Cooperative Principle #7 Commitment to Community
Organizations seeking financial support for their causes and special events are encouraged to complete a Donation and Sponsorship Request Form. Some of the qualities we consider when evaluating applications include:
Suitability to the Union Rural Electric (URE) mission to promote quality of life in Union County
Benefit to a group of Union County residents, not just an individual
The unique benefits this opportunity presents as compared to others that URE may create for itself or other organizations may present
Public relations value URE will receive in exchange for the support provided
Similarity between the core value of Touchstone Energy (Integrity, Accountability, Innovation and Community) and those of the applicant organization
Applicants are considered on a rolling basis.
For best consideration, we recommend you submit a request
for sponsorship, AT LEAST ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE of your event.
Guidelines for Sponsorship & Donation
Purpose
Union Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. desires to build upon and maintain its commitment to community. Sponsorship of events and donations to organizations provides an opportunity for the Cooperative to both extend the mission of supporting quality of life and extend the Cooperative’s brand. The guidelines that follow provide a method of prioritizing the opportunities that best serve this purpose.
Guidelines
In order to make the most informed decision possible, opportunities for sponsorship must be presented to the Cooperative on or with a current version of the Sponsorship & Donation Request Form.
Top priority for selection of sponsorships is to extend the mission and brand of the Cooperative. A sponsorship or donation would be the best fit, and therefore have the greatest likelihood of selection, if it provides the following:
- Representation of similar values to those of the Touchstone Energy brand (integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community) and/or support to the cooperative business model and/or the economic development and quality of life of Union County.
- An appropriate plan to effectively reach an audience that suits the communication strategy of the Cooperative.
- A sponsorship cost that represents a good value for the number of people who will be exposed to the message of the sponsored event or organization.
- Timed so that the Cooperative can both respond effectively to the request and leverage the sponsorship in its own communications efforts where appropriate, not presenting a conflict to other Cooperative plans.
- A communication channel (e.g. event, advertising, display) that presents diversity and support to the Cooperative’s communication strategy.
Some Sponsorship and Donation opportunities provide limited public recognition of the Cooperative’s support. Support of these is always an option, specifically if it supports the mission, values and strategy of the Cooperative. However, it is always preferable in terms of communication strategy to find a way for the Cooperative to make that support public if it is appropriate.
Sponsorships and Donations will be tracked on an ongoing basis. The Cooperative will use this information to examine overall trends to make strategic decisions about the selection process. Applications will be considered in respect to this strategy as a whole.
The budget for Sponsorships and Donations is set in the Cooperative’s Annual Budget. While the Cooperative will make every effort to plan in advance and track expenses, funds are limited, which may restrict the Cooperative’s ability to support a Sponsorship and Donation at any time during the year.
A report of the Cooperative’s donation and sponsorships will be prepared monthly for the President/CEO to present to the Board of Trustees.