[ChrisH]

Idea 1:

Split the money up and help fund 5-10 regionals. New regionals are the key to starting new teams. Think about it, every time a new regional is started, within a few years it is maxed out with local teams.

But it seems to be even harder to get sponsorship for a Regional than for individual teams. I know for a fact that the LA regional is struggling with fundraising and that we are not the only ones. Yet having a local regional helps ALL teams in the area.

I'd love for half this hypothetical gift to be given to LA, but that leaves us with getting dependent on a single sponsor which isn't a good idea either. (Though it would solve this year's problems anyway)

Funding Regionals doesn't have the potential glory or personal connections of funding an individual team, but it does have a greater total impact.

Idea 2:
Use the money for matching grants. Match dollar for dollar any money a team raises through commercial effort. DO NOT match grant money, only monies teams raise through spagetti dinners, garage sales, or other student operated activity requiring them to sell stuff. I know at least one company is already considering doing this.

This fosters the entraprenurial spirit and multiplies the efforty teams put into taking care of themselves. In the long run it strengthens the program.