TED is about improving the world through the power of great ideas. Seek out sponsors that align with this message: businesses that aim to make the world better through technology, entertainment, design, science, arts, food, media, collaboration ...
Rules for sponsorships
- Approval: Before you approach any sponsors, you must get approval from TED. Send us a list of the sponsors you would like to approach, and how you would like them to be involved.
- Unacceptable sponsors:
- Weapons manufacturers
- Ammunition companies
- Cigarette companies
- Companies that might use TEDx to greenwash their image -- make it seem as though their products or policies are progressive or environmentally friendly, but without making direct investments in improving their business practices
- Editorial control: Sponsors have no editorial control or veto power over the program, nor do they have the right to time on stage. At TED, we treat our program as a journalist would, and have a strict "separation of church and state." No one can pay to be included in the program; speakers are chosen by merit only.
- Maximum contribution amount:
- For events with less than 100 attendees, total sponsorship funding, in cash, cannot exceed $5,000. (Instead, reach out to in-kind sponsors.)
- For events with more than 100 attendees, sponsorship funding, in cash, must not exceed $20,000 per sponsor. If your budget necessitates funding above this amount, you will need to get prior written approval from TED before approaching sponsors.
- Type of sponsorship: We encourage you to look for in-kind sponsors that can help meet your space, food and audiovisual needs. These relationships are simpler than those with cash sponsors. Reach out to local businesses, not multinational brands.
- Payment: Vendors should be paid directly by sponsors -- not through the TEDx host.
- Number of sponsors: It's easiest to have one sponsor, rather than multiple sponsors.
- It's TEDx -- not TED: Make it clear in all communication with sponsors that this is an independent TEDx event, not an official TED event.
- Post-event sponsorship summary: After your event, send a summary of your event sponsorship to us. The summary must include a list of all sponsors, what they sponsored and how much they contributed. Both in-kind contributions and cash must be declared.
