Before you call potential sponsors, think about how each sponsor can use their expertise to support NetDay. Start by asking all corporate partners to donate wiring kits and encourage their employees to volunteer. Beyond that, though, there are as many ways to support NetDay as there are industries, so it's important to tailor pitches to the businesses you plan to contact.

In preparing for your call, think about how the organization works and how it interacts with the public. A computer manufacturer will contribute something different from a clothing retailer. Is the potential sponsor a supermarket or a department store chain? Suggest that stores print NetDay ads on grocery bags or shopping bags. Are you calling a utility company? Ask it to include NetDay ads with its billing statements or to adopt a school and provide technical volunteers. Are you calling a restaurant? Ask it to provide lunch for volunteers on NetDay. Do you know whether the organization has already adopted a school for sports activities? Ask it to extend its sponsorship to NetDay.

The most important thing you can do to attract NetDay sponsors is to get the word out. The more people who know about NetDay, the more schools will be wired.

Here are some ways to support NetDay. Encourage sponsors to adopt one or more schools.

• Buy a wiring kit: Sponsorship doesn't have to be time consuming. Make it as simple as you can for a sponsor to give as much as possible. If an organization doesn't already have ties to a school, suggest that it buy wiring kits and let its employees decide which schools to give them to. Tell organizations that they can buy a kit for every school in a district simply by cutting a check - the administration will take care of the rest.

  Always have sponsors contribute wiring kits directly to schools, not to NetDay organizers. Check the NetDay Kits section for up-to-date information on kit contents and ordering.

• Send technical and nontechnical volunteers: Ask employers to spread the word about NetDay to their employees, using internal e-mail, the company newsletter or corporate magazine, and staff meeting announcements. (It's important that the company's NetDay publicity include information on how to register to volunteer, both through the NetDay Web siteNetDay Web site - and through the NetDay fax-on-demand service at 1-888-786-3897.) Companies that employ cable installers can help by letting employees work with schools on company time; one way to make technicians available to schools on NetDay is to change their work week to Tuesday through Saturday. Some cable installation companies arrange partnerships with their clients, providing technical help while the clients fund kits and provide volunteers.

• Loan tools and equipment: Some sponsors can loan cable installation tools and equipment (see our suggested list).

• Publicize NetDay: Encourage sponsors to advertise their contribution to the community. Ask them to use their public relations resources to get press coverage. Suggest NetDay T-shirts for company volunteers. Ask retailers to promote NetDay in their regular advertising. Offer special recognition on your state NetDay Web site to sponsors that go the extra mile to support NetDay.

• Support the volunteers: Ask sponsors to provide breakfast, lunch, and refreshments on NetDay.

• Contribute funds: Sponsors can help fund NetDay's national activities and special projects like this NetDay How-To Guide. Or, if your state has formed a NetDay nonprofit, sponsors can fund your state's staff and fulfill other financial needs.

For even more ideas, see the sponsor checklist.

Sample NetDay Advertisements

Sidebar: Why Be a NetDay Sponsor?

Sidebar: How Sponsors Contributed in NetDay 96 in California