Three Creative Tips to Obtain Sponsorship

It is a time-honored tradition for funeral homes, cemeteries, and mortuaries to sponsor calendars for their local parish. I have recently spoken with representatives at several churches who have, unfortunately, lost their calendar sponsor. For that reason, I wanted to share these creative workarounds for obtaining calendar sponsorship/funding that I have picked up from working with churches across North America.

Tip 1: Think Less Traditional Sponsorship

Consider your congregation and what careers your church members represent. Traditionally, funeral homes do sponsor calendars, but there are other types of businesses to consider. I have seen restaurants, financial representatives, lawyers, real estate agents, and general contractors sponsor calendars. These businesses all have something in common. They all benefit from having their business name, phone number, and essential business details hanging on parishioners’ walls.

This is an excellent form of advertising! Did you know that one wall calendar can have over 670 impressions in its lifetime?

Perhaps this potential sponsor is even interested in including a coupon as part of their message to foster business growth – they can put that on the ad at the bottom of the calendar. Churches use their bulletins or newsletters to ask parishioners for sponsorship of their calendars. Our talented typesetting department is ready to add your sponsor(s) (yes, there can be more than one!) to the imprint along with your church information.

The imprint space is 10” wide x 2” high, so why not use up that space?

Tip 2: Honor the Dearly Departed

Consider using your calendar imprint to memorialize and honor the deceased. One parish secretary explained that they ask for a $1 donation each week of the year, for a total donation of $52. Then, that parishioner can have their loved one’s name printed in the ad space of the calendar under an “In Memoriam” heading. This is a beautiful way to commemorate friends and family in your community.

Tip 3: Have the Calendars Pay for Themselves

Besides offering a unique and personal way to celebrate your church, some congregations use these calendars as a fundraising opportunity. You can purchase the calendars and mark them up to raise money for mission trips and church projects. Parishioners like to support the parish; as an added incentive, they get a calendar with their donation.

A bonus idea is to order custom Catholic calendars. This will allow you to provide us with 13 pictures of your choosing. That’s right! No more difficult decisions about which calendar style to choose. You are in the driver’s seat and can pick the photos you’d like to include. You can order custom Catholic calendars in English, Spanish, or bilingual English/Spanish.

As an added value, you can customize our date pad; you may add up to five special dates such as the yearly church picnic, bingo nights, Father’s birthday, etc. All calendar images and your artwork are in full color. Give our calendar crew a call to learn more about this custom option.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our calendar crew regarding your parish calendars. We have spoken to many sponsors and churches and may be able to offer an idea you haven’t thought of for obtaining calendar sponsorship.