sponsor

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

He was my sponsor when I applied to join the club.

They were my sponsors for immigration.

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

My narcotics anonymous sponsor became my best friend when I finally was able to do something about my meth problem.

Members also choose a sponsor, with whom they are supposed to remain in regular, even daily, contact—and that, too, is a powerful boost for monitoring.

A person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, media program, etc., usually in exchange for advertising.

And now a word from our sponsor.

To be a sponsor for.

Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.