Commissioning and Funding

Sponsorship

Summary of Good Practice Recommendations

Sponsors have a responsibility to:

  • enter agreements with goodwill and a willingness to negotiate

  • uphold principles of transparency and accountability 

Arts organisations have a responsibility to:

  • develop and uphold a sponsorship policy and process

  • make their sponsorship policy public 

Sponsorship policies should articulate:

  • organisational values and ethics concerning sponsorship 

  • a commitment to transparency around publicly naming sponsors

  • a refusal to receive support from any sponsor that is illegal

  • a refusal to receive support from any sponsor that is directly or indirectly involved in activities which are not aligned with the values of the organisation 

Sponsorship processes should: 

  • include mechanisms for

    • research into sponsor’s alignment with sponsorship policy

    • risk-management assessment

    • board review

  • be implemented for every sponsorship decision

  • be implemented for every sponsorship renewal

Agreements should:

  • include clear termination clauses for both parties

  • include clear grievance and conflict resolution processes

  • not seek to limit artists’ rights to freely voice their opinion on the sponsor and sponsorship arrangements