[RoboMom]

According to FIRST, the majority of schools have filled these W-9 forms out in the past. The difference this year is that FIRST wants them filled out before they are needed. This is to ensure that the teams are able to get any grant awarded funding when it is awarded instead of weeks or months later and it is an IRS requirement. A W-9 needs to be submitted annually, even if a team has previously submitted a W-9 to FIRST.

The proper person to fill the W-9 out is a representative of the organization that FIRST would write a check to for any pass through funds. If the team wants the funds to go to the school, a representative of the school needs to fill out the form, sign it and make sure that the Federal Tax ID # is accurate. This could be a principal, Asst. Principal, Superintendent. If they want the funds to go to the District then the District fills it out and a representative of the District would sign it.

It is the teams responsibility to designate an entity that will work with them to receive any pass through funds and to obtain a Federal Tax ID# and FIRST cannot send any funds to a team if they have not received an accurate W-9.
Hope this helps a little...