How to build a sponsorship rate card

A rate card is a short document that lists your sponsorship tiers, what each tier includes and what each one costs. It turns your asset inventory into offers a business owner can say yes to in one conversation.

If you have not written your asset inventory yet, start with our guide on what a club can sell to sponsors. The rate card is built from that list.

Why a price helps you

When a club asks for "whatever you can give", the business has to do the thinking. Most will pick a small, safe number. A clear price with clear benefits does the thinking for them. It also makes your committee more confident, because everyone is asking for the same thing.

Step 1: Work out what you need to raise

Start from your own budget, not from what you think a sponsor might pay. What does sponsorship need to cover this season? Kit, travel, coaching, ground hire, equipment? Write down the total. This is your target, and it keeps the rate card honest.

Step 2: Group your spots into tiers

Three tiers is a good place to start. You can name them however you like. A common pattern is:

• Community. For small local businesses. A logo on the website, a social post, a fence banner or a named award.
• Matchday. For businesses that want to be seen at games. Signage, a named game day, team sheet graphics and a mention on the live stream.
• Major partner. One or two businesses. The front of the jersey or naming rights, plus everything in the tiers below.

Each tier should clearly be worth more than the one below it. If the middle tier looks almost the same as the top tier, nobody will pick the top one.

Step 3: Put a price on each tier

There is no national price list for club sponsorship, and anyone who quotes you one is guessing. Here is a practical way to set your own numbers:

1. Split your target across the number of sponsors you can realistically look after. A small committee can usually look after a few sponsors well, not dozens.
2. Weight the split. The major partner carries the most, the community tier the least.
3. Check it against what the sponsor gets. Would you pay that, if you ran a local business, for what is on offer?
4. Ask around. Other clubs and schools in your area will often tell you what they ask. Local knowledge beats any rule of thumb.

Write each amount as the sponsor's contribution to the club, not as a fee for advertising. It keeps the focus on what their money does for your people.

Step 4: Say exactly what is included

For each tier, list the benefits with numbers where you can. "Logo on the website" is fine. "Logo on the website home page for the season, plus four social posts" is better. Clear benefits are easier to deliver and easier to report on later.

Also say how long the deal runs. One season is common. A longer deal can suit kit, because the kit lasts more than one season.

Step 5: Decide your rules

• Exclusivity. Will you have only one bank, one builder, one food outlet? If so, say so, and price it in.
• In kind support. Decide how you count goods and services. A simple way is to agree a value with the business and treat it like cash in the tier.
• GST. If your club is registered for GST, say whether your prices include it. Ask your treasurer.
• Restrictions. Check any rules from your code, your venue or your school about which businesses can sponsor junior teams.

Step 6: Keep it to one page

The rate card should fit on a single page or slide. Tier name, price, what is included and how long it runs. Put the detail in your proposal deck. The rate card is the summary a busy owner can read in a minute.

Review it every season

After each season, look at what sold and what did not. If every tier sold quickly, your prices may be low. If nothing at the top sold, the top tier may need more in it, or a lower price. Adjust and go again.

What to do next

With a rate card in hand, the next step is the proposal deck that tells your story around it. See our guide to writing a sponsor proposal deck.