Sports sponsorship letter template, with two filled examples
A sports sponsorship letter asks a local business to pay a set amount for recognition you can deliver, like its name on a banner at home games. Keep it to one page: who you are, the exact cost you’re covering, what the sponsor gets, your reply date and who to contact.
Copy the letter below, then use the filled examples and worksheets to set the amount. Everything here is free to copy or print. No email is needed.
Sponsorship letter template
Copy this into an email or a printed letter. Replace every item in brackets. Keep it to one page.
[Date]
[Owner or manager name]
[Business name]
[Street address or email]
Dear [Name],
I’m [your name], the [role] for [program name], a [sport] program for [ages or grades] in [town]. We’re asking [business name] to sponsor our [year] season.
This season we need $[amount] to cover [the specific costs, such as uniforms for players whose families need help and new practice equipment]. We’ve already raised $[amount] from [player fees, a team fundraiser or other sources]. Your sponsorship would close the rest of that gap.
For a $[amount] sponsorship, [business name] would get:
- [Benefit 1, such as your logo on our banner at every home game from (month) to (month)]
- [Benefit 2, such as your name on our season thank-you post]
- [Benefit 3, such as a framed team photo for your shop]
By [date], we’ll send you a photo of each benefit in place and a short note on how the money was spent.
Please reply by [date] so we can order [the banner, uniforms or gear] in time. You can reach me at [phone] or [email]. I’m happy to stop by with our quote and season schedule.
Thank you for considering it.
[Your name]
[Role], [program name]
[Phone] | [Email]
What goes in a sports sponsorship letter?
Five things, in this order. A business owner should be able to say yes or no after one read.
- Who you are. Program name, sport, ages and town. One sentence.
- The exact need. A dollar amount tied to real costs, like a uniform quote or a tournament entry fee.
- What the sponsor gets. Only benefits your program has the right to give, with dates.
- When you need an answer. Tie it to a real order date, so the deadline makes sense.
- One adult to contact. Name, phone and email for the person who can answer questions.
Leave out player names, family situations and roster details. A sponsor doesn’t need them to say yes. If you list counts, like the number of teams or players, use only numbers your board has cleared to share.
Example 1: a youth team asking one sponsor
This is a made-up team with assumed prices, so you can see the math. Use your own quotes.
A 12U softball team has 13 players. Its uniform quote is $70 per player for a jersey, pants and socks. Player fees cover uniforms for 10 players. The coach wants a sponsor to cover uniforms for the other 3 players, whose families asked for help, plus new catcher’s gear.
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Season cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Uniforms: 13 players x $70 | $910 |
| Two tournament entry fees: 2 x $350 | $700 |
| Catcher’s gear set | $240 |
| Total season cost | $1,850 |
| Player fees put toward uniforms (10 x $70) | -$700 |
| Spring car wash, already in the bank | -$600 |
| Funding gap | $550 |
The sponsor gets a 3 x 6 foot banner at home games and a framed team photo. The team assumes $90 for the banner and $25 for the photo and frame, so the benefits cost $115. The ask is the gap plus what the benefits cost: $550 + $115 = $665. The coach rounds up to $675 and says in the letter that the extra $10 goes to spare uniforms.
The key sentence in that letter reads: “Your $675 covers uniforms for three players whose families need help, our new catcher’s gear and part of our tournament fees.” It names the uniform help without naming any player.
Example 2: a multi-team club with sponsor levels
A club with several teams usually needs more than one sponsor. Set a small number of levels, and price each one from the club’s gap and the cost of its benefits. These numbers are made up for the example.
A soccer club has 6 teams. Its gap is $3,000: $1,275 for a uniform scholarship fund (15 players x an assumed $85 kit), $1,125 for new goals and $600 for referee course fees.
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Level | Spots | Price | Benefits | Benefit cost | Kept by the club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club sponsor | 1 | $1,500 | Logo on the club banner at the main field, listing on the club’s sponsor page, thank-you at the season-end event | $150 banner | $1,350 |
| Team sponsor | 6 (one per team) | $350 each | Name on that team’s banner, framed team photo | $70 per team | $280 each, $1,680 total |
| If every spot sells | $3,600 | $3,030 |
If every spot sells, the club keeps $3,030 and puts the extra $30 toward next season’s scholarship fund. If only some team spots sell, the board should decide ahead of time what gets paid first. One option is to pay for uniform help first, so no player sits out over cost.
Write one letter per level. Each letter names the team or the club, the price and only that level’s benefits. Don’t sell the same banner spot or logo place to two businesses.
How do you figure out how much to ask for?
Start from the season’s real costs, not a round number. A sponsor is more likely to say yes to “$675 for three players’ uniforms and catcher’s gear” than to “support our season.”
Sponsor ask worksheet
Total season cost from quotes: $________
Money already in hand (fees, fundraisers): $________
Funding gap = total cost minus money in hand: $________
Number of sponsors you’re asking: ____
Share of the gap per sponsor: $________
Cost of benefits for one sponsor: $________
Ask per sponsor = share of the gap plus benefit cost: $________
Where extra money goes: ____________________
What gets cut first if you fall short: ____________________
Sponsorship or donation: keep them separate
A sponsorship is a deal. The business pays, and your program delivers recognition you promised in writing. A donation is a gift. The giver gets a thank-you, and nothing else is owed.
Keep the two on separate lines in your budget and use separate letters. Don’t add sponsor benefits to a donation request or a grant application unless its rules ask for them.
How a payment is receipted, and whether it’s tax-deductible for the business, depends on your group’s legal status and what the business gets back. Check with your treasurer or a tax adviser before you promise a tax receipt.
The one-page sponsor offer
Attach this to the letter when a business wants details, or use it as your sports sponsorship proposal. It lists each benefit, what it costs you to produce, who delivers it and by when.
One-page sponsor offer
Program: ____________________
Season dates: ____________________
What the money pays for: ____________________
Sponsor level and price: ____________________
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Benefit | Who approved it | Production cost | Adult responsible | Logo or art due | Delivered by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| __________ | __________ | $______ | __________ | ______ | ______ |
| __________ | __________ | $______ | __________ | ______ | ______ |
| __________ | __________ | $______ | __________ | ______ | ______ |
If an event is canceled, the backup benefit is: ____________________
Proof and spending report sent by: __________
A few rules before you fill it in:
- Get permission for every space. The school or field owner controls signs and announcements. Get it in writing before you offer them.
- Check uniform rules before you sell a jersey logo. Your league or state association may limit logos on game uniforms, so check its uniform rules. A logo also adds a print cost to every jersey, so get it quoted first.
- Don’t promise reach you haven’t counted. If you haven’t counted crowds or page views, describe the placement and dates instead.
- Set art deadlines early. Banners and printed gear need the sponsor’s logo file before they go to print. Give the sponsor a due date in the letter.
Follow-up and renewal emails
Follow-up email (about 7-10 days after you send the letter)
Subject: [Program name] season sponsorship
Hi [Name],
I sent a sponsorship letter on [date] asking [business name] to help cover [the specific cost]. I wanted to make sure it reached you. We need to place our [banner or uniform] order by [date].
Happy to answer questions or drop off a copy of our quote. Would a quick call this week work?
Thanks,
[Your name], [role]
[Phone]
Renewal email (after the season ends)
Subject: Thank you from [program name], and next season
Hi [Name],
Thank you for sponsoring [program name] this season. Your $[amount] paid for [what it covered]. Attached are photos of your [banner, listing or other benefit] and a short summary of how we spent the money.
We’re planning [next season] now. We’d love to have [business name] back at the same level. The price and benefits are attached. Can we hold your spot until [date]?
Thanks again,
[Your name], [role]
[Phone]
Sponsor fulfillment checklist
- Written deal saved: amount, benefits, dates and contact
- Payment received on: __________
- Logo or art file received and approved by the sponsor
- Each benefit ordered or scheduled, with an adult responsible
- Photo proof of each benefit sent to the sponsor
- Thank-you note sent within a week of payment
- End-of-season report on how the money was spent
- Renewal email sent, with a reply date
- No promised task left open before you ask again
Where uniforms fit in a sponsor letter
Uniform help is a clear ask, because the sponsor can see exactly what the money buys. Get a real uniform quote before you write the letter, so the amount matches a real number. If you use Secondslide, its custom team uniforms page lists no minimum orders and free digital mockups, which makes it easier to price a few scholarship kits.
A team store can add a second funding line. Secondslide’s team stores let you set a markup on fan gear that goes back to the program.
Secondslide connects fundraising, sponsorships and team outfitting for clubs and schools. If you’d like to plan sponsor asks and uniform orders for the same season, talk to the Secondslide team.
Common questions
How long should a sports sponsorship letter be?
One page. Say who you are, the exact amount and what it pays for, the benefits, the reply date and who to contact. Put the extra detail on the one-page sponsor offer.
When should we send sponsorship letters?
Work back from your order date. If the banner or uniforms take several weeks to make, send the letter early enough to get an answer, collect the payment and the logo, and still place the order on time. Put that reply date in the letter.
Should we send the same letter to every business?
Use the same template, but change the amount, the level and the reason the business fits. Some chains only accept requests through one local store or an online form. Check the business’s own request process first. Our guide to finding youth sports sponsors covers where to look and how to track each request.