JOIN US AS A PARTNER

Help us build a better future for the trades

Communities across America have a problem. As tradespeople are retiring and fewer youth are entering the trades, contractors and homeowners are facing a shortage of skills and experience. Now is the time for communities to mobilize to ensure the transfer of knowledge to the next generation. 

Touch a Trade is an initiative designed to address this problem by sparking the individual’s interest in working with their hands. We are looking for like-minded organizations to partner with us in our mission to support the development of the next generation of trades and craftspeople.

This year we will be hosting the second annual Touch a Trade event on Saturday, October 21st 2023 at the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association in Kent, CT.

If you would like to join us in making the trades matter to the next generation, we are looking for both partners in our overall mission and sponsors of specific activities. 

All donations will be processed through our fiscal sponsor HatchSpace, and are tax deductible.

Sponsorship opportunities

Cash and in-kind donations for this year’s event. Donations of services and/or supplies will contribute to the success of the Touch a Trade event. Cash donations will be used to cover our operating expenses for the Touch a Trade event in October and create seed funding for the next phase of activities.

Here are some examples of specific services and supplies that would be greatly appreciated:

  • Building supplies for Touch a Trade presentations.

  • Catering and venue for a Presenters and Sponsors dinner the night before the Touch a Trade event

  • Event tents and tables

  • Lodging for presenters for up to two nights

  • Printing services for promotional materials and banners

  • Anything else that you might have in mind!

Partnership opportunities

Supporting the long-term goals of the initiative. Social change takes time and broad community engagement and in order to affect the kind of change we want to see, we imagine a multi-pronged approach that includes education, community engagement and policy advocacy

Here are some examples of long-term partnership opportunities:

  • Promoting the event within your organization or community

  • Facilitating relationships with like-minded communities

  • Sharing knowledge and information resources

  • Serving as a thought-partner and/or technical expert as we develop our programs

  • Joining advocacy and awareness-raising initiatives

  • Helping us design and deliver training opportunities

  • Anything else you might have in mind!

To learn more about being a sponsor or partner, please download the How to Become a Touch a Trade Partner presentation below.

If you are interested in partnering with us, please contact us using the form below or at partnership@touchatrade.org