Not just for project managers

As a project manager and organizational lead, you will often hear that projects and organizations do not succeed without someone championing the project's mission or organizational goals. A sponsor is, as defined in the Project Management Book Of Knowledge (PMBOK) 3rd edition, "a person or a group that provides financial resources, in cash or in-kind, for the project". Liking it to the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), our organization runs multiple projects and each with their associated costs. Sponsorships are close to 1/3rd of our chapter's operating expenses so they offset our costs and as a result keep membership fees low and events affordable.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down and speak with one of our sponsors, Jamie Williams (right in photo) and Rechele Heath of State Farm, in their Dupont, Wa operating center. Since projects are about effecting change and results, we talked results and not just results surrounding our chapter, but results for our sponsor as well. We discussed specific measureable results in an effort to monetize them or to see the return on investment (ROI) of the project, a key project management term.

One of the key projects we discussed and one that I got truly excited about was to create an event that educates NAAAP members on State Farm’s diversity outreach program and describes opportunities at State Farm. This event would expand beyond the Asian community to include other multicultural groups having both a diverse panel of speakers and attendees. The result would be to have 100 people attend and walk away with a new or renewed perspective on Diversity and Inclusion and to have the opportunity to connect with recruiters at State Farm.

Getting back to the topic of sponsors, let me ask you this, "Ever been on a project where there wasn't a sponsor? How did the project turn out?" If you're not a project manager and want to be one, this is an important key step in the beginning stages of a project; that is to get a sponsor. Even if you don't want to be a project manager but you're on a project, look and see if there is a sponsor and it will tell you how your group is perceived within the organization. As you may realize by now, the sponsor is the main factor for project success.
In closing, I want to thank State Farm for sponsoring NAAAP Seattle as well as other chapters across North America.

Regards,
Gil Gido
NAAAP Seattle
President