[Alan Anderson]

First, speak with your Regional Director for [hopefully useful] suggestions about your specific area.

NASA's grants always come with "strings". The year we got one (because we were attending a new Regional competition), rookies had to submit an essay equivalent to a Chairman's Award entry, every student must complete a survey at the beginning and the end of the season, things like that. Odds of getting one are usually pretty good. The jcpenney grant program is supposed to be administered from corporate central, I think; your RD should have the information you need.

Check with your school and your state's Department of Education to see if there are is grant money that can be used for STEM programs like robotics clubs/teams. Ask around to see if your community has any funding for high-tech or education or youth program activites. If you know anyone involved with a local Scout troop, they might be able to point you to someone who can give helpful advice about that.