Sponsoring

Background

The eCampaigning Forum started accepting formal sponsorship in 2008. Before this, it relied on:

• The use of facilities (Oxfam GB 2004-06 and Advocacy Online arranged in 2002)
• Staff (Oxfam GB and Oxford Internet Institute)
• Donations: Oxfam Novib covered the cost of a participants from a southern country in 2006 and 2008
  

The event fees cover all the costs of organising the event and this event has deliberately been kept simple logistically.

The interest in having sponsors is thus to extend the event activities that contribute to the purpose of the event: connecting campaigners so they can learn together and make their campaigning more effective.

The Benefit for Sponsors

The eCampaigning Forum brings together staff and freelancers from around the world who work to make campaigning effective via interactive media (and beyond). 60% are generally from the UK with the remaining participants from around the world (see the 2008 participant list for exact origins). 125 people are expected to attend in 2009. While the participant base is medium sized, they are influential and innovative and are generally leaders of using interactive media for campaigning in their organisations or countries.

Sponsoring the eCampaigning Forum demonstrates a commitment to democratic participation and campaigning as a valuable social activity. Depending on the sponsor, this could translate into:

• Helping to achieve part of the organisational purpose
• More awareness and respect among these participant (and their peers who can't attend) of what your organisations does and stands for
• Insight into the world of campaigning and campaigning via interactive media

What Needs Sponsoring?

Below are some ideas about what needs sponsoring. We are also open to other proposals if they meet sponsor criteria #3. Ideas include:

• Sponsoring full cost of participants from southern countries (or small organisations or independent campaigners) to attend. Note they must still meet the participant selection criteria.
• Sponsoring the cost (or part of the cost) of having someone organise extra initiatives around the event such as:
• Documenting and publishing on and offline participant opinions via a written, audio or video format
• Providing a means for people who can't attend the event to partly participate online
• Sponsoring a separate pre-event for less experienced campaigners to get training on campaigning via interactive media and thus qualifying them to attend the event in the future
• Sponsoring the costs and fees of a high profile speaker to attend

Sponsor Criteria

Given the nature of the event, only a few sponsors will even qualify. Potential sponsors need to satisfy the following criteria:

1. Have a track record in supporting campaigning and/or democratic participation
2. Have an organisational commitment and progress towards environmental and social sustainability
3. Be willing to explore how sponsorship can best contribute to success of the event participants and compliment the un-conference format of the event