Anybody out there had any experience raising large amounts of funding for a non-profit through sponsorships?

Nice idea, You need to be set-up as a 501( c )3 “a non-profit” and have many years of history to be regarded as potential organization for sponsorship by corporate America.

You will need some materials that show the sponsors what they will get for their patronage. Media coverage? Making a video of the scouts adventure in space to be shown on youtube?

Thanks @Tropical_Willie. I’m hoping to get official BSA buy in for the project. They have a history that spans over 100 years. ;)

Have you thought about submitting an application for a grant? Here’s an article about 10 colleges that offer free courses in grant writing. http://education-portal.com/articles/10_Universities_Offering_Free_Writing_Courses_Online.html

Many colleges and universities offer degrees in grant writing. Or You might be fortunate enough to find someone who knows how to write grants. Get this part started, and finding people who want to help your cause may get easier because they’ll know you are serious, and you are not uninformed.

Regarding fund raising and scholarships, all it takes is one inspired wealthy person who knows other wealthy people with the same passion. Once you have found that person, it’s easier.

They are out there, but it takes a certain amount of glad-handing, lots and lots of your own money, time and effort, prayer, and even luck.

@snowberry A grant is an interesting idea. However, aren’t grants generally given from established institutions to further their agenda? For example, colleges give grants to students with promise who have economic challenges, or the government gives grants to a particular researcher working in a targeted field. I’m not quite sure who to approach for a grant to fund a scouting high adventure trek—(the BSA comes to mind, but I doubt that they have $1.2 Mil to plunk down for 6 seats on a commercial space liner.

It’s certainly an idea worth following up on. Thanks for the suggestion.

Start with small local businesses, build a reputation with them. Once you establish a reputation locally, branch out to smaller regional businesses. Keep expanding until your nationally recognized.

It will take time to grow your base of supporters. I have worked for a nonprofit for 24 years, and been on the boards of several more.

You will not get large corporations to sponsor you until you have a 10–15 year track record. Unless you can impress the CEO or one of the directors with something your nonprofit did that their foundations can’t or won’t do.

There is money available from the government, or I assume organizations that want to support worthy causes. The worthy causes are often non-profits, but I don’t know all the details. I do know that there are free classes, and plenty of information on what they are and how they work, Suggest you consider a free course to see if that might work for you.

Check out this link. http://www.npguides.org/ PM me if this site does not answer your questions because I know a number of people who write grants, and I’ll ask them for you.