Hackathon Organizer Guide
  • Introduction
  • overview
    • What is a Hackathon?
    • What is MLH?
    • MLH Hackcon
    • MLH Community Values
    • Event Types
      • Digital Events
        • Digital Mini Events
          • Marble Races
          • Pokemon Showdown
          • Wiki Races
          • Hacker Hangouts
        • Streamyard
  • General Information
    • Hackathon Timeline
    • Finding the Date and Purpose
    • Build Your Leadership Team
    • Locking Down a Venue
    • Hackathon Budgeting
      • Legal Considerations
    • Getting Sponsorship
      • Introduction to Fundraising
      • Understanding Your Sponsors
        • Evaluating In-kind Sponsorships
      • Potential Sponsor Perks
      • Sponsorship Prospectus
      • The 5-Step MLH Sponsorship Process
      • Cheat Sheet: Emailing Your Sponsors
    • Hackathon Website
      • Making an Accessible Design
      • Placeholder Website
      • Main Website
    • Marketing Your Event
      • Promoting Your Event
        • Marketing Email Template
      • Marketing Goals & Timelines
    • Managing Registrations
      • Registrations
      • Free Registration Tool - OrganizerHQ (OHQ)
      • Sending Reminders
        • Email Templates
      • Check-in Process
    • Event Logistics
      • Hackathon Communication Platform
      • Project Challenges
      • Ordering Swag and Prizes
      • Set Up Your Event
      • Working with Food Vendors
      • Hosting Hackers with Dietary Restrictions
      • Distributing Meals
      • Transportation/Travel Plans
      • Hardware
      • Prepare Your Emergency Plan
    • Judging and Submissions
      • Rules for Your Hackathon
      • Judging Plan
      • Cheating Check
      • Judges Communication and Recruiting
      • Hackathon Submission Portal
        • Using Devpost
        • Using Devfolio
        • Using DoraHacks
    • Hackathon Scheduling
      • Detailed Run of Show
      • Run-Through with the Team
      • MLH Tips and Templates
    • Mentorship
    • Day of Logistics and Hacker Experience
      • Help Desk Recommendations
      • Fun Mini Events
      • Workshops
      • Opening Ceremony
      • Closing Ceremony
    • After the Event
  • Organizer Resources
    • Template Links
    • Getting Support from Others
    • Leadership Resources
    • Marketing Resources
    • Registrations Resources
      • GDPR in Europe
    • Host Exciting Mini-Events
      • Cup Stacking
      • MLH Mini Events
        • WereWolf
        • Slideshow Karaoke
        • !Light
        • MS Paint Bob Ross
    • Keeping Records
    • Software for Hackathons
  • Contributors
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On this page
  • 1. Do Your Research
  • 2. Get In Touch
  • 3. Hop on an Exploratory Phone Call
  • 4. Make A Proposal
  • 5. Follow Up And Track Your Progress

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  1. General Information
  2. Getting Sponsorship

The 5-Step MLH Sponsorship Process

Once you’ve assessed how much money your hackathon needs and created your sponsorship materials, you’re ready to embark on the fundraising process.

PreviousSponsorship ProspectusNextCheat Sheet: Emailing Your Sponsors

Last updated 2 months ago

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1. Do Your Research

  • Compile a list of potential sponsors.

    • Check out sponsors of , particularly local ones.

    • Search your network (LinkedIn is a great tool for this).

    • Check in with career services at your university — which companies sponsor tech job fairs on your campus?

    • Diversify your sponsor profile by reaching out to startups, midsized enterprises, and large enterprises.

    • Make fundraising announcements to your community.

2. Get In Touch

  • Send a well-crafted, thoughtful email.

    • Remember to include an introduction of yourself so sponsors know who they're talking to!

    • Check out our to learn what to include and avoid in the body of your message.

    • 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!

  • Reach out to the relevant decision maker at each company. When in doubt, email the CEO.

    • Other useful job titles:

      • Developer Relations - aka Dev Rel

      • Marketing/Recruiting/HR

    • These contacts will either directly have the budget to support your event or know who to put you in touch with.

  • Follow up: don’t worry if you don’t receive a response to your initial email! Your contact may have lost your email or simply had a busy week. Wait 1-2 weeks (3-4 days if close to your event date) and ask again; you should ping the contact up to 3 times.

3. Hop on an Exploratory Phone Call

Keep in mind that sponsors haven't received your prospectus at this stage, so practicing a brief elevator pitch based on the information in your packet is a great starting point for this call.

  • Help the sponsor understand what a hackathon is. Offer analogies such as comparing it to a science fair.

  • Sell your team and your story. What makes your hackathon special?

    • Get the prospect excited about the event. Be sure to share personal experiences about the impact and takeaways of hackathons.

  • Ask about success metrics. What did they ask for in previous sponsorships?

  • Let them do the talking! You’ll figure out the company's primary values this way.

    • Prompt your contact with guiding questions. You want to make the call as conversational as possible so you can learn their goals while sharing your own experiences and expertise to build trust and credibility.

  • Don’t be afraid to ask for their budget. "Given the times you’ve sponsored events similar to this one, what have you spent and what did you get out of it?"

  • Before you hang up, schedule a follow-up call.

4. Make A Proposal

  • Do this immediately after your call. Sometimes it’s as easy as sending over your prospectus and highlighting the pre-made packages most relevant to that particular company. Other times, you’ll have to put together a custom proposal.

  • Explain why your proposal is a good fit for the sponsor.

  • Give your sponsorship deadline.

5. Follow Up And Track Your Progress

  • Email a week or two after sending your initial proposal by offering to answer questions.

  • Track your emails with a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool, an email service like Boomerang, or a manual platform like Excel.

  • When a sponsor says yes, invoice them immediately. Create a contract for them to finalize their funding amount and method of payment. Make sure they are paying to an account you can easily access with a currency you can accept.

previous MLH events
Sponsor Emails Cheat Sheet