Sponsorship Philosophy & Policy Guidelines
The mandate of Xtra is to engage gay men and lesbians, and we choose to support events and organizations on principle, in addition to promotional opportunities. The purpose of sponsorships is, primarily, to promote an event or an activity.
As a not-for-profit organization serving a specialized market, the Xtra media group does not fit neatly into most corporate or media packages. While it may be useful in some instances to categorize sponsors by the cash value of their donation and to bestow benefits accordingly, this structure oftentimes does not truly reflect the value of Xtra's sponsorship. If your desire is to reach gay men and lesbians, an ad spot in our paper or on Xtra.ca may be worth more to you than an ad spot in a daily newspaper, even though the dollar value may be significantly higher. Since you are inquiring about sponsorship from Xtra, you already appreciate our ability to deliver your message to our readership. Those requesting sponsorship choose the value of a working association with Xtra beyond dollar value.
The purpose of an Xtra sponsorship is not to free up advertising costs so that a paid ad may be placed in another publication. If Xtra agrees to sponsor your event, you must agree to make Xtra a main component of your paid print advertising campaign.
Xtra does not make cash donations. We provide key promotional support through discounted advertising, audiotext services, and promotional tools such as contests and e-mail blasts. Also, Xtra does not share sponsorship of events with print media that directly competes with Xtra. Co-sponsorship with other community media must be negotiated before an agreement will be in place.
Xtra does not offer editorial coverage as part of a sponsorship package. Press releases should be forwarded separately to our editorial department; see the Contact Us section for each paper.
If you would like Xtra to sponsor your event, you must submit a written proposal.
For complete guidelines about about our sponsorships, for more information, or for a sponsorship application, please contact Gareth Kirkby.