No legitimate company charges a fee to consider a sponsorship application, and none asks you to pay to release approved funding. Fake sponsorship approvals, complete with letterheads, are a standing scam aimed at clubs, schools and small charities.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory and is not a sponsor.
Applying properly
Most large companies publish a corporate social investment policy, and applications that ignore it are discarded.
- Apply through the company’s official channel, in its stated window, and read what it actually funds.
- Have your registration in order: NPO or company registration, a bank account in the organisation’s name, and financial statements.
- Ask whether you can issue a Section 18A receipt, since it materially affects a donor’s decision.
- Be specific. A costed request for a defined outcome beats a general appeal.
Verifying an approach
If a sponsorship offer arrives unsolicited, verify it by phoning the company on a number you looked up yourself. Never pay a processing, courier or legal fee to receive funding, and never accept payment into a personal account on the organisation’s behalf.
Free business support is available from Seda, and registering an NPO or a company is done directly and cheaply. Report fraud to the police on 10111. Verified 26 August 2026.