Quote:
Originally Posted by Ichlieberoboter
Our team wants to attend 2 regionals this year, so we need to raise some more money than in previous years. We saw that some large corporations like Boeing, Google, and Boston Scientific sponsor some FIRST teams, but we don't know how to get sponsorships from large corporations like these. How do other teams do it?
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I know the feeling, sir. 4607 has worked diligently to break into some major corporations in MN with little to no success. However, we have received some great sponsors through our work with our students, parents, and mentors. In fact, almost all of our sponsors are because of a connection through these avenues.
I know that Hibbing is a great deal different than Becker, but we struggle with the same problems of geography. Here in Becker we are not a 'Mpls/St Paul Metro team' nor are we regarded as a 'St Cloud Metro' team. The same can be said about Hibbing and the 'Duluth Metro'. We have strong industrial complexes, but they have been difficult to sway.
However, it is the students (and their parents) as well as the mentors on our team that have provided the gateways to some incredible sponsors. So my suggestion is to not go for the whole enchilada at first - but contact your local industry/companies and see if they can help out with small things (according to them) - such as mentors or in-kind donations. These connections do breed sponsorships in time.
I would also recommend that your team attend
JUMPSTART training session on December 3rd at SCSU. We will have a few sessions on sponsors and fundraising that will aid your team. And we do have teams from as far away as Fargo (4818) and Esko (5690) that will be in attendance. We also have the NDSU Bison Robotics team there as well aiding the training - plus it is free to attend!
Hope the 2017 season goes well for you!