Our step-by-step process for connecting businesses and community organizations

Step 1: Share your requirements

Tell us the city, metro area, or specific zipcode you want to focus on and the page you want traffic to (homepage or a specific service page).

You can start with just one placement to test impact (no contract or MSA). And no payment until the link is live.

If you’re unsure which location or page will generate the highest visibility, we’ll review your business and competitive landscape and advise where to focus first.

Step 2: We find matches

Using our database, we identify nonprofit and community organizations in your target area that align with your audience, values, and budget.

Our team vets each potential match for geographic relevance, domain authority, and spam score. We only use sites with a spam score under 10.

We also flag any additional visibility benefits (event booths, newsletter mentions, or speaking opportunities) so you can choose placements that go beyond a basic link.

If opportunities are limited within your target area, we’ll recommend expanding the radius to ensure you don’t settle for weak or low-trust placements.

Step 3: You review and approve

We send a shortlist of vetted opportunities that includes:

• Organization name and mission
• Estimated cost and link type (logo or text)
• Any additional visibility perks (event booth, newsletter feature, tickets)
• Expected timeline to go live

You review the list and approve the sites.

Step 4: We get it live

Once you approve, we work to place the link:

• Contacting the organization directly
• Negotiating sponsorship terms
• Handling invoicing and payment
• Confirming that the logo and link are placed correctly on their site

You don’t need to manage any outreach or follow-ups. We manage fulfillment until the link is live.

Step 5: You submit payment

Once the link is live, you submit payment.

We’ll monitor the placement for 12 months, periodically spot-checking the link to ensure it remains active and correctly placed.

If the organization removes or edits the link, we follow up directly to restore it.

When you’re ready for additional links, just reach out. We’ll repeat the same process and continue building local visibility over time.

Step 1: Share client requirements

Send us the following client details:

• Target URL(s)
• Preferred locations (city, state, or national)
• Budget per client
• Specific criteria (minimum DA/DR, industry exclusions, duration, etc.)
• Categories to avoid (such as cannabis, alcohol, etc.).

You can start with a single placement for one client to test the service (no contract or volume commitment).

Once you see results, we can scale across additional locations or clients.

Step 2: We search our database

Using your criteria, we identify nonprofit sponsorship opportunities that match your client’s industry, audience, and location.

We draw from a database of 152,000+ vetted local organizations and prioritize those we’ve already worked with to accelerate turnaround.

Each opportunity is checked for:

• Geographic relevance
• Mission/audience alignment
• Domain authority
• Spam score (must be under 10)
• Fit with any exclusions or category preferences you’ve set

If location targeting is broad (statewide or national), we expand the search to surface a wider mix of high-quality opportunities.

Step 3: Review and approval

We send a shortlist of vetted sponsorships that includes:

• Organization name and mission
• Estimated cost and link type (logo or text)
• Additional visibility benefits (event access, newsletter mentions, etc.)
• Expected timeline to go live

You can approve the opportunities directly or forward them to your client for sign-off.

Nothing proceeds without approval.

If you reject any placements, we’ll adjust the search based on your feedback and resend a refined list.

Step 4: We handle fulfilment

Once approved, we take care of the full execution:

• Reach out to each organization directly
• Negotiate the sponsorship terms
• Arrange and process payment
• Confirm the link and logo are added correctly

Your team stays focused on strategy.

We manage every operational step until the link is live.

Note: We always make it clear that communication should flow through the agency. However, sometimes the nonprofit will reach out to clients directly. We recommend that our agency partners notify clients of the ZipSprout partnership before working with us on outreach.

Step 5: We monitor and report

Once the link is live, we publish the placement to your agency dashboard.

From there, you can:

• See the live URL and placement details
• Track status and timeline
• Download updates to share with your client

We monitor each placement for 12 months and follow up if a link drops or changes.

When you’re ready to roll out the service across additional clients or locations, just send the next request.

We repeat the process and scale as needed.

Step 1: Share requirements

Your team shares the following:

• Target locations
• Industries
• Budget
• SEO requirements (DA minimums, duration, anchor/alt text)
• any restrictions on the types of organizations we can approach.

Note: We do not work from client-supplied lists of target organizations. Instead, we use our own research and vetting process to identify the strongest nonprofit partners for each region.

Step 2: Share compliance guidelines

We align on your brand guidelines and confirm all messaging, logo usage, and sponsorship standards.

You can pre-approve sponsorship types, cost ranges, and restricted categories (such as alcohol or cannabis).

We also integrate any legal or vendor onboarding requirements. For example, contracts, purchase orders, or enterprise billing processes.

You choose how each placement will be approved (individual review or automatic fulfillment) based on the agreed criteria.

Step 3: Build your strategy

Using your inputs, we assess the link gap across each region or business unit and develop a sponsorship roadmap that outlines expected link volume, pacing, and target organizations.

We use Citation Labs reporting to align our outreach with your broader SEO and visibility strategy.

And if multiple regions or brands are involved, we build separate tracks and dashboards for each.

Step 4: Execute and monitor at scale

We execute each placement in line with the pre-approved categories and budget ranges, and request additional approval only when an opportunity falls outside the agreed parameters.

Additionally, our team monitors links for 12 months via spot checks. We follow up if you lose a link or the placement changes.

For Chamber of Commerce campaigns, we handle the entire process, including applications, payments, and membership confirmation.

Step 5: Report and optimize

We share structured reports that include live URLs, anchor text, placement details, and performance impact.

Our team can deliver reports monthly or quarterly, in your preferred format. And we tie all reporting to target pages, regions, and impact.

As campaigns progress, we update the roadmap and surface new opportunities to scale impact or adjust focus based on results.

Step 1: Join our network

Tell us who you are, where you are located, and what type of work you do.

There is no cost to be part of the network and no obligation.

All we require is a live website with a place to recognize sponsors (for example, a partners page, space on the home page, or footer).

Since 2016, we have connected more than 23,160 nonprofits with businesses nationwide and facilitated over $8.3 million in sponsorships.

Step 2: We email you

When a business is interested in supporting an organization in your location, we reach out to confirm fit.

Our team will also discuss the details:

• Budget
• Timing
• How the sponsorship will be shown on your site.
• Additional opportunities

If it is not a fit, you simply let us know, and nothing moves forward.

Step 3: You review and approve

We carefully match you with companies that share our positive community values. And there is never any pressure to accept a sponsorship.

You review the opportunity and give a clear “yes” or “no.”

Once approved, we send the opportunity to the sponsor for final review.

Step 4: We help you place the link

Step 5: We share new opportunities

We also encourage deeper partnerships by highlighting additional ways the sponsor can stay involved.

This can vary, but includes ideas such as:

• Event sponsorship
• In-kind support
• Social network promotion
• Newsletters
• etc.

When a new aligned sponsor becomes available in your area, we reach out again.