Cheat Sheet: Emailing Your Sponsors

We know that emailing sponsors can be difficult. Below is a guide to help craft your initial email.

Your first email should NEVER contain links, hyperlinks, attachments, or images. Many companies have IT policies that automatically trash new external emails with these to prevent phishing. Do not send your sponsorship prospectus, meeting invite link, website link, image in signature, etc. in your first email. Include them in a follow-up message 1-2 weeks after the initial email!

What should you include?	Why?	Example
Details about the event: size, location, dates	These essential details are some of the first things a potential sponsor is looking for.	LoonHacks will be taking place on April 8-10th at Loon University. We expect over 500 hackers this year!
Overview of what a hackathon is	Remember that your audience might not be familiar with what a hackathon is. It’s important to give some context in case they’re new to hackathons.	A hackathon is a weekend-long invention marathon where High School and College students from the New York City area will spend the weekend building awesome projects.
An engaging angle for the sponsor	Connect your sponsor with an element of your hackathon that they'll be familiar with and interested in hearing more about.	I see that you’ve been working with blockchain integration — we are really excited about a blockchain track we’re incorporating into our hackathon!
What makes your event unique	Some companies will be receiving a ton of requests to sponsor hackathons. Briefly tell them what sets your event apart!	As the largest female-centric event in the east, we strive to provide a space to encourage female and non-binary hackers that they belong in the tech community.
Request to chat	Hopping on a phone call to pitch your event will help your potential sponsor get a better idea of how they can work with your event.	I’d love to chat about how LoonHacks and CompanyName can work together! Do you have any availability for a quick phone call next Tuesday at 3 PM EST? If not, I'd be happy to schedule for another time.
An eye-catching subject line	People get a ton of emails.	“LoonHacks and CompanyName Partnership” vs. "Meet the Best Students in X Town this February"