How to Get Sponsorship for Your Nonprofit

Similarly, Aetna(AET) hopes to gain access to female entrepreneurs' opinions on a new health care plan geared toward small business owners by sponsoring various events with the New York chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

"[Sponsorship] lets us increase our brand awareness and really get the Aetna name out there," says Miguel Centeno, vice president of strategic marketing.

Sponsors like multimedia retailer QVC, owned by Liberty Media(LINTA), look for a familiar demographic to cultivate loyal customers.

QVC sponsored Make Mine a $Million in part because it wants to build a positive brand image among the program's demographic, which is strikingly similar to its own.

Bleeding Hearts Need Not Apply

Make Mine a $Million has signed many sponsors including: Marriott(MAR), JetBlue(JBLU), Dell(DELL) and Fed Ex(FDX).

Rest assured, this rap sheet wasn't garnered from emotional appeals.

When making your sponsorship pitch to a company, make sure you know the company's goals and mission before even attempting to set foot in a meeting. Never go in just expecting cash.

"We're interested in partnerships, not just sponsorships," says Centeno. He recommends nonprofits focus their pitch on the long-term.

Centeno was impressed by the National Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Health's pitch to Aetna. "The thinking wasn't just, 'Can you sponsor this gala'," says Centeno. "They gave us a campaign that we can follow for one year."