Cold-Start Sponsor Outreach¶
This is for organizers who have zero existing relationships with tech companies — no alumni network, no professor connections, no warm intros. Starting from nothing.
Legal note: Before sending cold outreach emails, ensure compliance with applicable email laws in your jurisdiction. In the US, follow CAN-SPAM Act requirements: include your organization's physical address, a clear way to opt out, and an accurate subject line. In the EU/UK, follow GDPR/PECR requirements. Do not remove the opt-out line from these templates.
Who to target (and where to find them)¶
The MLH guide covers what to say to sponsors. This covers where to find them when you have no list.
Start local. A $200 sponsorship from a 10-person local dev shop is more achievable than $2,000 from Google.
Where to find local tech companies:
- LinkedIn: Search software engineer [your city] — look at where people work, identify companies with 10–200 employees
- Builtln[City]: built.in has city-specific directories of tech companies (builtin.com has NYC, Austin, Chicago, etc.)
- AngelList/Wellfound: Startup directory with location filters
- Your state's economic development website: Usually has a directory of tech companies that have received state support
- Local co-working spaces: Email the space manager — they often know every startup in the building and will connect you
- Meetup.com: Find local tech meetups; the organizers usually know who's active in the community
Target companies that: (a) hire new grads or interns, (b) have a "community" or "developer relations" person, (c) are within 30 miles of your school.
The cold email sequence¶
Email 1 (initial outreach)¶
Subject: Sponsoring [EVENT NAME] — [NUMBER] CS Students, [MONTH YEAR]
Hi [FIRST NAME],
I'm [YOUR NAME], a student at [SCHOOL NAME] organizing [EVENT NAME], a [one-day / weekend] hackathon on [DATE]. We're expecting [NUMBER] students to build technology projects.
I'm reaching out because [COMPANY NAME] seems like a natural fit — [one sentence about why: e.g., "you're working on developer tools, which is exactly what our students are excited about" / "you're a local company and we want to highlight the tech community in [city]"].
We're looking for sponsors at the $[AMOUNT] level in exchange for [logo on website / mention at opening ceremony / table to demo your products to attendees — pick what's appropriate].
Would you be open to a 15-minute call this week or next?
Thank you, [YOUR NAME] [SCHOOL NAME] [YOUR EMAIL] [SCHOOL ADDRESS — required for CAN-SPAM compliance]
To opt out of future outreach from [EVENT NAME], reply "unsubscribe."
Email 2 (follow-up, send 5 days after Email 1 if no reply)¶
Subject: Re: Sponsoring [EVENT NAME]
Hi [FIRST NAME],
Following up on my email below about [EVENT NAME] on [DATE].
I know inboxes get busy — happy to keep this short. If [COMPANY NAME] isn't a fit for sponsorship this time, no worries at all. If there's a better contact at your company I should reach out to, I'd appreciate the pointer.
Either way, thanks for building [something specific about their product/company].
[YOUR NAME]
Email 3 (final follow-up, send 5 days after Email 2)¶
Subject: Last note — [EVENT NAME] on [DATE]
Hi [FIRST NAME],
Last note from me on [EVENT NAME]. We finalize sponsors on [DATE] — happy to include [COMPANY NAME] if there's interest.
If the timing doesn't work, I'd love to stay in touch for future events.
Thanks, [YOUR NAME]
After three emails with no reply, move on. Don't send more.
What to offer sponsors (tiered)¶
You don't need a formal prospectus for small events. A simple table works:
| Tier | Amount | What they get |
|---|---|---|
| Community ($100–$200) | Logo on event website + thank you at opening | |
| Silver ($200–$500) | Above + social media mention + logo on printed materials | |
| Gold ($500–$1,000) | Above + table at event to meet students + resume access (if participants opt in) | |
| Food sponsor | In-kind donation | "Lunch sponsored by [COMPANY]" announcement + logo |
For a first event, Community and Silver tiers are realistic. Don't over-promise.
How many companies to contact¶
Expect a ~10% response rate and ~30% conversion on responses. To land 3 sponsors, contact at least 30 companies. That sounds like a lot — it's about 2 hours of research and email drafting.
Build a simple tracking spreadsheet:
| Company | Contact name | Date sent | Status | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acme Corp | Jane Smith | jane@acme.com | 2026-03-15 | No reply — sent F/U |
Non-cash sponsorship (easier to get than cash)¶
Some companies will say no to cash but yes to in-kind donations:
- Snacks and drinks — Office managers at tech companies often have standing orders they can redirect
- Swag — Branded t-shirts, stickers, water bottles — almost always a yes
- API credits — Stripe, Twilio, SendGrid, OpenAI all have developer programs
- Mentors — Ask engineers to volunteer 2 hours on event day; this is often easier to get approved than a cash sponsorship
Part of the Equity Pack.