Newsletter: The New Demographics of Sponsorship 📊 ; Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Serves 'Therapy In A Pint' 🍨 ; Email is Starting to Act More Like Social Media 📧

Larry and I are back with another ​LinkedIn Live​ event!

For years, sponsorship professionals have leaned heavily on audience demographics: age, gender, income, location, etc. All the basic info, right?

But something interesting is happening in the sponsorship world.

On one hand, the audiences brands want to reach are changing. Younger consumers, more diverse communities, and highly engaged local audiences are reshaping where companies invest their sponsorship dollars.

At the same time, many sponsorship experts argue that demographics alone aren’t what sponsors are really buying.

Sponsors aren’t looking for demographics. They’re looking for customers.💥

The bald guys are back!

In this LinkedIn Live conversation, Larry Weil (The Sponsorship Guy) and I will explore what these shifts mean for companies, nonprofits, and events.

We'll discuss:

✅ How the target audiences for sponsorship are changing
✅ Why niche and community audiences are becoming more valuable
✅ Why traditional demographic data often falls short in sponsorship pitches
✅ What sponsors really want to know about your audience
✅ How to position your audience as potential customers—not just demographics

If you’re looking for sponsors or building corporate partnerships, understanding how companies think about audiences today can make your outreach far more effective.

Join us! It will be informative and fun!

✍️ Partnership Notes

One partnership insight that matters.

😮‍💨 ​The best partnerships don’t just raise awareness—they offer relief​.
For Mental Health Awareness Month, Van Leeuwen ice cream partnered with behavioral healthcare provider Rula to focus on emotional wellness and access to support. What makes the partnership interesting isn’t just the awareness angle—it’s the utility. Instead of simply talking about stress and burnout, the brands are connecting consumers to actual mental health resources. The takeaway for partnership teams: good partnerships aren't just about awareness. They help people navigate an issue. As I often say, don't be just good. Be good for something.

🤑 Marketing Your Cause

One move you should steal.

📬 ​Email is starting to act a lot more like social media.​
The hottest emails today aren't corporate, they are conversational. Personality, consistency, and familiarity are becoming more important than polished design or mass messaging. The takeaway for nonprofit marketers: newsletters aren’t just distribution tools anymore. They are a platform to build relationships. Honestly, that’s my goal with this newsletter. I want you to feel like we're having a conversation. In a crowded inbox, the organizations that stand out aren’t always the most polished. They’re the ones that feel the most real.

😎 Cool Jobs in Cause

Find your next adventure.

🤝 Vice President, Corporate Partnerships, ​Shatterproof​, Remote

🤝 Corporate Partnerships Manager, ​Treehouse Partners​, Los Angeles

🤝 Associate Director of Partnerships, ​United Way​, Atlanta

🧠🍌 Brain Food

One thing that is feeding my thinking.

🗣️ ​Someone still has to start the conversation​.🎁
This essay explores how modern life increasingly insulates us from strangers through phones, headphones, self-checkout lines, and algorithms that reduce human interaction. But this piece makes a powerful point: community doesn’t happen automatically anymore. Someone has to break the silence, start talking, and create the connection. Honestly, this resonated with me because I’ve always believed in talking to people you don’t know well. My family rolls their eyes because I’ll talk to anyone and everyone. But connections start exactly that way. Heck, in an increasingly isolated world, human connection may become one of the most valuable skills we have!