Event sponsor fit scorecard
The committee has a list of organisations in mind and wants a fair way to compare them before anyone is approached.
…
The short answer
The scorecard compares prospective sponsors against criteria you define and weight yourself. You score each organisation from 0 to 5 per criterion and add a note of the public evidence. A score counts only when it has a weight and an evidence note.
The weighted score is shown with coverage, the share of total weight that has an evidenced score, so an organisation scored on only some criteria is never ranked as if it were complete. Anything missing becomes a research question. Fit is not interest: nothing here says any organisation wants to sponsor.
What to enter
- Criteria about the organisation and the event, for example sector relevance to your audience or compatibility with the event's purpose. Give each a weight (a higher number matters more to you) and what to look for.
- The organisations to assess, by label, with the public source you used. No personal names, emails or phone numbers.
- A score from 0 to 5 for each organisation and criterion, with a note of the public evidence behind it. Leave the score blank if you have not looked yet.
How the score is worked out
For each organisation the tool multiplies each evidenced score by the criterion's weight, adds them up and divides by the total weight of the criteria that were scored. The result is a number from 0 to 5.
Coverage is the share of the full set of weights that has an evidenced score. A score of 4.6 on 83 percent coverage is not the same as 4.6 on all criteria, and the table shows both.
What is left out, and why
- A score with no public evidence note is not counted and is listed.
- A criterion with no weight, or a weight of zero, is left out.
- A criterion about a personal trait, such as religion, age, gender or health, is not used. Choose criteria about the organisation and the event.
- Any email address, phone number or personal profile link in the text is rejected, because the tool does not hold contacts.
Research questions
For each organisation and each criterion without an evidenced score, the tool writes a question such as what public evidence shows how the organisation fits that criterion. It also asks which public role or function handles event support, using a published role title and not a personal contact.
Use the answers to complete the scorecard. For the thinking behind the criteria, see defining a good-fit prospect and building an honest audience profile.
Limits
The scorecard is only as good as your criteria, weights and evidence, and a high score does not predict interest. Research only from public sources and see researching organisations without misusing private contact lists. When you are ready to track conversations, use the sponsor pipeline tracker.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional forum
Fictional organisations and scores, to show weighting and coverage.
A fictional forum weights three criteria: sector relevance 3, fit with the event purpose 2 and past support for similar events 1. A fourth criterion about the religion of founders is set aside.
Organisation A scores 5 and 4 with evidence, and 2 on past support but with no evidence note, so that score is not counted. Its weighted score is 4.6 on 83 percent coverage. Organisation B scores 3 on one criterion with evidence, so its 3.00 is on 50 percent coverage and is marked partial. Five research questions are listed.
| Organisation | Weighted score | Weight covered | Not yet evidenced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organisation A | 4.60 (partial) | 83% | Past support for similar events |
| Organisation B | 3.00 (partial) | 50% | Fit with the event purpose; past support |
Use this yourself
Sponsor fit scorecard
Fill in the weights first. Score only what you can support with a public source, and note the source.
| Criterion | Weight | Organisation | Score (0 to 5) | Public evidence (what and where) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research question: which public role handles event support? (published title, not a personal contact) | ||||
| Check: is any score recorded without evidence, or any criterion about a personal trait? |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- A short list of organisations, a handful of agreed criteria and public information that is easy to find.
- The committee agrees the weights before anyone scores.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Many organisations, several people scoring and criteria that keep changing as the audience profile firms up.
- Research gaps need chasing and the committee needs one consistent view before approvals.
- The scorecard must sit alongside the inventory, approvals and the event timeline.
Need the sponsorship workstream planned?
An Event Blueprint can set out how prospective sponsors are assessed, who approves each approach and how this connects to your inventory and timeline. A project lead can coordinate that workstream with your committee, while the criteria, approvals and every conversation with sponsors stay with you.
Questions organisers ask
Does a high score mean the organisation is interested?
No. The score compares what you recorded from public sources. It does not show that any organisation wants to sponsor.
Why is a score ignored when I leave the evidence blank?
Only scores with a public evidence note are counted, so the result rests on something you can point to. The score is listed so you can add the evidence.
Can I add a criterion about the owner's religion or age?
No. Criteria about personal traits are not used. Use criteria about the organisation and the event.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.