Sponsor Guide: How to Sponsor an Australian Community Sports Club on SponsorBridge

SponsorBridge makes it easy for local businesses to find, evaluate, and support verified Australian community sports clubs. This guide covers everything a sponsor needs — from creating a free account to tracking the impact of their community investment.

How does a business get started on SponsorBridge?

SponsorBridge is free for sponsors. You can view any club's public page and packages without logging in. You only need an account when you're ready to purchase a package or apply for an in-kind sponsorship. To register, head to the Register page and select "I'm a Sponsor / Business". Enter your name, email, and a password — your account is ready in seconds, and there's no charge to create one.

What do sponsors see on a club's page?

Each club's page is their complete digital sponsorship prospectus — no PDF attachments or back-and-forth emails. You'll find:

• The club's story — who they are, their history, and their community impact
• Club statistics — membership numbers, years active, teams, and reach
• Sponsorship packages — each with a clear price, detailed inclusions, and availability
• Active fundraising campaigns — if the club is running an event drive (gala dinner, trivia night), it appears as a campaign banner
• In-kind packages — if the club accepts goods or services as sponsorship, these are listed separately

Are the clubs on SponsorBridge verified?

Yes. Every club listed on SponsorBridge has had their ABN verified against the Australian Business Register and been manually reviewed by the SponsorBridge team before going live. Verified clubs display a green "Verified" badge — it means you're dealing with a legitimate community organisation.

How do sponsors purchase a sponsorship package?

1. Select a package — Browse available packages on a club's profile page. Each shows the price, inclusions, and availability. Click "Sponsor Now".
2. Review the contract — If the club has attached a contract template, you'll be asked to review and digitally sign it before payment. No printing or scanning needed.
3. Choose how to pay — If the club has enabled flexible payment options, you can pay by card (sponsorship is confirmed and active immediately) or arrange payment directly with the club by EFT (no processing fee, club manually activates after receiving payment).
4. Understand fees — When paying by card, you pay the package price only. The processing fee (1.75% + $0.30) is deducted from the club's payout. At checkout you'll see a "Cover the processing fee" checkbox — ticking it adds the fee to your total so the club receives the full package amount.

How do in-kind sponsorships work for businesses?

Some clubs list in-kind packages where you provide goods or services instead of money — such as equipment, printing, vouchers, or catering. Instead of "Sponsor Now", you click "Apply to Sponsor" and submit a proposal explaining what you can provide. The club reviews and accepts or declines your application. If accepted, a contract is auto-created with tracked deliverables. No payment and no processing fees are required for in-kind sponsorships. The sign-off is reversed: you mark deliverables as delivered first, and the club confirms receipt.

What does the Sponsor Dashboard show?

After your first purchase, the Sponsor Dashboard becomes your home base. It shows all active sponsorships with club name, package details, amount paid, and current status (Clearing, Active, or Refunded). Every sponsorship comes with an itemised tax receipt available instantly after purchase — no chasing clubs for paperwork. The "Year to Date Impact" card shows your total investment in community clubs.

How do sponsors build a public profile on SponsorBridge?

After your first purchase, you'll be prompted to create a public sponsor profile. Enter your business name, tagline, industry, and website URL. You get a dedicated public page at /sponsors/your-business-name. Add your logo, cover image, and an "About" section. Your business will appear in the "Our Sponsors" section of every club you support — with your logo and a link to your sponsor profile — giving you ongoing brand visibility to everyone who visits the club's page.

How do sponsors track the impact of their sponsorship?

Navigate to Analytics from the sponsor sidebar to see engagement data for your sponsor page:

• Page Views — How many people visited your sponsor page
• Website Clicks — How many clicked through to your business website
• Click-Through Rate — Percentage of viewers who clicked your website link

This data helps you report the reach of your community investment to business stakeholders and justifies the sponsorship spend.

How do sponsors confirm deliverables on SponsorBridge?

When a club marks a deliverable as delivered (e.g. "Logo printed on all jerseys"), you receive a notification. Go to Contracts, review the deliverable and the club's notes, and click "Confirm Delivery". Once both parties sign off, the deliverable is marked complete. If you're not satisfied, contact the club directly — their details are on their profile page. Only confirm when you're happy. When all deliverables are complete, the contract status changes to Completed automatically.