[Joe G.]

Our school is the same. Every fundraiser we've tried to pull has been systematically blocked for a different reason each time (Bake sales are unhealthy, hex bugs/lightbulbs are too expensive, car washes could damage someones car, and so on), while other clubs and teams are shown shocking degrees of freedom. I know that you're going to get a lot of posts in this thread advising you to talk to persons x, y, and z to get the situation resolved, and while you should always try, I recognize that there can be complex, silly, and unfortunate politics behind this kind of thing, which can make these situations nearly impossible to fix.

But you don't need sympathy, you need solutions. The WORST thing that you can do is sit around and complain about how it's unfair, and how your team can't compete on a level playing field as a result. My team did this for quite a while, and it got us absolutely nowhere. Instead, do whatever you can to work around your situation, and push boundaries when you can. You said you still have permission to seek sponsors, so go the extra mile on that. Try to move towards making your finances more independant of the school, through your own 501c3 or an umbrella organization, and conduct fundraisers off school property. Partner with other local teams on fundraisers (You're in a team-dense area, this should be easy for you guys). You have a lot of options, and the most important thing to do is act.