Community sponsorships
We award hundreds of sponsorships to the community each year. Let us help your organization!
Could your local organization or nonprofit use some help from us?
We’re proud to celebrate over 70 years of giving back to the community we serve by supporting efforts to improve the quality of life in our region. Let us know if you’d like SMUD to sponsor your local event.
Application information
To be considered, all requests must be received at least 60 days prior to the date of the event or activity.
- Apply early: Submit your application at least 60 days prior to your event.
- Share demographics: Tell us who will be attending your event and how many you anticipate.
- Help us help you: Provide a clear opportunity for us to market our programs and services.
- Plan ahead: Check community calendars for conflicting dates with other events.
- Provide options: Provide 2 or 3 sponsorship options with a range of costs.
- Prioritize: Highlight the event you have that best aligns with our key values.
- Be flexible: We’ll work with you to create a custom sponsorship package.
For more information, email SMUD's Community Relations Department or call 916-732-6817.
Examples of the kind of activities we can sponsor:
- Events associated with marketing packages, tradeshows or other community functions such as dinners or luncheons that enable us to reach targeted customers and groups
- Conferences that allow us to educate customers about specific programs, services and initiatives
- Activities that allow us to reach our customers and stakeholders directly
- Partnerships that drive customer participation in SMUD's programs and services
- Partnerships that supports regional economic development or that attract and retain business
- Partnerships that supports local small business participation in our SEED program
Our key values
Through financial support, employee volunteerism, education through our speakers bureau and partnerships with customers and nonprofit organizations, we eagerly support causes that make a difference and align with our four key values:
Leadership
- Economic development
- Civic leadership
Integrity
- Environmental stewardship
- Supplier diversity
Ingenuity
- Education (focused on science, technology, engineering and math)
Community
- Diversity & Culture
- Healthy, sustainable communities
Most of our sponsorships are for events and generally do not exceed $2,500. We are limited to investing our sponsorship funds in activities that promote the customer benefits of our programs and services or that support economic development in our region. We cannot sponsor political, religious or individual lobbying activities.
Examples of entities and activities we cannot support:
- Charitable donations
- Individual lobbying activities
- Political fundraisers or partisan activities
- Grants or general operating support
- Religious activities
- Organizations whose services are not provided in our service territory
- Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, or national origin
- Operating or travel expenses
- School-affiliated field trips, fundraisers, sports teams, graduations or performing arts events
- Donations of SMUD electric service for which a fee is normally charged