How I Raised $10k In Two Months: Sponsorship Tips By Alexie Young
Last June I launched the first annual Art West Gallery Tour on the Westside of Chicago! Most people had no idea there were a variety of beautiful galleries available “Out West” and it was my first shot to debut a tour that would reshape the sad perception of Chicago’s beloved Westside. Imagine an art-crawl-day-party touring through North Lawndale, and East Garfield Park to explore the arts and culture spaces like the MLK Exhibit Center, Legendary Art Gallery, and 345 Art Gallery. Our budget of $10k is what made our event successful and it took a little over two months to raise that amount from sponsors. Nearly a year ago, I reached out to the founder of the BOSS Network , Cameka Smith, and I asked her what was the best way to acquire sponsors for an event. Her response was “It’s all about relationships.” I spent some time pondering what relationships I already had and the ones that I need to develop in order to get the support of the vision. If you’re fresh into hosting events