sponsorship

To my Sugar Artists, we have all been there a blogger with a huge IG following sends you a DM (direct message) stating that she is having her son’s first birthday party at a lavish rooftop hotel in NYC and would love a cake from you. In fact, she will promote your work to her 25K followers if you sponsor her a cake to feed 100 guests.  Yes, I received a message like this last year summer. My response was, “Congratulations! This sounds like a fun event. I am not interested in sponsoring your event what you can do is if you are interested here are my prices”. She began to brag that she has all of these followers and I would get exposure. Well, I don’t know about other businesses but exposure does not necessarily bring clients. What happens is that she will tell all of her blog buddies that this business does sponsorship and contact them. What could happen is that you are known for giving away freebies and become an overnight not for profit. Luckily, I shared this in a bakers group which alerted my sugar buddies as she was going around contacting other bakers for a cake sponsorship.  If this individual can afford to rent a rooftop hotel for her son’s party then they should not be seeking sponsorship. I wouldn’t even sponsor a cake for a celebrity you can pay your tab just like everyone else.

If your going to offer sponsorship do it for the right reasons. I have learned from this process after I was participating in sponsorship’s. I offer sponsorship to two organizations that is Hey There Beautiful Inc. and We Feed NYC.  These organizations are non profit on purpose meaning they are doing God’s work. Hey There Beautiful Inc is a non profit organization catering to women and children of domestic violence and those that they empowerment. We Feed NYC does just that they feed NYC. They provide free meals and clothing to men, women, and children throughout NYC.  What I love about these organizations is the management level of gratitude.  One year I reached out to the Wendy’s Children Foundation and learned that they were sponsoring a Christmas Party for their foster kids and I offered to provide cupcakes. We are know that the Wendy’s Children Foundation is a reputable organization impacting the lives of children transitioning in the foster care system.

I’ve sponsored to projects with not even a thank you or organizations  demonstrating entitlement.  You can’t do God’s work without an Amen, thank you, or self motivating factors.  My advice to my cakers is to research, choose, and identify an organization that you would enjoy committing to once or twice a year. This is a great way to give back to the community and i’m not saying that you have to. You as the business owner you as a person make the decision if this is something that you want to do or if this is the way you want to give back to the community.  You can also sponsor your time. Yes, you and your staff can tithe your time to an organization tithing is not necessarily monetary. In fact, when you volunteer your services you are saving that non profit the funds that they would put into paid labor.