Sponsorship Directory 2014-2015

Sponsorship Directory 2014-2015

Contents 1. a letter from the president A message to our partners 2. A LETTER FROM Coach Griffiths A message from our coach 3. About us Learn about us 4. our 2013-2014 Season Our recent accomplishments 5. Our Goals Learn about what we aspire 6. our financial Needs Why we need your help 7. Why us? The benefits of partnership with us 8. How you can help Promotional opportunities 9. Sponsorship packages Our sponsorhsip packages and benefits 10. thank you Closing Comments 11. our sponsors Our 2013-2014 sponsors Contact Us: Team Representative: Leah Raphael lraphael@usc.edu (206)-354-7424 Coach: Kathryn Griffiths Kathryn@sunsetequinefarms.com (818)-352-3077

A Letter from the president A message to our partners First and foremost, I would like to thank you for your interest in the University of Southern California Equestrian Team. We invite you to join us in a unique partnership with an organization that strives for academic and athletic excellence. The USC Equestrian Team is a club sport and 501(c)3 organization created and run by USC students. Our team members come from as close as the greater Los Angeles area and as far as China to continue our equestrian pursuits in college. We accept riders of all skill levels and compete on the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) circuit. Our sport in an offshoot of the show jumping discipline called equitation, which is judged solely on the rider and how he or she navigates a technical course of jumps while maintaining perfect position. Equitation is part of the famous American Riding System that prepares riders to compete in the highest levels of show jumping such as the Olympics or World Equestrian Games, where fences can be up to 5 6 in height. Equestrian sports are the only Olympic sports where athletes have a partnership with a live animal and where male and female athletes compete equally. What makes the USC Equestrian team unique is not only our affiliation with one of the most prestigious universities on the West Coast, but our ability to influence the wide equestrian community which is an ideal upscale market made up of well educated individuals with ample disposable income to pursue their passions. We are able to provide you or your company exposure to demographics ranging from college students and USC alumni to equestrian professionals and horse show exhibitors of any age. Any gift will help us to our goal of competing in IHSA Nationals as a team, and allow us to provide the best possible care for our horses. Although we are a competitive team, our passion is the horses and they are truly the reason we are in this sport. We look forward to working with you. Sincerely, Leah Raphael Team President

A Letter from the coach A message from Coach Kathryn Griffiths As an equestrian coach, I am fortunate enough to witness nothing short of life changing moments everyday. To me, riding is communication. Each horse speaks a slightly different dialect and it is our job as the riders to find a place where horse and rider understand each other s language and can communicate effectively. When this is achieved, there is no greater feeling. It takes years of practice and exposure to different types of horses to truly be a great rider and even more hours out of the saddle caring for your horse to become a great horseman. As a coach, I try to help the riders by making them aware and able to recognize problems and give them tools to use to correct issues that arise. I find that the horses are our greatest teachers. If we stop long enough to listen to what they are trying to tell us, we can achieve greatness together. Patience, hard work, dedication, humbleness, and communication are lessons that will carry these riders in all aspects of their lives. Horses are expensive. But through the USC Equestrian Team program, we try to provide an opportunity for students who want to explore their passion for horses. This requires sponsorship on many levels. The team works extremely hard in their fundraising efforts on top of school, work and training commitments. I hope you will consider supporting the team. We depend on your generosity to keep our program thriving and strong. We appreciate any and all support in our pursuit of excellence in academics and equestrian sports. Sincerely, Kathryn Griffiths Coach

About us Learn about who we are Who We Are The USC Equestrian Team is a recreational sports team at the University of Southern California. We compete in Zone 8, Region 2 of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). The team is dedicated to achieving excellence in Hunt Seat Equitation as representatives of USC. The team trains at Sunset Equine Farms with Kathryn Griffiths in Los Angeles. Our Mission The USC Equestrian Team is a student run organization dedicated to the pursuit of academic and athletic excellence through horsemanship and team work. We provide an environment for all levels of riding and ignite a passion within our members for their lives, horses, and service to the community.

About us Continued on campus Much like the Varsity sports, the USC Equestrian Team participates in Homecoming, Football Tailgates, and Trojan Family Weekend. But, because USC is unable to offer Equestrian as a Varsity sport the team is classified as a club sport, meaning we are responsible for our own budgeting, fundraising, travel, and recruitment. At USC, club sports also must recruit our own team physicians and gain access to therapeutic and injury prevention supplies through sponsorship. In the community The USC Equestrian Team strives to give back to the community whenever we can. We frequently volunteer at Special Spirit, a program that offers riding lessons to autistic children, young adults aging out of foster care, and homeless women. We are also involved in philanthropy activities on campus throughout the year such as Troy Camp s Pass The Can at Homecoming, which raises money for programs for underprivileged children in the USC area.

our 2013-2014 season Our recent accomplishments Team Accomplishments Throughout the year, all IHSA teams collect points hoping to be the top earning team in their Region and move on to Zones. In 2014, after a very competitive season, the USC Equestrian Team took the Regional Championship, earning us a spot at Zone finals, held at Stanford University. At Zones, our riders placed top three in five out of eight team events, earning us a fourth place finish overall. We also encourage members to strive for academic excellence. The Team s average GPA this year was 3.66. For reference, USC s average undergraduate GPA was 3.22. Individual Accomplishments National Qualifiers: Cory Cochran (pictured right) - Intermediate Flat, Reserve National Champion Chelsea Liu - Walk Trot, Honorable Mention Zones Qualifiers: Cory Cochran - Intermediate Flat, Placed Second Cadence Cisneros - Walk Trot Canter, Placed Seventh Chelsea Liu - Walk Trot, Placed Second Regional Qualifiers: Zoie Nagelhout - Open Flat Cory Cochran - Intermediate Flat Cadence Cisneros - Walk Trot Canter, Placed Second Chelsea Liu - Walk Trot

our goals Learn about what we aspire our goals Our annual goal is to Ride On to IHSA Nationals as a team. To make it to Nationals, we must be the top team in our Region which includes schools in Southern California and Arizona. This will allow us to compete at Zones against all the qualifying teams from the Western United States. If we are among the top two teams at Zones, we will move on to Nationals. Competing in the post season requires traveling as far as the Northeast, which means we will need your help to follow our dreams! our history The USC Equestrian Team was Zone 8, Region 2 Champions in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014. We have also sent many riders to Regional, Zone, and National Finals over the years.

Our Financial needs Why we need your help Every school year, we compete in about 10 shows, going as far as Arizona to compete in our region. We work hard to get the team to win Regionals and compete in Zones and eventually Nationals. The travel expenses and show entries make up the majority of our costs. We strive to be an active part of our zone by bringing our horses to the shows, which is an added cost as well. Our team is purely funded by the members of the team and our fundraising efforts. Every year, we need about $20,000 to keep the team running and competing. Our costs include: IHSA dues, show entries, transportation costs (for both the team and the horses), horse care, and supplies. The team is supported solely by fundraising and we depend on your generosity to keep our program thriving and strong. We appreciate any and all support in our pursuit of excellence in academics and equestrian sports.

Why us? The benefits of our partnership What we offer While our governing body, the IHSA, does an excellent job of promoting products to those who reach the top levels of collegiate competition, we strive to promote our sponsor s products and brands among USC students as well as our extensive network of equestrian industry professionals, riders, families, and friends. USC attracts top students from all over the world, so our team members come from top barns in San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago, Houston, and New York, just to name a few. Part of being on the team is promoting our partners both at school and at home. Our members love sharing their enthusiasm for the wonderful products we get to use as being part of the team. USC s location in Los Angeles helps us keep up with trends in both fashion and function, making us an excellent source of information for junior, amateur, and professional riders who are looking for the best products on the market.

how you can help Promotional opportunities Quick Facts: Cost to send one rider to one show: $200 Cost to send one horse to one show: $300 Cost to send one rider to Zones: $550 Cost to send one rider to Nationals: $1,250 Cost to support one team horse for one month: $1,500 Sponsorship is instrumental to our ongoing success and we are committed to provide exposure for each sponsor. The USC Equestrian Team offers many different sponsorship opportunities. Cash or product donations will allow you to showcase your company through our website, social media accounts (which have up to 600 followers), and at horse shows. Items donated for our Auction Fundraiser will also allow you to promote your business through our extensive equestrian industry and USC related networks. We also offer event sponsorships which allow you to be the title sponsor of one of the horse shows we host or our annual Auction Fundraiser. We also appreciate hotel points, airline miles, gas cards, and gift cards to chain restaurants to help us travel to competitions. The following pages detail the benefits for a donation (cash, product, auction, or travel points) at the values specified. *As we are a non-profit organization, all cash donations are tax deductable*

Trojan, Cardinal, & Gold sponsorships Trojan - under $99 Name of donor or company in monthly newsletter of the month you donate Name of donor company in list of sponsors on website for 6 months after donation Social media shout-out Access to merchandise pre-sale Cardinal - $100-$249 Name of donor or company in monthly newsletter of the month you donate Name of donor company in list of sponsors on website for one year after donation Social media shout-out Access to merchandise pre-sale Gold - $250-$499 Special thanks or description of company & services in monthly newsletter of the month you donate (50-150 words) Name of donor or company in list of sponsors on website for one year after donation Name of donor or company in 2015-2016 sponsorship pamphlet. Individualized social media shout-out Access to merchandise pre-sale

Platinum and Diamond Sponsorships Platinum - $500-$999 Company or donor s name listed on sign with other donors/sponsors to be displayed at horse shows and fundraiser (provided by team) Special thanks to donor or description of company & services in monthly newsletter of the month they donate (150-200 words) Name of Donor or link to company s website list of sponsors on website for 1 year after donation Name of donor or company in 2015-2016 sponsorship pamphlet. Individualized social media shout-out with picture Access to merchandise pre-sale Diamond - $1,000-$2,499 Company or donor s logo displayed on sign with other donors/sponsors to be displayed at horse shows and fundraiser (provided by team) Two tickets to USCET Auction fundraiser Special thanks to donor or description of company & services in monthly newsletter of the month they donate (200-300 words) Name of Donor or link to company s website list of sponsors on website for 1 year after donation (highlighted on sponsorship page) Name of donor or company in 2015-2016 sponsorship pamphlet. Two social media shout-outs per semester with picture Access to merchandise pre-sale

Traveler Sponsorship Traveler - $2,500 and up Large sign with company s logo displayed at horse shows and fundraiser (provided by team) Four tickets to USCET Auction fundraiser Separate special email announcing name of donor or description of company & services in monthly newsletter of the month they donate (400-500 words) Name of Donor or link to company s website list of sponsors on website for 1 year after donation (highlighted on home page) Name of donor or company in 2015-2016 sponsorship pamphlet. Monthly social media shout-outs with picture Access to merchandise pre-sale

Event Sponsorships horse show - $2,500 Title sponsor for one or both day s of IHSA competition Ability to distribute promotional materials and samples Vendor space Large sign with company s logo displayed prominently (provided by team) Access for six to VIP tent at show with light snacks Special thanks to donor/company in monthly newsletter (200-300 words) Donor or company name and link prominently on sponsorship page Name of donor or company in 2015-2016 sponsorship pamphlet. Mentioned in all social media announcements regarding the horse show Access to merchandise pre-sale Auction Fundraiser - $1,500 Presenting sponsor for the USCET silent auction Ability to distribute promotional materials and samples Large sign displayed at entrance to event (provided by team) Table for six with VIP seating with complimentary wine Separate special email announcing presenting sponsor, mentioned in all emails, invitations and social media posts leading up to the event. Name of donor or company in 2015-2016 sponsorship pamphlet. Donor or company name and link prominently on sponsorship page Access to merchandise pre-sale

Merchandise Sponsorship Merchandise - $500 and up Merchandise provided by sponsor will display company s name along with team/school logo Merchandise to be sold by team and worn around campus and horse shows Company or donor s name listed on sign with other donors/ sponsors to be displayed at horse shows and fundraiser (provided by team) Special thanks to donor or description of company & services in monthly newsletter of the month they donate (150-200 words) Name of Donor or link to company s website list of sponsors on website for 1 year after donation Name of donor or company in 2015-2016 sponsorship pamphlet. Individualized social media shout-out with picture Access to merchandise pre-sale

Thank you! Closing comments As the new school year begins we are more excited than ever to see what the new year brings us. We currently have one of the strongest groups of riders in our history, an amazing group of horses, and a dedicated coach whose knowledge and experience have been and will continue to be instrumental to our success. We are ecstatic to begin our show season and can t wait to foster new partnerships with our sponsors. We would greatly appreciate your support for this year and hopefully for many years to come. We look forward to working with you. Fight On! contact us: Team Representative: Leah Raphael lraphael@usc.edu (206)-354-7424 Coach: Kathryn Griffiths kathryn@sunsetequinefarms.com (818)-352-3077

our sponsors A special thanks to our 2013-2014 sponsors