How to sponsor an athlete on ralli

Sponsoring an emerging or elite athlete used to mean knowing someone who knew someone. On ralli it takes about two minutes from an athlete profile, and every step after that — consent, proposal, agreement, payment, delivery and reporting — runs through one place. This guide walks the whole journey, screen by screen.

Who this is for

Any brand, business, club or organisation that wants to back a specific athlete: a local company supporting an athlete from the same community, a kit brand looking for authentic content, or a nutrition, recovery or equipment brand wanting a credible partnership with a rising name. You choose an athlete and a package; ralli brokers the rest.

Step 1 — Find the athlete and hit Sponsor

Every athlete on ralli has a public profile. The sponsor call to action sits in the athlete header and again further down the profile, so a brand can act after reading the athlete’s story, goals and results.

Step 2 — Choose a package and tell us your goals

The button opens a short request form. You choose a package, duration and indicative budget, then tell us what you want the partnership to achieve. Nothing is committed at this point — ralli qualifies the request before the athlete sees it.

Community Sponsor starts at $1,000–$2,500. Performance Partner is typically $2,500–$7,500 over three to six months and includes race-day branding, three content collaborations and progress updates. Principal Partner starts at $7,500 for a broader programme. These ranges are indicative athlete fees. The brand pays a separately itemised brokerage fee on top — 15% with a $250 minimum; the proposal shows the athlete fee, brokerage and total before signing. Every profile also shows an estimated monthly impressions range as a planning guide, never a guarantee.

Step 3 — The athlete (or guardian) decides

ralli reviews the request, then sends it to the athlete. Under-18s go to their parent or guardian instead. They see the offer in plain English — what is expected, what they receive and how funds release — and choose Interested, Ask a question or Not for me.

Illustrative pricing: agreed athlete fee $6,000; separately itemised brand-paid brokerage $900; brand total $6,900. The athlete receives their full agreed $6,000 as approved deliverables are completed.

Step 4 — Proposal, agreement and payment

The proposal itemises the athlete fee, the separately charged 15% brand-paid brokerage and your total, alongside the term and deliverables. For the example here, that is $6,000 for the athlete plus $900 brokerage: $6,900 paid by the brand.

The sponsor signs first, then the athlete or guardian countersigns. Payment is made once and held by ralli. It is not released all at once: each agreed deliverable unlocks only its own share after it is completed and approved.

Step 5 — Follow the partnership without chasing updates

A one-off sponsor does not need another account. A secure Sponsorship Hub link arrives by email and keeps the agreement, deliverables, evidence, progress updates, approvals and staged releases together. The fictional North Peak example above shows two 20% releases complete, one 20% release in review and 40% remaining.

Corporate members use a full logged-in brand dashboard instead. That is designed for teams managing multiple athletes, recurring funding, portfolio reporting and ralli rewards. A business can start with one secure-link sponsorship and move to the corporate dashboard later if its programme grows.

What the $6,000 example means in practice

• The agreed athlete fee is $6,000 for a six-month Performance Partner agreement. North Peak pays $900 in separately itemised brokerage (15%) on top, for a $6,900 total.
• The athlete receives the full agreed $6,000, with no ralli brokerage deduction.
• There are five equal deliverables, each releasing $1,200 to the athlete after completion and approval.
• The package contains race-day branding, exactly three content collaborations, and progress updates with a final report.
• If a deliverable does not happen, its unreleased portion stays protected while ralli helps both sides resolve it.

Sofia Marlow and North Peak are illustrative examples, not a real athlete or current ralli partner. They make the numbers and sponsor journey easier to inspect before submitting a request.

How is this different from backing an athlete?

Backing is for individuals — you contribute to an athlete’s funding from $10 and follow the journey. Sponsorship is a commercial agreement between an organisation and an athlete, with defined deliverables, branding rights and a contract. Brands often do both: sponsor one athlete through a tailored agreement and back others through ralli membership.

Common questions

Who pays the brokerage fee?

For new sponsorship agreements, the brand pays a separately itemised brokerage fee on top of the athlete’s agreed fee — 15% with a $250 minimum. For example, a $1,000 athlete fee carries the $250 minimum, so the brand pays $1,250 and the athlete receives the full $1,000 as approved deliverables are completed. Existing agreed deals keep their original terms. Ordinary backing is separate and stays on the 85% athlete / 15% ralli model.

Do I need a ralli account to sponsor an athlete?

No. One-off sponsors use a secure Sponsorship Hub link sent by email. A full login is for corporate members managing a broader athlete portfolio.

What if the athlete is under 18?

Their parent or guardian receives and decides on the offer, and countersigns the agreement. Under-18 athletes never agree to a sponsorship alone.

Can I sponsor more than one athlete?

Yes. Each deal stays clearly scoped. Businesses managing several athletes can use a corporate membership and full brand dashboard.

How long does it take?

A typical request can move from first contact to signed agreement in 2–7 days, depending on how quickly both sides respond.

What happens if a deliverable is missed?

Funds for that deliverable have not been released. Raise it with ralli and we mediate a reschedule, substitute deliverable or return of the outstanding portion.

Ready to start?

Browse the roster, find an athlete whose story fits your brand and choose Sponsor on their profile. Find an athlete to sponsor →