Sponsorship
Sponsor the
Programme.
Million Classics is built around Programme Cycles, not book counts. Every sponsorship — at every tier — funds a defined position within a defined cycle.
A Programme Cycle is the complete delivery of the Programme to a defined cohort of secondary school students, over a defined window, within a defined geography. Every cycle is structured around the same five evidential pillars and produces a defined set of outputs delivered to its sponsors.
What every cycle produces
- —A cohort of students moved through the full cycle
- —A body of original student writing
- —Three named winners with cash prizes
- —Three-year scholarships
- —A written impact report
- —A sponsor-facing case study
Outputs
What Your Sponsorship Funds
Every Programme Cycle produces the same defined outputs. Sponsors at every tier receive evidence of what their sponsorship has built.
Output
A Cohort Moved Through the Cycle
Documented engagement of secondary school students across five participating schools.
Output
A Body of Original Student Work
Original essays submitted by students, anonymised at intake, judged independently, with selected pieces published with consent.
Output
Named Winners and Scholarships
Three winners per cycle, selected by an independent panel, awarded cash prizes and three-year scholarships at a public Awards event.
Output
A Content Library
Professional photography and short-form video from school visits and the Awards event, available for the sponsor's own communications use.
Output
A Written Impact Report
Documented evidence across all five pillars, with Programme data and sponsor-specific framing, delivered within thirty days of the Awards event.
Output
A Sponsor-Facing Case Study
Suitable for the sponsor's annual report, ESG section, board reporting or marketing — drafted to the sponsor's preferred register.
Tiers
Sponsorship Tiers
Six tiers, structured so that supporters at every scale can find a meaningful role. Each tier funds a defined position within the Programme and carries defined recognition rights.
Tier 1
Founding Sponsor
The Founding Sponsor is the Programme's lead partner. There is one Founding Sponsor per programme cycle, and the role is structured to be the most visible and most consequential of any sponsorship position. Best suited to a single major foundation, a flagship corporate, or a high-net-worth principal who wishes to take the lead philanthropic position on the Programme.
What the Founding Sponsor receives
- —Lead naming rights across all Programme communications, materials and events for the duration of the programme cycle
- —Speaking position at the Awards Dinner and all subsequent Programme events
- —Quarterly impact reports and a year-end Programme review tailored to the sponsor's reporting needs
- —Co-branded content for the sponsor's own ESG, CSR or corporate communications
- —First right of renewal for the following programme cycle
Tier 2
State Sponsor
The State Sponsor backs a complete Programme Cycle in their chosen state — a full thirteen-week delivery, identical in structure to the Launch Cycle, scaled and adapted to the state. Suited to corporates with a footprint in a particular state, foundations seeking a discrete grantable unit, high-net-worth diaspora individuals with state-of-origin loyalty, and Nigerian businesses investing visibly in their home state.
What the State Sponsor receives
- —A complete State Programme Cycle: five schools, a defined cohort, the full thirteen-week delivery, all five pillars
- —Naming rights for the state cycle (e.g. 'The [Sponsor] Million Classics Edo Programme')
- —Three named winners — cash prizes and three-year scholarships
- —A state-level Awards event with lead recognition and speaking opportunity
- —Professional content library, written impact report and sponsor-facing case study
- —First right of renewal for the same state in the following programme cycle
Tier 3
Programme Sponsor
The Programme Sponsor backs the Programme as a whole rather than a specific cycle, and is recognised across all Programme materials and events for the duration of the programme period. Multiple Programme Sponsors are accommodated.
What the Programme Sponsor receives
- —Logo placement and named recognition on all Programme materials, the website, and event collateral
- —Recognition at the Lagos Awards Dinner and across state-level Awards events
- —Programme impact reports and content access for the sponsor's own communications
- —Invitation to all Programme events for the cycle
Tier 4
Scholarship Sponsor
The Scholarship Sponsor funds the three-year scholarships awarded to the winners of a programme cycle. With the same scholarship structure across the Launch Cycle and state-level cycles, the Scholarship Sponsor's commitment travels directly into the lives of named young people.
What the Scholarship Sponsor receives
- —Named scholarship — 'The [Sponsor] Million Classics Scholarship' — across all programme winners for the cycle
- —Direct profile in winner communications and at Awards events
- —Annual update on each scholarship recipient through the three-year scholarship period
Tier 5
School Sponsor
The School Sponsor backs a single named school within a Programme Cycle. The sponsor's name is associated with that school's participation, and the sponsor receives reporting and content specific to that school. Suited to mid-tier corporates, alumni networks, and diaspora groups associated with a particular school or community.
What the School Sponsor receives
- —Named association with the chosen school for the programme cycle
- —School-level content (photography, video, student voices) for the sponsor's own use
- —Invitation to the relevant Awards event
Tier 6 — Most Accessible
Sponsor a Reader
₦25,000 / £25 / $30 per student
The most accessible tier. A Sponsor a Reader contribution funds the Programme experience for one student — their participation in the cycle from reading through to the recognition moment. Suited to diaspora individual giving, alumni and community pools, and any sponsor who wishes to make a meaningful contribution at an accessible price point.
What the Sponsor a Reader receives
- —Acknowledgement on the Programme's online donor wall (optional, named or anonymous)
- —Programme newsletter access and cycle updates
International giving · via Go-Fund-Me
Campaign URL to be provided by Maxwell
How to Proceed
Two Pathways
Founding, State, Programme, Scholarship & School Sponsorships
A sponsorship at any of these tiers is a conversation. We start by understanding your interests, your reporting requirements, and any geographic or thematic preferences. We then design a sponsorship package that reflects them — and walk through the Programme Cycle, the timeline, and the recognition architecture in detail.
Or write to sponsors@millionclassics.org
Sponsor a Reader Contributions
Sponsor a Reader contributions can be made directly online. Nigerian giving is handled via Paystack; international giving via the Programme's Go-Fund-Me campaign page. Both routes feed into the same Programme — the only difference is the rail.
Jump to Sponsor a Reader →Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Accountability
A Word on Trust
The Programme is delivered by a publicly-listed Nigerian company and a UK-registered firm, governed by a Cooperation Agreement and overseen by a joint Steering Committee. We commit to honest reporting on every cycle, including on shortfalls — sponsors will not be told their cycle achieved targets it did not. The Programme operates a written safeguarding policy and produces a written impact report for every cycle, substantiated by Programme records.
Our commitment
- —Honest reporting, including shortfalls
- —Written safeguarding policy
- —Impact report for every cycle
- —Substantiated by Programme records
Contact
Get in Touch
For sponsorship conversations at any tier, or for any other Programme enquiries — please write to us.
for sponsorship enquiries
for general Programme enquiries
Final email addresses to be confirmed during W-4 Google Workspace stand-up.