The Modesto Bee 2008 Public Service Guidelines

The Modesto Bee is proud to support local organizations through the donation of advertising space. Our contributions have two intended goals: to enhance the quality of life in the greater Stanislaus County region while expanding the corporate image of The Modesto Bee in our community.

If your organization is interested in receiving sponsored advertising support from The Modesto Bee, please review the information in this document. If we are able to accept your request for assistance we will supply more detailed information related to scheduling and ad development.

What is 'Sponsored Support?'

To help local organizations share their message and event information with The Modesto Bee's readership, approved organizations will be eligible to receive advertising space in The Bee at no charge or at a significant discount off of published rate card prices.

Tier 1: The Modesto Bee will consider donating up to $1,000 of advertising space (20 column inches) for one-time community events. These ads will run on a space-available basis, and publication-ready ads must be provided by the sponsored organization.

Tier 2: For events or organizations requiring additional advertising support, The Modesto Bee will offer an advertising discount (50% off of our published non-profit rate.) The Modesto Bee can offer up to $10,000 in total discounted dollars in one calendar year.

Tier 3: Organizations requiring more advertising can sign a custom advertising agreement with The Modesto Bee and will receive 25% of the total contract value in donated advertising. These agreements will include an annual advertising commitment and will span a calendar year.

Example: An annual advertising contract valued at $50,000 will result in a donation of $12,500 in advertising space. An annual advertising agreement valued at $100,000 will result in a donation of $25,000 of advertising space. Please note that donated advertising will only be given based on the total contract amount of non-profit organization, not those of larger parent or for-profit agreements.

Who is eligible for Sponsored Support?

The Modesto Bee is able to support organizations that have 501c3 status as designated by the Internal Revenue Code and are registered with the State of California. The organization's funding and services must primarily benefit residents in The Modesto Bee's circulation area of the greater Stanislaus County region (including Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Calaveras, Merced, Mariposa and San Joaquin counties). Regrettably, we are unable to consider sponsored advertising for the following:

Application Process

To be considered for sponsored advertising support, an application form must be completed and returned to The Modesto Bee. The application form is included in this document, or may be downloaded at http://helpinghands.modbee.com. We would appreciate receiving your application at least two months prior to your event. Along with the application form, your application submission should include:

All requests will be evaluated by the Publisher and President or designee using the criteria detailed above. Your application will be the primary tool used in the decision making process. Unfortunately, we are unable to support every organization and event.

Applications may be sent to:
    The Modesto Bee
    ATTN: Community Relations
    1325 H Street
    Modesto, CA 95352

Sponsored Advertising Guidelines

If a donation for advertising space is approved, the following criteria apply:

Your commitment to The Modesto Bee

In return for sponsored advertising contributions, The Modesto Bee requests that our name or logo appear on all printed materials, including press releases, programs and written correspondence. We also request that The Modesto Bee receive verbal mention at events and onsite recognition – through display of our banner, presence of a booth, table or event tickets – commensurate with other corporate sponsors whose value equals that of our gift. We will happily provide our logo electronically for printed materials.

The Modesto Bee supports the diversity of our employees and our community, and is committed to ensuring diversity in our community relations activities. We do not tolerate either in our workplace or in organizations to which we donate, discrimination against any person on the basis of face, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, national origin or any other characteristic protected by law.

News coverage of your event

Securing an in-kind contribution or sponsorship from The Modesto Bee does not guarantee that there will be any editorial or news coverage of your event. The news and marketing departments of The Bee operate independently of each other.

If you are seeking coverage of your event or project, you will need to contact The Modesto Bee's newsroom directly at 209-578-2030 or metro@modbee.com.

Additional ways to promote your event with The Modesto Bee

There are a variety of opportunities for local organizations to promote their events and services, apart from in-paper or online advertising. We encourage all organizations to take advantage of the items listed below.

Articles and photographs published in The Modesto Bee or on modbee.com may not be used for commercial or political purposes. Limited use of such materials may be granted, but only with our written permission. If you are interested in using a news story or editorial in your marketing efforts, please send a request to Melissa Van Diepen at mvandiepen@modbee.com. Please include information about who will receive the story (generally) and the context in which it will be used and delivered. Once permission has been granted, our staff will work with you to approve the final display of the elements, and any credit issues that need to be addressed.