Showcase Partnership Potential

The Importance of The "Why Sponsor Us" Message

A clear “Why Sponsor Us” message helps your market move from asking for support to building partnerships.

This page is designed to help your market confidently explain its value to potential sponsors, why your market exists, why sponsorship matters, and how partners benefit from supporting your work. It brings together mission, impact, and visibility in one place, making it easier to communicate consistently across conversations, emails, and outreach efforts.

In this guide, you’ll find language and structure that:

  • Explains your market’s role in supporting local farmers, food producers, and small businesses
  • Positions sponsorship as a partnership, not just advertising
  • Clearly outlines the visibility and recognition sponsors receive
  • Frames market growth as a positive opportunity for long-term partners
  • Reinforces the real community impact sponsorship makes possible

Ways to Use This Page

This content is intentionally flexible and can be used in many ways, including:

  • As part of a sponsorship package
  • As a PDF attachment for sponsorship outreach emails
  • As a landing page or section on your website
  • As a flyer at your market with a QR code
  • As a brochure for networking or community events
  • As a conversation guide for staff or board members
  • As supporting language for grant applications or proposals
  • As content to repurpose for emails, social posts, or sponsor recaps

You don’t need to use it everywhere at once. Start with one format that fits your current capacity, and expand as your sponsorship efforts grow.

Why Sponsor Our Farmers Market

A Meaningful Way to Support Your Community

Our farmers market exists to support local farmers, food producers, and small businesses while strengthening community connections and access to fresh, local food.

Sponsorship plays a vital role in making that possible. It helps keep the market accessible, vibrant, and sustainable—ensuring farmers can continue to earn, families can continue to shop locally, and the market remains a welcoming community gathering place.

Sponsorship is a way to invest directly in local agriculture, food access, and community wellbeing, right where you live and work.

More Than a Logo: A Real Partnership

We approach sponsorship as a partnership, not just a logo placement.

Our sponsors are actively acknowledged and thoughtfully integrated into the story of the market throughout the season. Recognition is consistent and intentional, designed to reflect the value of your support rather than a one-time mention or transactional advertisement.

We prioritize meaningful, ongoing recognition that builds trust with our audience and highlights the businesses that help make the market possible.

Visibility Through Trusted Marketing Channels

Sponsors receive visibility through the marketing channels we actively use and maintain, including:

  • Website sponsor listings and banners
  • Email newsletters
  • Facebook and Instagram posts
  • Event listings and blog content
  • Printed materials and on-site signage

These channels allow us to highlight sponsors in ways that feel authentic, community-centered, and aligned with the market’s mission.

Our marketing channels continue to expand each season, increasing sponsor visibility and value over time.

A Growing Audience That Cares About Local

Our market attracts a community-minded audience that values local food, small businesses, and meaningful connections.

Shoppers include families, working professionals, retirees, and longtime residents—people who choose the market because they care about where their food comes from and who they support.

Our audience may be local, but it is highly engaged and places real value on businesses that invest in their community.

Sponsorship That Grows With the Market

Our market has clear plans to grow in the coming seasons through expanded marketing, programming, and outreach.

Sponsorship helps fund that growth, and partners who join us now become part of the market’s long-term story. Early sponsors benefit from alignment with a trusted community institution and increased visibility as the market continues to evolve.

Sponsorship today helps fund growth that benefits both the market and our partners in the seasons ahead.

Flexible Opportunities for Different Goals

We offer multiple sponsorship levels and flexible options to meet different goals and capacities.

Opportunities may include seasonal, annual, or event-based sponsorships, and we are always open to tailoring partnerships when it makes sense.

We’re happy to explore sponsorship options that align with your goals, values, and level of involvement.

Community Impact You Can Be Proud Of

Sponsorship supports more than just market operations. It contributes to:

  • A stronger local food economy
  • Increased access to fresh, local food
  • Educational and community programming
  • Partnerships and special events that bring people together

Your support does real, visible work; supporting farmers, strengthening small businesses, and helping the market serve its community more effectively.

Join Us as We Grow

We’d love to talk about how sponsorship can support both your business and our market’s continued growth.

Join us in building a stronger, more connected local food community.

Find Your Next Step With These Links

Fundraising Introduction

Intro to fundraising basics for markets: why it matters & how to get started.

Deciding What You’re Fundraising For

Clarify your fundraising goals so every ask has purpose and impact.

Funding Readiness Checklist

Checklist to assess if your market is ready to raise funds with confidence.

Sponsorship Pitch Guide

Pro tips on pitching sponsors so they see value in supporting your market.

Why Sponsor Us Messaging

Core messaging to explain sponsor benefits and market community value.

Sponsorship Tiers

Tiered sponsor levels that offer clear benefits and value for support.

Creating a Sponsorship Package

Build a sponsorship package that feels fair and motivates support.

Sponsorship Package — Example

Example package to model your own sponsor offerings and perks.

How to Find Sponsors

Strategies to identify and reach potential sponsors for your market.

Sponsorship Emails

Email templates to pitch sponsors without the guesswork.

Corporate Grant & Sponsorships

Guide to writing strong applications for grants and corporate support.

In-Kind & Service-Based Sponsorships

Leverage non-cash sponsors who give goods, services, or staff time

Year-End Sponsor Thank-You

Thank-you templates to recognize sponsors and keep relationships strong

AI-Ready Prompt Templates

AI prompt templates to speed writing grant and sponsorship responses.

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Maine Federation of Farmers Markets
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Contact

mffmmarketingguide@gmail.com