Sponsorship Policy

Purpose of policy

The Strettons Mayfair Trust (SMT) actively seeks opportunities to work together with external organisations to achieve shared objectives. 

Sponsorship is one way in which such opportunities can be achieved.  Sponsorship is a payment to a charity for which the sponsor receives something in return.  Payment may be in the form of money, goods or services or a combination of these or public association with an activity, project, event or asset. 

This policy enables the Board of Trustees to take ethical considerations into account when deciding upon receiving sponsorship from outside bodies.

Commitment to address ethical issues

It is vital that SMT maintains its independence and does not allow external partnerships to bring the name of SMT into disrepute.  SMT therefore seeks as far as is practical and within the constraints of UK law:

• Initiatives that do not compromise the charitable status of SMT
• That activities of organisations SMT works with are consistent with SMT’s organisational vision and values.
• SMT is not used in a manner that would express or imply SMT endorsement of the company/organisation or its policies.

SMT does not support specific brands, products, political or religious ideologies.

Whilst SMT may publicly acknowledge its commercial partners, it cannot advertise, promote, sell or distribute products or services for partners.

This policy has been devised to ensure clarity and openness to all our stakeholders.  It is designed to address sponsorship and cause related marketing.  SMT welcomes comments, criticism and suggestions as to how these goals can be met.

Principles

All sponsorship agreements must be open, transparent and able to withstand the highest degree of scrutiny, to protect the integrity of SMT.

SMT will not enter into any agreement or partnership, which might threaten its strong reputation.

SMT may enter partnerships which are directly supportive of its vision and values.

SMT should only accept commercial sponsorship where it can retain control over the programmes and intellectual property of the project in question.  SMT should retain editorial control of any published material.

SMT’s name and logo may be used by external sponsors only with the permission of the Chief Officer of SMT.

Avoidance Criteria

SMT will not accept support that would compromise its identity and purpose or undermine its effectiveness in achieving its goals.

Partnerships with companies whose commercial objectives would conflict with SMT goals, vision and values, or which could promote inaccurate or misleading messages about SMTs commitment to those goals, vision and values would not be appropriate.

Specific examples of incompatible associations are:

• Weapons/armaments – manufacture or sale.
• Smoking, and manufacture and selling of tobacco products and Vape products where that is the main business of the organisation.
• Companies principally involved in the manufacture of alcohol.
• Modern slavery/dubious reputation relating to worker exploitation.
• Political affiliations

Issues which will be considered in reaching a decision

All offers of sponsorship will be considered on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the avoidance criteria.

• The nature and type of activity that is proposed for sponsorship.
• The age and profile of intended recipients.
• The views of other partners.
• The extent of risk to reputational damage.
• The benefits the sponsorship can bring to further SMT’s goals, vision and values.
• Financial stability of the proposed sponsor.
• Previous activities of the proposed sponsor.
• Social media communications of the proposed sponsor.
• Results of a Google search of the proposed sponsor.

This is not an exhaustive list.

A guidance note has been prepared to assist in decision making and is attached as Annex A.

Process

Initial consideration of offers of sponsorship will be undertaken by the Governance Committee, which will make recommendations to the Board.

All approved sponsorship arrangements must have formal written agreements in place between SMT and the sponsor before any funds are received.

This agreement will define the roles, responsibilities and deliverables of SMT and the sponsor.  The type of partnership, as well as deliverables and activities each party is responsible for will be developed and agreed together based on the needs of both organisations.

The written agreement will clearly specify the obligations of both parties in terms of advertising and publicity.

The written agreement must permit SMT to withdraw from any partnership where new developments mean that areas of this sponsorship policy become breached.

Only SMT will have access to its databases.

SMT will not accept more than 5% of total income per annum from one commercial sponsor, nor more than 20% of total income per annum from commercial organisations, so as not to compromise its integrity.  This does not include money raised via employee and customer fundraising as part of any commercial partnership arrangements.

Engagement

SMT believes that benefits to both partners can be enhanced if the commercial organisation has an input into policy issues at the charitable organisation.  To this end, for substantial partnerships of more than 12 months duration, SMT will seek to establish a formal process for consultation.

Transparency

A full list of commercial sponsors giving over £5000 will be maintained on SMT’s website.

ANNEX A

GUIDANCE WHEN CONSIDERING OFFERS OF SPONSORSHIP

Definition of sponsorship

Sponsorship is a payment to a charity for which the sponsor receives something in

return. This may be in the form of money, goods or services or a combination of

these or public association with an activity, project, event or asset.

Questions to answer when considering an offer of sponsorship

1. Does the offer compromise our charitable status?

2. Are the activities of the potential sponsor consistent with our organisational

vision and values?

3. Does the offer express or imply our endorsement of the sponsor or its policies

if a company?

4. Are we being asked to support a specific brand, product, political or religious

ideology?

5. If the potential sponsor is a company, will we have control of the programme

and intellectual property of the project under consideration?

6. Has the Chief Officer been asked to given permission for our logo to be used

by external sponsors?

Incompatible associations

Always refer to the list of these in the Sponsorship Policy when considering any offer

of sponsorship.

Have you considered the following?

The following factors will not apply to all offers of sponsorship, but applicable factors

should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

1. The nature and type of activity.

2. The age and profile of intended recipients.

3. The views of partners.

4. The extent of the risk to our reputation.

5. The benefits the sponsorship could bring to our goals, vision and values.

6. The financial stability of the proposed sponsor.

7. The previous activities of the proposed sponsor.

8. Social media communications of the proposed sponsor.

9. The results of a Google search of the proposed sponsor.

Ensure a written agreement is in place in the terms outlined in the Sponsorship

Policy.

Don’t forget the relative value of the sponsorship in relation to our total income.