By: Dave Oberg, Executive Director

Elmhurst History Museum

Private sector investment in your museum through corporate sponsorships not only helps your institution find critical underwriting for expensive exhibits, events and programs, but also provides a valuable tool to broaden exposure, amplify your message and build relationships with businesses that can pay big dividends in the future. Creating a well-crafted, sponsor pitch, with an escalating ladder of sponsor recognition tools, can position your organization to attract and grow support over time. Following up that pitch with an opportunity to engage the business community at your museum can further grow your base of support in the business community. Below, please find a recent example of how the Elmhurst Heritage Foundation, the non-profit fundraising arm of the Elmhurst History Museum, significantly grew sponsorships through an organized campaign.

In 2018, members of the Elmhurst Heritage Foundation’s Membership and Development Committee worked to overhaul their approach to seeking exhibit sponsorships at the suggestion of committee member Ken Bartels. Bartels worked with us to create an organized campaign, with a ladder of sponsor recognition levels, in an effort to jumpstart our efforts after a long plateau. Key to this approach was establishing a top or “platinum” level for a single sponsor at a significant funding level, which would ensure that our lead sponsor received marquee attention for all five of our exhibits in the 2019 season. The combination of a sole sponsorship at the highest level, combined with exposure for our lead business on all exhibit banners, posters, calendars of events and other promotional materials, made this an attractive opportunity for a local business. Below the “platinum” level were two “gold” level sponsorships, with significant attention for up to three exhibits, followed by a “silver” level reserved for four businesses, that offered enhanced attention for an exhibition of their choice. Lower level “bronze” and “friend” level recognition packages were also included, to allow smaller institutions a chance to buy in and support the museum at a level comfortable for them.

To pitch this approach, the committee created a double-sided flyer, outlining upcoming exhibits on one side, and donor levels, with commensurate recognition, on the reverse. A friendly cover letter accompanied the flyer, along with a return card and envelope. (Please see attached example). As members of the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Elmhurst Heritage Foundation purchased for a minimal fee, a mailing list of local businesses. Key committee members then reviewed the list, honing it to roughly 300 businesses to receive solicitations by mail.

As a follow up, the Foundation hosted a Chamber After Hours event roughly a month after the sponsorship mailing went out, providing refreshments and an opportunity to visit the museum’s current exhibition. Foundation members, armed with fresh packets, developed a “divide and conquer” strategy for the evening, following up on the mailing with personal discussions with business leaders in attendance. The result was an immediate success. In the first year, the campaign quadrupled sponsor investments in exhibits. The following year, we doubled our 2019 investment, and the program continues to grow each year. The combination of a well-thought out sponsor recognition system, an organized mailing campaign, and a personal follow-up at a museum event has proven a successful model for the museum.