Re: Questions on funding/ folding a team
 

Contact your local service organizations. Lion's Club, Rotary, etc. Do community speaking gigs and ask for donations. We have gotten as much as $3000 from an organization and at least passing the hat.

Jack Gillespie
Team 3013

Re: Questions on funding/ folding a team
 

Matthew, if your team has students and mentors that are willing to roll up their sleeves here are a couple of suggestions: car washes and leaf raking. You might be surprised at how lucrative these can be. About 6 weeks ago, we held a carwash and raised over $800! We had 2012's robot out as a static display to help get the attention of drivers and to show a small part of what the students get out of FIRST. With respect to pricing your services, we ask drivers for a donation rather than a fixed price. We are usually surprised by the generosity of the public.

While we have not held this year's leaf raking event, last year we raised over $500. We prepared an informative leaflet and distributed it in the target neighborhood in advance of the rake up event. Just my .02...

Re: Questions on funding/ folding a team
 

Everyone thank you so much for your replies.

Heres an update: The school district did decide to chip in 2000 after all and we are within a few hundred dollars of being abole to afford the registration fee. And are going to register for a regional.

We have also applied for the NASA grant, and have our fingers crossed.

I've though about team fees, but our school frowns on that sort of things, and with the economic background of my students a $100 fee would probably cut 3/4 the team out.

Fortunately travel expenses (other than lodging) are covered by the school. We will have to pay for our own hotel. Last year we couldn't afford this, and actually slept on my parents basement floor in sleeping bags, and drove an hour back and forth to Cleveland. If it comes to it we could do that again.

We did a presentation for the rotary club last spring, but didn't get any sponsors from it yet.

Re: Questions on funding/ folding a team
 

That is great to hear! Keep at it and I know you will be able to raise that last little bit.

Based on our last conversation I have sent a note out to my parents about possible home-staying 2-3 students per family so that you would be able to attend the Queen City Regional and not have to get hotel rooms.

Although there is a Residence Inn in Sharonville, OH that has 2 story rooms that sleep 8 people, so that could be an inexpensive option.

I will email you about the home-stays when I start hearing back from my parents.

Re: Questions on funding/ folding a team
 

Some other community organizations you may wish to approach if they are active in your area are: Lions Club, Kiwanis, or Ruritan.

If you have a local chamber of commerce they can be a great resource for networking with small businesses, while many of them may not be able to give monetary donations to the team they will often be able to provide a service you don't otherwise have access to.

Has any team had good luck getting sponsorship on a site such as kickstarter

Re: Questions on funding/ folding a team
 

I know 696 did one and I believe was successfully funded.