Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

So do sports and other organized activites. No activity/club/sport, including FIRST, give financial advantages to all students to get them ahead. All activities/clubs/sports, including FIRST, do teach students lessons and provide experience to help every kid get ahead. I understand what you are saying, but by saying "FIRST helps every kid get ahead" implies sports do not do that.

Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

The suggestions here to seem to get into a bit of a long term solutions, but I think the skinny of it is:

(1) Contact your regional director.
(2) Ask your students to chip in a little more.

Additionally, reach out to parents/community partners that you guys have worked with in the past. A personal plea to help out with some temporary financial needs can often yield to unexpected results.

Additionally, considering reaching out to your administrator to meeting you half way on the money, or at the very least, consider giving you a slight "loan" so that you can make the FIRST deadline and then you'll have more time to do some fund raising.

Additionally, consider some emergency fundraising. If your school will allow you to sell things during lunch (Ramen) or if you guys can do a carwash, then that would be yield some exciting profits as well.

Finally, and I know this is kind of an obvious alternative, but have you considered perhaps taking a break? I would find it hard to believe that if a team activity is generating genuine interest, then a school administrator would opt to cut its funding. Perhaps get behind the decision to move to VEX, and then consider a return to FRC when you've either (a) gathered enough funds or (b) you want to consider expanding the VEX program. It may not be ideal, but perhaps take a step back in an attempt to admire the bigger picture.

- Sunny G.

Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

With regards to charging team dues, see if your school has a nonprofit (?) organization that dues can be funneled through so that they can be deducted from taxes. A number of academic and athletic teams at our school (robotics included) funnels dues through our Alumni Association to make team dues tax-deductible.

Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

why would you even post this phrased in this way?

Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

To the op, if this is important to you, you can make it happen.

The ability to overcome adversity and challenge is something I hope all my students develop on our team, and you have been given a mountain of a challenge to conquer here. This presents a potentially great life experience.

Rally your teammates, set a goal, make a plan and get to work.

My kids routinely make $500 at bake sales in front of stores; 10 pays your registration, you can do multiple the same day at different places. A fee per student could help too

Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

Have you talked to your school district, maybe they can pay the money up front and then you can collect donations and funds as the season goes on to pay them back. This is what we do with the cheer squad I coach, the league pays the comp costs up front then we collect money from parents/fundraising/donors to pay the league back.

I would also locate the studies FIRST has done on student involvement and present the graduation information to your district. A lot of funding comes from graduation rates amongst students and districts are more likely to listen to hard evidence rather than someone giving an anecdote of prior experience.

Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

In California we cannot charge fees. They must be voluntary. No peer pressure.

Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

Don't just ask tech and engineering companies. In 2001, at my first time at nationals when I was 15, I saw a team that had a full list of company names down the back of their shirt, there were at least 20 of them, small local business helping the local team out. Even Linda's Lingerie Shop was a donor.

If fundraising is something you haven't done before, try to find someone who has. I've met very few people that are naturally good at fundraising, you could likely improve your pitch and results. You can also find a lot of resources about fundraising here: http://www.firstnemo.org/resources.htm

Good luck.

Wetzel

Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

Our team started in 2007 with basically 1 sponsor. Since then we have diversified and reached out to many local business. We have had ebb and flow of team sizes in the last 6 years but this year we actually have enough to have a 2 person “business team” who are solely working on getting sponsors and funding. We are set up as a 501(c)3 headed by a mentor which helps in getting donations as they are tax deductible. We started a 100 for 100, in which we have contacted 100 local business asking for $100 each. It’s very early and we haven’t even sent out all of the letters but I know we’ve gotten at least 1 donation and are hopeful for the future. We also have a team fee which is comparable with sports teams. Spread the word about Scrip as well. If you can catch a family member doing a remodeling project have them buy 2 grand worth of scrip cards for Home Depot rather that spending the money directly at the store. I don’t know what the percentage is but say it’s 4% that’s still 80 bucks. Every bit helps!

Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

I saw a few teams ask for donations as projects on kickstarter, and are just adding the individual donor's names to the bod, different type sizes for different levels of contribution.

Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

Wow this is a good idea. How unfortunate that my family is ending a six-figure project, we could have done this in the beginning :(

How does one go about purchasing scrip to support an organization?

Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

Several of our students organized a series of "spirit nights" (afternoons?) with a number of chain fast food places on short notice last year to help fund their trip to VEX Worlds. They went and talked to the places heavily frequented by the student body after school and ended up with a portion of the profits from those afternoons with minimal effort.

Don't think of it is where am I going to get XXXX dollars but how many people can the students talk to and get X dollars from each. Turn your students into a networking group it might surprise you with the number of companies you now have an "in" with.

Re: Probably won't have enough money for FRC this season :(
 

Another option for the OP since they are in Henderson/Las Vegas is to go to the casinos/hotels and see if they will donate to support the team. Alternatively, go to the restaurants in the various hotels and see if they would be willing to donate 5-25% of a given time period's take to the team. Some of our local restaurants will give us 10% of a night's receipts or 20% of each check returned with a voucher. I would think the buffet at the Rio could fund the team with 10% for 5-6 hours ($30 per person, about 300 people per hour, six hours is $5,400 or so).

Update: Yay! we got it!
 

After getting the school to pledge half FIRST Nevada matched that and now we have enough! :D

Re: Update: Yay! we got it!
 

That's great! We're all glad for you. Now you too can take advantage of VEXPro's new unveiling :D