Sponsorship Playbook

What to cover on the call

1. Introduce yourself — name + Round Rock Fire Foundation
2. One-sentence what we do — "we support local firefighters and their families"
3. The event — 2nd Annual Blazing Paddles Pickleball Tournament, Oct 10, Tejas Pickleball Club
4. Reach — 200+ players + their families = 500+ local people
5. Permission to continue — "Is this a good time, or should I call back?"

💡 Tone tip: Smile while you dial. The person on the other end can hear it. Keep the opener under 25 seconds before you stop and let them respond.

Sample opener

"Hi, this is Diedra from the Round Rock Fire Foundation — we support local firefighters and their families. We're hosting our 2nd Annual Blazing Paddles Pickleball Tournament on October 10th at Tejas Pickleball Club, and I think [business] would be a great fit. Is this a good time for a couple minutes?"

"Hi, this is [YOUR NAME] calling from the Round Rock Fire Foundation. We're a nonprofit that supports local firefighters and their families, and we're hosting our 2nd Annual Blazing Paddles Pickleball Tournament on Saturday, October 10th at Tejas Pickleball Club in Georgetown.

It's going to bring together 200+ players and their families — over 500 people total from the Round Rock and Georgetown communities. I'd love to talk with you about a sponsorship opportunity that would get [BUSINESS NAME] in front of all those families.

Is this a good time, or should I call back?"

What to cover when you walk in

1. Be brief — they're working, you're interrupting
2. Name + foundation — "Round Rock Fire Foundation"
3. One line about the event — pickleball tournament Oct 10th raising money for fire families
4. Why you came in person — you thought their business would be a perfect fit
5. Ask for the decision-maker — "Do you have someone here who handles community partnerships?"
6. Always leave a flyer — print the Sponsor Flyer ahead of time and hand it over

Sample opener

"Hi there — I'm Diedra with the Round Rock Fire Foundation. We're putting on a pickleball tournament on October 10th to raise money for local firefighter families, and I thought [business] would be a perfect fit as a sponsor. Do you have someone here who handles community partnerships?"

"Hi there — my name is [YOUR NAME] and I'm with the Round Rock Fire Foundation. We're putting on a pickleball tournament on October 10th at Tejas Pickleball Club in Georgetown to raise money for local firefighter families.

I wanted to stop by personally because I think [BUSINESS NAME] would be a perfect fit as a sponsor. Do you have someone here who handles community partnerships?"

What to cover in the voicemail

1. Keep it under 25 seconds — longer and they delete
2. Your name + foundation
3. One sentence: the event — pickleball tournament Oct 10 for firefighter families
4. One sentence: the reach — 200+ players and their families
5. Your callback number, slowly, twice
6. End warm — "Thanks so much"

💡 Pace tip: Speak slower than feels natural — especially when you say the phone number. Say it twice. They're writing it down while you talk.

Sample voicemail · tap ▶ to hear the pace

"Hi, this is [YOUR NAME] with the Round Rock Fire Foundation. We're hosting our 2nd Annual Blazing Paddles Pickleball Tournament on Saturday, October 10th in Georgetown — it's a community fundraiser for local firefighter families.

I have a sponsorship opportunity I'd love to share with [BUSINESS NAME] that would put your business in front of 200+ players and their families. Please give me a call back at [YOUR PHONE].

Thanks so much!"

What to cover in the follow-up

1. Reference your first message — "just circling back on…"
2. A reason to act now — "we're finalizing the lineup in the next few weeks"
3. Lower the bar — offer a quick call OR the flyer, whichever is easier
4. Re-attach the Sponsor Flyer — don't make them dig through old emails

Sample opener

"Hi [first name], just circling back on the sponsorship opportunity I mentioned for Blazing Paddles. We're finalizing our lineup over the next few weeks — would love to know if [business] wants in. Happy to jump on a quick call or just resend the flyer, whichever's easier."

📎 Re-attach the Sponsor Flyer on follow-ups too. Use Send Now to auto-attach.

Subject: Quick follow-up — Blazing Paddles sponsorship

Hi [FIRST NAME],

Just wanted to circle back on the sponsorship opportunity I mentioned for the Blazing Paddles Pickleball Tournament on October 10th. We're finalizing our sponsor lineup over the next few weeks and I'd love to know if [BUSINESS NAME] would like to be part of it.

Happy to jump on a quick call or send the one-page sponsorship flyer — whichever is easier for you.

Thanks for your time,
[YOUR NAME]
Round Rock Fire Foundation

What to cover in the thank-you

1. Thank them by name — not the company, the human
2. Tell them what you raised — exact dollar amount, attributable to them
3. Show the impact — teams played, people attended, social reach
4. Attach 2–3 photos — their logo/banner visible at the event
5. Plant the 2027 seed — "I'll reach out in the spring"

💡 Why this matters: The thank-you is when you re-sell next year's sponsorship. Sponsors who see real impact + photos of their logo come back at 2x the rate.

Sample opener

"Hi [first name] — thank you again for sponsoring Blazing Paddles. Because of [business], we raised $[total] for Round Rock firefighter families. Here are a few photos from the day with your logo front and center. We couldn't have done it without you."

Subject: Thank You — Blazing Paddles Tournament Results

Hi [FIRST NAME],

Thank you again for sponsoring the Blazing Paddles Pickleball Tournament on October 10th. Because of your support, we raised $[AMOUNT] for Round Rock firefighter families.

Here's a quick recap of the day:
• [XX] teams played
• [XX] people attended
• We reached [XX] people on social media

[Attach 2–3 photos showing their logo/banner at the event]

We couldn't have done this without you. Your sponsorship made a real difference for the families we serve.

We'd love to have you back next year. I'll reach out in the spring about the 2027 tournament.

With gratitude,
[YOUR NAME]
Round Rock Fire Foundation
[PHONE] · [EMAIL]