Thread: How do you sponsor someone?

How do you contact them to find out what they charge, what do you pay for, what is an average cost to expect to pay, etc?

Corner them at events... Email them through their website... Ask other well known sponsors out of your area...

Hi. My name is Rahana from Santa Monica, CA. I have sponsored a few Dancers over the past few years, and have also been hired to teach workshops, so I may be able to share from both sides. Below are a few notes. I am happy to expand more another time. These are off the top of my head, and would be happy to help further. Gotta get back to work right now... Belly Dance Costume Boutique - At DancingRahana.com

Contact:
1. Contact potential Instructor in writing. This helps avoid mis-communication. It's okay to make initial contact in person so they can put a face with a name, but follow-up in writing.

2. Request a list of workshop topics that they can offer (in writing).

3. Ask what they normally charge for a 2 hr workshop. Wait to negotiate after they have given you a price. See budget notes below to help determine numbers.

Budget:
Make a budget plan for guidance:
1. Determine where you would be able to hold your event, and the costs associated with it. This will help determine what you need to charge for entrance, and what you can offer an Instructor. I have had to take a loss, or barely break even at some events. There is no guarantee that you will make your money back. I have often done the sponsorship to see a particular Dancer or style featured in my neighborhood, often referred to as a "Labor of Love".

2. Don't forget to factor in expenses associated with advertising and so on.

3. Determining Instructor price may depend on whether the Instructor is local, or will need to travel. Travel time can usually affect a price.

4. Experience and crowd appeal can also effect the price.

to be continued if desired.... let me know :) -Rahana

Rahana, this is great...Please continue! :-) Also, so...initial contact doesn't mean you should feel "guilty" if you find your area is unable to support the person you are considering, then, right?

rates change from instructor to instructor.

You can expect to be paying either an hourly fee or a per person fee or a percentage of total income before expenses.

If you want the instructor to perform as well - do expect to pay a performance fee. Some will waive their performance fee if you book them for a certain amount of workshop instruction, some will not.

Additionally you may pay for transportation, room and board. Transportation being anything from gas money to a round trip flight. Room being hotel or some instructors work with you and will stay with you or a fellow dancer. Board includes all meals, water or the like for the workshop.

It is common courtesy to cover any cover charge to any location you take your instructor out to during/after the engagement is completed - its customary, but not a must.

These expenses are in addition to your typical sponsor expenses: marketing, studio rent, providing a sound system etc.

Rahana, great post :)

Also be sure you have a contract so that there are no unexpected miscommunications/expectations for the weekend. You'll be stressed enough to just put the event on! :-)
I kow a few dancers including myself that I am sure would share if you would like. I did that and combined some things I liked from each contract.
Like David said the rates will differ and how they charge will be different. Some charge per hour, others a percentage of the door, also expect a performance fee if you are going to hold a show and want the instructor to perform.
Good luck!
xoxo,
-NJ

Oh and some contracts sound more intimidating than others.

Some contracts ARE more intimidating than others.

It's good to learn to read them through without getting a hotflash from the fancy wording with no reason :)

interesting thread.
ok, so without naming names, what is the range of fees you have been quoted for instructors workshops / performance?
is it different for dancers vs. musicians?

I have never hosted a "big name" but did host a dancer (FANTASTIC Michelle Charles frome Rochester, NY!). We did have a contract. She and I agreed to a % after costs instead of a flat fee. In my area I was not very sure of getting students in from other studios so this protected me if I had lower numbers. Of course she was only a short distance away so it made the whole arrangement work. You didn't mention if you are looking at a "big name dancer" so I just thought I'd throw it out there.
It was a successful event with most of my student base (level 2 and above) attending.

Originally Posted by sabrinabellydancer

interesting thread.
ok, so without naming names, what is the range of fees you have been quoted for instructors workshops / performance?
is it different for dancers vs. musicians?

$20 - 1200.00 / hr for instruction
$75 - 12 000.00 for a performance
+ travel, room, board
+ specific sound system preferences
+ specific size of studio preferences
+ specific lighting in studio preferences
+ specific hotel preferences
+ specific travel preferences
+ specific brand of bottled water preferences
+ specific currency of payment preferences
+ specific travel companion preferences
+ added cost of travel/room/board for travel companion
+ specific orchestra/band/musician preferences
+ added cost of orchestra/band/musician
+ added travel, room, board cost for orchestra/band/musician
+ minimum hours booked
+ specific air freshner in hotel/bed room preferences
+ specific lighting preferences during performance
+ private changing lounge (NOT just a corner or a room) with mirror and refreshments

All of this made me feel VERY affordable, easy to work with and not very demanding in my contractual agreements.

Musicians are different than dancers, they usually range more expensive from what I've heard. OR, they play for free. Nothing inbetween really - if you're looking for quality, that is.

Shadiyah (Shadiyah Dances - Belly Dance by Shadiyah - MD, DC, VA - index) distributes a book on how to put on events, which may be useful, as well.

Hahahaha I'm sorry , but that is one heck of a range in fees!!!! ;-)

Originally Posted by Sonja2

Hahahaha I'm sorry , but that is one heck of a range in fees!!!! ;-)

well, nobody told me to restrict the "range" to a certain level of instructors, right? lol

The Biz of Belly Dance tribe on tribe.net has several threads about sponsorship and some wonderful contributors with all sorts of experience.

I think one of the first questions asked as far as money should be what is their minimum charge. It may not matter how many hours you book them for this or that, most instructors will expect a minimum fee before they do anything.

Here's another question (and David, I do appreciate the full range of fees by the way...I'm assuming that covers the gamut from SuzyQ down the street to Dina).....

What about hosting a workshop "benefit" for a cause? I'm just gonna throw it out here because I have nothing to lose in this case. Do instructors ever discount their fees to support a cause? Do you have to be nonprofit to ask a local venue to donate meeting space (to increase your chances of actually making money for the cause)? If you are a for-profit agency doing something for a cause, and someone donates meeting space to that function, is it tax-deductable for them?

I know these are really specific questions but I am starting here at square zero.

Originally Posted by Sonja2

Here's another question (and David, I do appreciate the full range of fees by the way...I'm assuming that covers the gamut from SuzyQ down the street to Dina).....

What about hosting a workshop "benefit" for a cause? I'm just gonna throw it out here because I have nothing to lose in this case. Do instructors ever discount their fees to support a cause? Do you have to be nonprofit to ask a local venue to donate meeting space (to increase your chances of actually making money for the cause)? If you are a for-profit agency doing something for a cause, and someone donates meeting space to that function, is it tax-deductable for them?

I know these are really specific questions but I am starting here at square zero.

Yes that is tax deductible for them if they are donating space for a charity. Some instructors will donate perfromances and instruction time or discount fees for charities, this happens quite often, and their expenses involved in doing so are tax deductible for them. If you are a nonprofit organization yourself you often times get a discounted rate already. And really anybody can ask for anything, whether or not a venue says yes is up to them, it doesn't matter if you are profit or nonprofit. Just remember; receipts, receipts receipts. Check out the irs website or call them to verify or to see how you go about deductions when dealing with charities.

Originally Posted by bellydancewear

Yes that is tax deductible for them if they are donating space for a charity. Some instructors will donate perfromances and instruction time or discount fees for charities, this happens quite often, and their expenses involved in doing so are tax deductible for them. If you are a nonprofit organization yourself you often times get a discounted rate already. And really anybody can ask for anything, whether or not a venue says yes is up to them, it doesn't matter if you are profit or nonprofit. Just remember; receipts, receipts receipts. Check out the irs website or call them to verify or to see how you go about deductions when dealing with charities.

Ok, that makes sense. The confusion to me was (is) really where say I decided to host an event in which I'd like to donate 100% of proceeds to charity XYZ. I work something out with the workshop instructor to pay them $$ amount, and then contact a hotel/dance studio/etc.. to reserve a space. I suppose I then give the studio AND the instructor receipts stating that 100% of proceeds benefit charity XYZ. Then following the event, do those donors also get copies of the receipts of donation to the charity (in order to show that the donation WAS made to a charity organization and not to MY for-profit organization)? Whew. Thank heavens I'm not a tax accountant.

Originally Posted by Sonja2

Ok, that makes sense. The confusion to me was (is) really where say I decided to host an event in which I'd like to donate 100% of proceeds to charity XYZ. I work something out with the workshop instructor to pay them $$ amount, and then contact a hotel/dance studio/etc.. to reserve a space. I suppose I then give the studio AND the instructor receipts stating that 100% of proceeds benefit charity XYZ. Then following the event, do those donors also get copies of the receipts of donation to the charity (in order to show that the donation WAS made to a charity organization and not to MY for-profit organization)? Whew. Thank heavens I'm not a tax accountant.

Yep, give them receipts stating how much what they donated was worth and the name of the charity the proceeds go for. As far as shows, the tickets themselves are usually considered the receipts for what they paid to see a show that is supporting XYZ charity. Again Internal Revenue Service has a lot of info on it and you can always call and ask them questions. It's cheaper than hiring an accountant and asking them and more accurate in the information you will get (nothing like getting it straight from the horse's mouth!!) You just want to do everything accordingly.

Originally Posted by david

$20 - 1200.00 / hr for instruction
$75 - 12 000.00 for a performance
+ travel, room, board

haha, ok. well then let me rephrase:
what is the range people have encountered for sponsoring top tier performers/instructors from a)within the usa b) between the e.u./u.k.?
not fifi, dina, nagua, reda

Originally Posted by sabrinabellydancer

haha, ok. well then let me rephrase:
what is the range people have encountered for sponsoring top tier performers/instructors from a)within the usa b) between the e.u./u.k.?
not fifi, dina, nagua, reda

Theehee... ok lets see...

USA:
$10 - 25 per person per hour
$75 - 250 per hour

Europe:
$75 - 150 per hour (as far as I know)

UK:
dunno

Some instructors charge more per hour for the farther they have to travel as their expertise is to be considered more exclusive the farther away from home they get (or something like that).

Originally Posted by david

Theehee... ok lets see...

USA:
$10 - 25 per person per hour
$75 - 250 per hour

Europe:
$75 - 150 per hour (as far as I know)

UK:
dunno

Some instructors charge more per hour for the farther they have to travel as their expertise is to be considered more exclusive the farther away from home they get (or something like that).

thanks, makes sense.

I'm doing a couple of charity events this year, the sponsor covers travel and a small fee. I think you can get a great rate on venues if it's for charity, look at non profit groups to cosponsor so you get all the benefits.
I agree that you should send an email to your instructors of choice and ask for their prices, and don't feel bad if you can't afford them at this time. As a workshop instructor I would never want someone to lose money on me, I think most teachers agree!

*edited to add: many of the US instructors I've encountered charge $125-250/ hour to teach, and $150-500 to perform