One Event at a Time: Funding Your Community the Realistic Way

August 7, 2025

Community, Reflection, Event Organizing, Leadership

When the news of PSF Grants Program pause was published, it hit hard. It was tough for us. We felt it both as members of the community and as PSF Board members. The concerns that followed were real and expected. Many organizers began asking how they could move forward with their events. That worry is valid.

In a post I shared earlier, I spoke about my concerns around AI companies drifting away from the community. It was written before the grants issue was brought to the board. Now, we’re here.

Many organizers have long seen the PSF as their main sponsor. But here’s the truth: the PSF was never meant to be the main sponsor for any Python events. What the PSF provides are grants.

Grant vs Sponsorship

Grant

A grant is financial aid. It is usually given to help cover costs or make an event possible.

It does not come with expectations of direct returns.
It is usually funded through donations or internal budgets.
The only expectation is that the money is used for the intended purpose.
It is intended to lower financial barriers for community-driven initiatives

Grants are there to enable, not to sustain. The PSF’s grants fall into this category: they are meant to empower organizers, not to fully fund operations.

Sponsorship

A sponsorship is a business arrangement. A sponsor provides money, services, or products in exchange for visibility or access.

It is a transaction with defined benefits.
Sponsors expect measurable returns such as brand exposure, recruitment leads, or product promotion.
You need a clear value proposition to attract and keep sponsors.

In short:

A grant is aid.

A sponsorship is a deal.

If your event relies only on grants, it is walking on thin ice. Building sponsor relationships makes your event stronger and more sustainable.

The PSF’s money comes from corporate donations and profits from PyCon US. When PyCon US runs a loss, or donations fall behind inflation or community growth, the community grant program takes a hit. This pause is not the end of your event. It is a call to diversify funding.

Here’s a playbook outline I’ve written based on what I’ve learned over the decades of event organizing. This is just my perspective. There are many ways to run a great event, and this isn’t official PSF guidance. Just one organizer sharing what’s worked.

So hopefully this helps.

Every country, culture, and community is different. Use what fits.

Adjust what doesn’t.

Start Early

Fundraising takes time. Start months ahead.

Companies have budgets for sponsorship, but they need time to plan and prepare. Last-minute sponsors do appear, but treat them as bonuses. Not a plan.

Early sponsors give you peace of mind. Their money helps you make decisions with confidence. They also tend to be more engaged throughout.

Most companies set budgets by quarter. Some finalize event plans in Q4 for the following year. If your event happens in the first half of the year, start outreach the year before. Missing that window could mean waiting another 12 months.

Some companies also have leftover budgets by the end of Q4. They may be looking for quick-win sponsorships. This helps them close the books with a tax-friendly write-off.

Planning early is always better.

Starting early also gives you flexibility:

If you raise more, you expand.

If you raise less, you still deliver.

Create a sponsorship calendar that matches corporate cycles. Plan your first outreach before the budget doors shut.

So, how early? Somewhere between 4-7 months before the event date will be great.

Define Your Event’s MVP

You know your event best. Do not oversell. Do not undersell.

Define what makes your event matter. Know the core value of your event and stand behind it. If you believe in it, others will too. Sponsors like talk slots, but you do not need to give all sponsors your prime speaking spots. Save your keynotes for your community’s most important speakers.

Offer top-tier sponsors a talk or panel slot if it fits. These have value. Talks create footprints for their brand presence. Be clear about what they get. Otherwise, they will keep asking for more.

Sponsors want confidence. If you cannot clearly explain why your event matters, sponsors will move on.

Define what your MVP actually looks like. For example:

1 or 2 tracks, 150 - 300 attendees, affordable community venue, livestream optional.

Avoid promising what you can’t control. For instance, never guarantee a “full room” for a sponsor talk. Instead, offer promotion, a good time slot in the schedule, and a recording of the talk to share later.

Create Minimum and Expanded Budgets

Don’t guess. Budget.

Build two versions:

Minimum viable budget: The leanest version of your event. The version you can still be proud of. No fluff. Just the essentials. Think like the community, not yourself..
Expanded budget: The dream version. Better venue. Swag. Full catering. Perks that make the experience shine, but aren’t required to make it work.

Attach numbers to each line item.

Break it all down:

Venue
Catering
AV and livestream
Printing
Volunteer support

Then map how upgrades happen when more money comes in.

This helps you see where the money can stretch, and how it can improve the experience. It gives you better leeway to adjust without losing sight of what matters.

Know What Sponsors Want

Sponsors don’t hand out money for fun. They expect something back. They have choices. ou want them to see value in yours. But here’s the thing: you get to choose too. Not every sponsor fits. That’s okay.

Ask yourself:

Do they want developer recruitment? (Companies hiring engineers)
Do they want product exposure? (APIs, tools, platforms)
Do they want brand association with Python?

Identify the fit before you pitch. Make sure they read and agree to your Code of Conduct before anything is signed. Signing the contract is the easiest piece of the whole process. The alignment is what matters.

Not all sponsors want the same thing. If you treat them like they do, they will either walk away or ask for more than you can realistically provide.

You don’t need to rewrite your event to please everyone. But you do need to understand their business goals and tailor your pitch accordingly.

Here are some common sponsor types you’ll likely come across:

1. Recruitment-Driven Sponsors

These are companies looking for talent. Developers. DevRel staff. Tech leads.

What they want: exposure to talent.

Visibility among job-seeking developers and usually mid-to-senior developers
A chance to show off their team and culture
Resume drops, hiring boards, or access to opt-in candidate lists
Branded talk or panel slots that showcase their engineering work

What you can offer:

Job board space at the event
A “Who’s Hiring” section on your website or slides
A sponsor space for real conversations
A spot on a “Careers in Tech” or “Getting into DevRel” panel if you host one

What to avoid:

Do not promise “hiring outcomes” or private access to your attendee list unless attendees opt in. Always stay GDPR-compliant and transparent.

2. Product-Focused Sponsors

These are companies building tools, platforms, or cloud services for developers. Their main goal is adoption.

What they want: product adoption or trial sign-ups.

Product demos and sign-ups
Talk slots that let them educate, not just advertise
Visibility among engineers who choose tools for teams
Swag or booth visibility to attract interest

What you can offer:

Demo booth space in a high-traffic area(especially near coffee or food)
Talks slots related to Tools and Frameworks
Co-hosted workshop opportunities
Swag bag inclusion (e.g. stickers, T-shirts, free trial cards)

What to avoid: Don’t let them turn their talk into a sales pitch. Help them frame it as “here’s how this tool solves a real dev problem.” That keeps the content useful for attendees and protects your program quality. A good talk shows real use, not just a product slide deck.

3. Brand Awareness Sponsors

These sponsors believe in community. They want to be seen supporting open source, education, or diversity in tech. They may not be recruiting or selling directly but want to align with Python values.

What they want: to be seen as supporters of open source or community learning.

Brand visibility
Social media mentions
Goodwill from supporting the community

What you can offer:

Logo placementon your website, slides, and banners
Mentions during opening and closing talks
Dedicated “thank you” posts on social media
A simple booth or banner, even if they are not physically attending

What to avoid: Don’t overload them with technical sponsor perks. If they aren’t looking to recruit or demo, keep it lightweight and feel-good.

4. Local and Community Sponsors

These are your local heroes. The nearby coworking spaces, local startups, city councils, cafes, or small businesses. They care more about local exposure and supporting community work than big returns.

What they want: visibility in the local tech ecosystem

Local visibility
Association with something positive and educational
A chance to support the local Python scene
Positive PR in their neighborhood

What you can offer:

Verbal shoutouts during the event
Community sponsor tier with flexible pricing
Logos on flyers and the event website
Invite to pre-event or post-event socials
An option to host a side event (e.g. breakfast, meetup, or social)
Sponsor tables in shared spaces
Free tickets or passes for their staff

What to avoid: Don’t ask them for the same money as your tech sponsors. Offer smaller community packages or barter deals. You might get coffee sponsorship or printing services instead of cash — and that’s just as valuable.

Tailor, but don’t over-customize.

You don’t need to rewrite your sponsorship prospectus every time. Offer “add-on” options that sponsors can stack on top of base tiers:

Swap a talk slot for a workshop
Swap logo placement for a booth upgrade
Workshop hosting
Lanyard branding
Sponsored coffee breaks
Promo in post-event newsletter

Group your sponsor list by type. That way, when it’s time to reach out, your pitch can speak directly to their interests and not get lost in their inbox.

Build an Attendee Profile

Sponsors want to know who shows up. They don’t need a novel. They want a clear picture.

Show them:

Typical job roles of attendees
Industries they work in
Past attendance numbers (or projections if it is your first event)
The type of audience you plan to attract

If you have past data, include diversity figures, attendee seniority (junior, mid, senior), and geographic reach.This isn’t just nice to know. It builds trust. Sponsors feel more confident when they see who they’re reaching.

Make It Easy to Say Yes

Sponsors won’t read your whole pitch. They don’t have time. The person you’re emailing is usually not the one making the call.

Their manager is.

That manager is busy. They want answers fast. If they can’t find what they need in five minutes, they’ll move on.

So make it easy. Provide:

A page with the summary of the events.
A comparison of all tiers to make decision making easier for them.
A version in PDF for print, and one in HTML for mobile or email

Your pitch should answer three things:

Who’s attending? (roles, industries, numbers)
How your event benefits them? (visibility, leads, hiring)
What do they get? (no blocks of text, just benefits)

If it’s hard to understand, it’s hard to say yes. Put an “At a Glance” page up front. Include dates, venue, expected audience, and top perks. Add a bold “Contact to Sponsor” email or button. Many sponsors will read it on their phones. Include a mobile-friendly version for decision-makers reading on phones.

Prospectus Prep

Your prospectus is your sales tool. It should be clear, simple, and easy to digest. If it also looks great, that’s a bonus.

Include the basics:

Attendee numbers and profiles
Sponsorship tiers with benefits (side-by-side chart)
Logos of past sponsors (social proof)
Clear contact details and next steps

Flexibility is key. Be willing to customize packages for high-value sponsors.

Write a clear summary of the event.

Include:

Goal
Date and venue
About the event
Benefits of sponsorship
Conference format
Attendee profile
Create a tier chart.

Make a page for each tier. At the end, include a summary page that compares all tiers at a glance. Keep everything easy to understand.

If past sponsors are willing, include short quotes from them. Nothing sells a sponsorship package like a company saying “this event was worth it for us.”

Sponsors that return year after year are gold. If you earn their trust once, they’ll often come back.

As for tools: Find tools that are easy to edit and share with team members. Canva for example makes it simple. Their slide templates are easy to embed into your site. Any updates you make go live immediately. No need to re-upload files each time.

I made a Canva deck for PyCon Thailand back in 2020. They still use it. PyLadiesCon used a similar template this year, and the response from sponsors has been strong. Here’s the link to that template if you’d like to use it as a reference.

The Search for Sponsors

Before you begin, build your list. Start with companies that have sponsored in the past or shown interest. Group them by type: tech, non-tech, local businesses, training providers.

Look beyond Tech Giants.

Yes, it’s easy to aim at the big tech firms that use Python. But think broader. Ask: who benefits from your attendees?

Even local cafés or food delivery apps could offer discounts or sponsor meals.

Could they be the educational institutions, the training companies, the cloud and infrastructure providers? What about the local co-working spaces? Maybe it’s small businesses who want to reach tech-savvy customers? Or what about the food delivery and local cafés? Could they sponsor or offer discounts for meals?

Tap your community network.

Someone in your community may work at a company that could sponsor. A personal introduction often works better than a cold email. Someone in your community may work at one of these places. A warm intro often works better than any pitch deck. Move to cold outreach with tailored offers. Cold outreach is where many organizers fail. Avoid sending a cold email with just a PDF and a “sponsor us” message. Start with: Who you are Why you are contacting them (connect it to their business) How their support fits with your event audience

Example:

“We saw you’ve been hiring Python developers. PyCon X brings 300+ mid-level engineers across the region. We’d love to explore a sponsorship that highlights your company’s work.”

Keep it short. Keep it relevant.

Follow up.

People are busy. If they don’t respond, try again in two weeks. It is not spamming. Stop after the third try. Track everything. Keep a sponsor spreadsheet all year. Include:

Company name
Contact person
Last contact date
Interest level
Notes on what they care about

This will save you time next year make last-minute sponsorship gaps easier to fill.

Market Like You Mean It

A community event still competes with professional conferences for attention. There are many events out there. You cannot assume sponsors will find you. You must make your event visible.

The more eyes on your event, the more likely you’ll catch a sponsor’s interest.

Plan a simple marketing calendar. Include:

Social media posts (countdown, speaker announcements, sponsor shoutouts)
Email updates to your community
Cross-promotion with local Python groups and tech hubs
Posts inviting sponsors, with clear value shown

Track what matters to sponsors:

Social media reach and engagement
Newsletter subscribers
Website traffic during the event lead-up

Sponsors want to know what kind of reach they’re buying into. If you tag sponsors in social posts, avoid sounding like an ad. Keep it human. Keep it helpful.

For example:

“Thank you to XYZ Corp for supporting PyCon Local. Their team is working on exciting Python tools. Check out their talk on Saturday at 2 PM.”

Make them feel like part of the event, not just a wallet behind it.

How to Save Without Losing the Python Spirit

Big budgets don’t make great events. Community does.

When money is tight, think of partnerships, not just sponsorships.

You don’t always need cash. Many things can be traded. You can get a free venue in exchange for partnership, logo presence, talk slots etc. Or swag like stickers, t-shirts, after party venue, or captioning, video production. This type of sponsorship is often called “in-kind sponsorship”.It saves your budget and still gives real value to both sides.

A few examples:

Video production: Team up with a university media department or a local AV company.
Food: Ask a nearby café or restaurant to cater with discounts in exchange for branding.
Printing: A local print shop may be happy to cover your flyers in return for logo space.
Promotion: Tech publications share your registration information in exchange for logo placement

Be careful about what you are providing. Never share attendee data without consent. If it involves attendees’ personal information, make sure it complies with GDPR or similar laws in your country. Use an opt-in option for attendees if you plan to share details with sponsors.

You do not need to sell your soul or your community’s trust for a free lunch.

Use what you already have. Share what makes your event special. That’s what real partners want to support.

Venue, venue, venue

Your biggest expense is often the venue. But it doesn’t have to break your budget.

There are spaces that do not rely on venue rental as their main income. These places often have different goals—education, outreach, innovation. And they may welcome a partnership if your event aligns with their mission. Promote the event in a way that benefits them.

You can solve venue costs through creative partnerships. Consider:

Universities and tech hubs (classrooms, auditoriums)
Government agencies (innovation centers, public event spaces)
Corporate offices (empty weekend space)

Schools are especially useful. They usually have enough rooms for multiple tracks, built-in AV, and reliable wifi. PyCon Philippines used university venues from 2012 to 2019. That kept costs low and made the event accessible. They only had to shift in 2023 and 2024 due to a post-pandemic venue crunch. Remember: The first PyCon US, led by Guido, was held in a university, not a hotel ballroom.

Look beyond traditional venues:

Community centers
Universities
Libraries
Startup incubators
Tech hubs
Theatres

If your event has grown large enough that only professional venues can handle it:

Negotiate a multi-year contract for better rates
Ask for extras: signage space, AV gear, extended setup hours
Avoid hidden costs: confirm if you can use your own AV or catering
Check move-in and move-out windows—some venues charge heavily for overtime

Reusing the same venue helps. The EuroPython team ran three editions (2023–2025) in the same venue in Prague. Their logistics improved each year, by having organizers, sponsors, and participants more familiarized with the location.

In short: venue costs are flexible if you plan ahead, think creatively, and build local relationships.

Be Creative

A little creativity can go a long way. You don’t need a fancy venue or catered lunch to create a great experience. You need a good plan and the courage to try something different.

Adapt without cutting quality:

Can’t afford catering? Let attendees buy their own lunch. Pick a venue near restaurants and give people time to explore.
Not enough space? Spread your event over two or more days. Sell both single-day and multi-day tickets. Some people can’t attend the full event, but they’ll still show up if you give them options.
Know another organizer planning a local event? Share space. Back-to-back events or split weekends can save on venue and setup costs—and bring both communities together.

The Python community values connection more. A creative plan that works is better than an expensive one that doesn’t.

Ticketing Price

Many organizers hesitate to raise prices, worried it might hurt attendance. But fair pricing is not the enemy. If your event brings value, people will pay.

Price your tickets to match your audience and funding model.

Examples:

Early bird tickets at lower cost to secure early cash flow
Student tickets subsidized by higher-tier or supporter tickets
Community supporter tickets with perks (swag, recognition)
Consider creative ticket categories:
Premium tickets that include merchandise or priority seating
Donor tickets for attendees who wish to support the event beyond attendance

Be transparent.

Show how ticket revenue helps cover venue, AV, catering, or volunteer support. When people understand what they’re paying for, they’re more willing to contribute.

Keep Perspective

The grant pause is not the end of Python events.

It is a chance to build stronger, more sustainable and more locally rooted events that don’t fall apart when one funding source dries up.

Organizers who adapt with diverse sponsors, strong community partnerships, smart budgeting will not just survive. They will thrive.

We’ve built events from living rooms, borrowed classrooms, and public libraries. We’ve done it with no money and with five-figure budgets. And we’ll keep doing it.

Not every event needs to feel corporate. We don’t need to chase polish at the cost of authenticity. Community events are endearing because they reflect the people behind them.

A simple venue. A shared meal. A hallway chat. These things matter more than branding walls and stage lights. People come to connect, not to be dazzled.

To fellow organizers:

You do not need to have it all figured out. Every challenge you face, someone has faced it before. You’re not alone. There are people in this community ready to help you. You just need to start early, know your audience, and offer real value to the people supporting you. And thank you for everything you’ve already done.

To sponsors:

Your support keeps this community alive. If you believe in open source, in education, in equity, in giving back, this is the moment to show up. These events are where your next engineers, your users, your advocates are growing. Community events are where your next engineers, users, and advocates are coming from. Your backing is more than charity. It is a direct investment in your future.

Here are some of the events happening around the world till the end of this year:

Africa

Asia

Europe

North America

South America

Python Brasil – 21–27 Oct, São Paulo, Brazil

Oceania

PyCon AU – 12–16 Sept, Melbourne, Australia

Online

Support them. Show up if you can. Give what you can.

Together, we can keep Python alive and thriving. One event at a time.

Thank you Marie Nordin, Micaela Reyes and Cristián Maureira-Fredes for contributing information to this post.

The sponsorship guide section will also be adapted in the Community Organizer Kit.

Tags: Community, Event Organizing, Python