August 23, 2022
Donation vs Sponsorship - What’s The Difference?
As a nonprofit, you seek help from individuals and organizations to support the various causes you are associated with. Donation is the word commonly associated with giving funds. There is one more term “sponsorship” which is also associated with funds but isn’t the same as donations though. So, what’s the difference between donations and sponsorship? Let’s discuss it here.
What is a donation?
Before we learn of the difference between donations and sponsorships or between donors and sponsors, it is better we know what is a donation.
A donation is a philanthropic gift in the form of cash or in-kind. It is given by individuals, business entities, trusts, communities, or groups to charities or individuals for the support of a particular cause or project. It is considered a goodwill contribution without expecting anything in return. Tax receipts can be issued for donations if there are no benefits received for such contributions.
A donor is a person or organization who gives something of value to individuals or charities supporting a cause. In simple terms, donors are friends who are willing to support the cause due to inherent reasons without the expectation of getting anything material in return. The onus is on the recipient to return the favor, if possible. Charities, usually, thank the donors, in small ways such as mentioning their names in events and on their annual reports and websites. They even arrange for small gifts or mementos as a token of appreciation.
The reason why people or organizations donate to charities may differ. They may have a personal or philosophical connection. In fact, many donors prefer to remain anonymous without revealing their identity or the cause for donations.
Businesses mostly set aside a part of their annual budget for charitable giving as a part of their corporate social responsibility. It is a process to become a part of the local community where their business is set up. It allows them to build a deeper and meaningful connection with the people in the local community. The donations may be in cash or in-kind. The in-kind donations may be in the form of expertise, goods, or volunteering time.
What is sponsorship?
A donation done with a business relationship can be termed a sponsorship. Here, the provider of funds, resources, or services expects some rights or associations in return that may be used for commercial advantage. It can be termed benevolent advertising. There is reciprocity involved in such a way that both the sponsoring party and the recipient benefit from it.
A sponsor is an individual or organization that exchanges donations in cash or in-kind for something in return like publicity.
Corporate sponsorships are widely used modules of sponsoring by businesses as it benefits both the involved parties. The patrons of the organization or the individual that the business is sponsoring should reciprocate the donation in a way that benefits the business.
What is the objective of sponsorship?
Sponsorship provides an opportunity for business houses to gain publicity. It increases brand awareness and gets in new customers for the business.
Since the organization associates itself with a noble cause, it increases its value of being a socially responsible enterprise. It improves community relationships. The community gets to see the human side of the business.
Sponsorship even helps businesses to clinch deals. It increases the credibility and pushes it to the big league when an enterprise associates itself with a donation drive or event.
What is the difference between donation and sponsorship?
Now that we have understood what donation and sponsorship are, you can easily identify the differences between the two.
Sponsorships are mostly marketing tactics to increase brand awareness and value. Sponsors have their names associated with fundraising events where the motive is to gain exposure. It is here, where they get maximum recognition. Sponsorships are usually done by businesses. Individuals prefer to donate rather than sponsor the cause.
Donations are handed out for the greater good of humanity and the community. Donations are harder to obtain since most business organizations look for recognition.
Concluding Thoughts
As a recipient, understanding the difference between a donation and sponsorship is important.
When you deal with sponsorships, you first need to understand the sponsors’ aspirations and needs. Not all have the same bandwidth or need to support your cause. Sometimes, a sponsor may benefit the most from the deal, making it appear more giving and charitable. Since it is a give-and-take relationship, they’re usually much easier to lock down than donations.
Collecting donations comes with no strings attached. Although donors are hard to find, you can collect funds by incorporating some strategies. One of the best ways to collect donations online is by setting up a donation page on a trusted online fundraising platform. GivingX is one such platform that is free to use and helps you to set up your crowdfunding page in minutes. It is a user-friendly online fundraising website and has advanced features for page setup, social sharing, recurring donations, team fundraising, and donor payment methods.
When you are looking for cash donations, online fundraising platforms help. Agreed, collecting donations isn’t easy. But with an appealing donation page, you can still compel prospective donors to donate for a lifetime. Set up your fundraiser on GivingX today and increase your chances of collecting funds for your cause.