best thing that you can offer them is free advertising, especially if the company is related to travel, animals, wildlife, conservation, etc.

Consider including them on your fundraising website and email blasts. If you’re traveling with a group, you can offer to make t-shirts with their logo and thank them in your social media posts. When constructing a sponsorship letter, make sure you cover the following points:

• Make your statement personal and address it to the correct person. Find this out by calling the company before posting your letter and asking whom to contact. ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ is likely to be pushed to the bottom of the pile.
• Give some concise background information including who you are, what the program offers, how the funds are used, and what you hope to gain. There is no need for pages and pages of description, as this will lose their interest. Remember, they may get hundreds of requests all the time.
• You may wish to follow up the letter with a phone call a week later. Prepare a brief statement of what you want to say prior to calling so you feel confident, as you will have approximately one minute to capture their interest.

Companies are not the only places you can obtain sponsorship- local councils, religious centers, community groups, Lion Clubs and youth/sports groups can also help!