Teenage Climbers Looking For Sponsors

[Mountainjeff]

ClimberJoe has been posting off topic and off color posts on other SP forums as well. Looks like a troll to me.

SP needs an official troll patrol...

[kamil]

I'm not even gay.

Maybe not gay but ghey for sure!

[showlett]

Time may be very short to get sponsorships and/or donations. Most companies require 60-90 days to respond and others have a defined window in which they will accept applications for sponsorship. The big question for the company is "What exposure will my marketing dollar get me?" In the end, the only "outdoor" sponsorships I got were from Backwoods and Superfeet. Unless you are breaking new ground and/or your scouts are extreme athletes, it is difficult to get the corporate money.

I fundraised for Big City Mountaineers to climb the Mexican Volcanoes in 2009 and had very little luck with corporate sponsorships from "outdoor" companies. I had good success however getting sponsorship/donation from companies that believed in the cause. I suggest you focus your case on the cause and the benefit to the youth.

I am also the Scoutmaster of Troop 17 in Fort Worth, TX. We have been fundraising for almost a year to reduce the direct costs to the scouts and adults for a trip to Kandersteg Switzerland. As my experience with BCM showed me, corporate sponsoship is very difficult to come by. We've had better luck providing our services as a labor force, i.e. cleaning up after events, event concessions, etc. When it's all totalled up, I estimate the trips will cost $120,000 US and we will have raised around $30,000 US through fundraising efforts.


If you're looking for gear, you may be able to pick up some used gear at decent prices from Whittaker Mountaineering, Rainier Mountaineering or Alpine Ascents. They periodically have sales of their used rental gear.

Thanks for the great info! I found that it is hard to get sponsorships from the outdoor products companies also. I just started sending out letters to local businesses from a list I got from the Chamber of Commerce. Do you think it is better to write or call or both? I have a nice printed letter I'm sending out, but I also thought about having Crew members handwrite some letters. What do you think is the best approach?

[Marmaduke]

How much many are you talking about? My daughter is on a traveling soccer team (13 years olds) and they have the best uniforms and gear you can buy. We go from the SF Bay Area up to Redding, East to Tahoe and South to Fresno. We do fundraisng kinda' year round and the biggest money maker are car washes plus some raffles. It is really hard to hit people up for money, especially these days.

I'd suggest finding a busy street where a business owner would allow you some space (we use a local Chevy dealer) and have car washes a few times. Then maybe some businesses can donate some smaller gift type items and put together baskets with gifts on them, (our baskets all have a theme, one will be cosmetics, one sports stuff likie Giants tickets) and have a raffle at your farmers market. Dine and donate nights work too. Over Memorial Day sell U.S. Flags in front of a busy business, say Safeway.

Good luck, Troy

[showlett]

OK, thanks. More great ideas!

[Hotoven]

I'm not even gay.

Maybe not gay but ghey for sure!

+1 for sure!

On topic:

I hope you guys have a blast on your trip to Shasta, I hope the money comes in too!

[DukeJH]

Thanks for the great info! I found that it is hard to get sponsorships from the outdoor products companies also. I just started sending out letters to local businesses from a list I got from the Chamber of Commerce. Do you think it is better to write or call or both? I have a nice printed letter I'm sending out, but I also thought about having Crew members handwrite some letters. What do you think is the best approach?

I had the best luck sending a lettter and following up with a phone call. If you're working on local companies, your crew members could deliver letters and follow up in person. If the business owner sees the youth that they will directly helping it may be beneficial. My best success was when I spoke with a business owner directly about the organization, mission, and goals and then followed up with a letter or email thanking them for their interest and providing them specifics as to how to donate.

[mconnell]

How come no one will answer my question about my dog?

Why are you discriminating against me?

I'm not even gay.

Why the hate?

Private club. If they don't want you in, that's up to them.

Sorry. I would blame it on drunk summitposting, but it was too early in the day for that.

[Marmaduke]

all you need to know about these hateful, self righteous, judgmental bastards.

pot meet kettle

So few words - so well put!

[dskoon]

Hmmm, who do you think ol' Climberjoe really is? ? ?

[Lolli]

...and maybe that's why he isn't deleted as a troll.