A Sponsor

1. A person or organisation with some sort of responsibility for another person or organisation, especially where the responsibility has a religious, legal, or financial aspect.

Hyponyms: godparent, gossip (obsolete)

• A senior member of a twelve step or similar program assigned to a guide a new initiate and form a partnership with him.

2. One that pays all or part of the cost of an event, a publication, or a media program, usually in exchange for advertising time.

Synonyms: patron, underwriter