One of the biggest mistakes organizations make in sponsorship sales is treating the signed agreement as the finish line. It’s actually the starting line. You’ve identified a business partner. You’ve agreed on the financial commitment. You’ve promised certain benefits. Now comes the most important part: Delivering on those promises. Too many organizations spend months securing a $5,000 or $10,000 sponsorship, only to communicate with that partner again when it’s time to renew.

Every season, coaches build a roster, create a schedule, develop a training plan and establish goals. When a new coach is hired, they usually start with zero alumni and/or donor relationships. When it comes to fundraising, too many coaches and programs start over at zero. New campaign. New spreadsheet. New list. New scramble. Then they do it all again next year. And then they do it all again with the next coach. That’s not a fundraising strategy. That’s an annual emergency.

Athletic organizations often begin sponsorship sales by asking one question: “What companies should we contact?” There’s a better question to ask first: “Who already has a connection to us?” Before buying lists, sending hundreds of cold emails or chasing the biggest companies in your market, take inventory of the relationships that already exist around your program. Look at your alumni. Your parents. Your board members. Your coaches. Your vendors. Your former athletes. Your d