Blueprint Benefactors for Students
Student Process for Finding Firm Sponsorship
Duke Law Blueprint Benefactors provides student groups a way to effectively develop and maintain productive and lasting partnerships with law firms. We want to ensure that each firm's experience is positive and that donors understand the value of their contributions and are recognized appropriately for their support of your Duke Law event(s). In order to streamline this process, it is important that you coordinate any fundraising efforts with the Alumni and Development Office (ADO). We are here to assist you and have experience and knowledge to share.
Possible Ways to Contact firms:
There are several ways to obtain firm sponsorship; however the starting point should always be an electronic inquiry through our online form or directly to our Annual Giving Coordinator at kate.petersen@law.duke.edu.
- If your summer employer or other contact has already agreed to sponsor an event, congratulations! Please submit all sources of funding - law firm or otherwise - to ADO, so we may appropriately recognize your sponsor(s) through our correspondence and publications. Please still complete the online form or email Kate Petersen at kate.petersen@law.duke.edu with firm name, contact, event date, sponsorship amount.
- If you have not yet developed a firm relationship and would like to reach out for funding, ADO can provide the resources to make your solicitation efforts more targeted and ultimately more effective. We are happy to identify interested firms and provide contacts. Though we never guarantee firm sponsorship, we do understand what firms are seeking from these partnerships and can help you showcase the aspects of your event that are most relevent to sponsors.
Blueprint Student Process:
- Meet with ADO to discuss needs; we can direct you to events for planning assistance if needed.
- Before inviting speakers, get approval and, if needed, recommendations from ADO.
- Once budget and date are approved, draft a letter making the case for sponsorship. Why is your event important? Why should a firm sponsor it? How will their money be used? NOTE: Firm sponsorships are NOT for travel fees of speakers or honorariums.
- Get letter approval by ADO.
- Begin solicitations with approved contacts from ADO. DO NOT SOLICIT ANY FIRM WITHOUT ADO APPROVAL
- Let ADO know of any confirmed sponsorships, and we will provide an invoice for the firm.
- Include the firm on any marketing and promotional materials related to the event.
- THANK the firm with a letter!
Proposal Form:
If you would like to be featured on the Blueprint Benefactors Menu of Sponsorship Opportunities, please submit the online proposal form. Please complete this form as soon as possible. Many firms have preferred times of year for making contributions, and we want you to have many opportunities available to you. It is never too early to start thinking about this year's or next year's event(s). Please also include as many details as possible in your online submission, including approximate date of event, organization contact, budget and agenda or program.
Once your completed proposal form is in our hands, we will work to match your needs through a personalized solicitation plan. We are available to help you prepare individual proposals as well as to answer any questions you may have. Again, unfortunately, we cannot guarantee funding at this time. Please contact us early and in detail. Please also make use of the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) to help identify alternate or additional funding sources.
If your event does not have funding one month prior to your event, we may remove the event from the menu and contact your organization to make other arrangements.
