Sports Sponsorship Charter
A unique approach
The quality of governance in Belgian sports organisations has evolved significantly in recent years. From society, there is an increasing demand for transparency and accountability. Moreover, government subsidies are also increasingly linked to good governance criteria. Read more about sports governance.
From that perspective, roundtable discussions with a number of sports federations and sponsors were organised, resulting in a sports sponsorship charter.
- The charter does not focus on good governance at individual organisations, but rather on building the dynamic relationship between sponsor and federation and the reciprocal nature of a number of commitments.
- The document responds to the needs of 'the market', to the needs on the ground.
- The approach does not yet exist at this time and can be rolled out across the Belgian territory.
For large ... and not so large
The charter is not only addressed to the very large sports organisations with strong visibility, or to the very largest sponsors. It is flexible depending on the scale, or the way of cooperation.
Regardless of the level of financial support, the charter encourages partners not to write or accept blank cheques.
Therefore, we foresee discussions on shared values and objectives of the agreement, codes of conduct, etc.
Gradual implementation
The charter is a good guideline when negotiating new agreements. Of course, existing agreements between federations and their sponsors should not be scrapped. The charter does provide an interesting review framework and can bring ideas for future adjustments.
Towards a vibrant community
GUBERNA is also building a national community around sport governance. Still too little information is shared with other federations, or with the sister sports federation of the other region. The sports sponsorship charter is one of the tools to promote this exchange with sponsors in a structured way (both physically and digitally)
Getting started with 10 concrete to do's
Putting the charter into practice is quite doable. Below we group together a number of "to do's" for both federations and sponsors, with a ready view of what to do:
- before signing the agreement
- the minimum requirements of the agreement
- the mutual agreements in the course of the agreement
- upon termination.
Frequently asked questions
Who can we contact with specific questions?
To whom, how and where should a charter-compliant contract be communicated?
What does it benefit me or my organisation?
- Long-term value creation
- Incorporating social responsibility and accountability
- Strengthening credibility and reputation
- Increased attractiveness to employees and volunteers
- Increased impact of activities
- Better access to donations, grants, sponsorship, investors, etc.
- Building mutual communication and trust relationship. The charter can create a framework to shape the sponsor-sport federation relationship and make all issues negotiable
- Clear rules and clear commitments
- Prevention of malpractices
This is going to take a long time - which contract should I focus on first?
- One has to look at impact and opportunity. For example, one can start with the most important contracts, the long-term contracts, those with the highest financial commitment, etc.
- Of course, one can also respond to opportunities such as the renewal of a sponsorship agreement. New contracts should conform to the charter anyway if one commits as a signatory.
What is my risk if my contracts do not all comply with the spirit of the charter?
- The charter is a best-efforts commitment whereby one strives for maximum conformance in the long term and focuses in the short term on those principles that are most opportune or relevant to one's own context. One can thus use a comply-or-explain mechanism in terms of compliance.
Can I be "compliant" for some contracts and not others?
Are there rewards/good points to acquire ?
In addition to the points around "what does it benefit me or my organisation" (cf. supra), there is an ambition to strengthen this charter by decree. In this sense, respecting the charter facilitates access to grants.
Are individual clubs excluded in this story?
Initially, the charter is addressed to sports federations and their sponsors. In time, it is of course recommended that individual clubs with specific sponsorship contracts incorporate the principles of the charter and thus promote its dissemination.
Is the charter an annex to the sponsorship contract?
The charter is not a "mandatory" annex to an individual sponsorship agreement, but it is recommended that contracts refer to the charter or state that the principles of the charter will be respected.
How are efforts around the charter communicated and encouraged?
This is done through various channels (newsletters, organisation of a national event, the actions of the members of the central working group, the dissemination of the principles through a number of umbrella organisations such as VSF, AISF, ICES, l'Observatoire, ...).
What is the purpose of the "to do's"?
It summarises the practical action points arising from the charter and applicable during the preparation, discussion and conclusion of the sponsorship contract.
Ambassadors
The sports sponsorship charter was prepared constructively with input from a number of sports federations as well as some corporate sponsors. But in the meantime, the text has also been signed by the early adopters among them. These organisations are our first ambassadors to promote the principles around this charter, and also to help build our community of governance in sport in the broader sense. Read their testimonials here.
The first federations, sponsors and umbrella organisations that have already signed up to the charter are as follows: Golf Flandres, Fédération Francophone de Gymnastique, Volvo Cars, AISF and Observatoire: Golf Flandres, Fédération Francophone de Gymnastique, Volvo Cars, AISF and Observatoire.
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Volvo Cars
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Golf Vlaanderen
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Fédération Francophone de Gymnastique
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AISF
Endorse the sports sponsorship charter
The charter and the vision around it will gain life as more organisations, federations and corporate sponsors sign it. GUBERNA therefore calls on all stakeholders to endorse the charter and strengthen the social responsibility of sponsoring in sport. In this way, we will keep our finger on the pulse of this positive evolution. To subscribe to the charter, fill in the form below, or contact GUBERNA.
Events
If you click through, you will get more details on the text itself of the charter and on how to approach it. On a first reading, the whole thing might still seem a bit theoretical.
That is why we are planning a launch event with interactive discussions to give life and substance to the principles of the charter. Please already mark the date 16/04/2024 in your diary.
