[waialua359]

Do you want to hear the short-term easier, more obvious response or the long-term, much more difficult answer? Every time I tell teams about the latter, it goes in one ear and out the other.
If your at Championships, we'd be more than happy to share our business plan binder and give you or anyone else ideas.
Coming from Hawaii, it is extremely difficult, and it took us years to establish some things. In the end, it has been worth it and I wouldn't do things any other way.
I would always ask the question, "Is the effort sustainable?"
IMO, basic fundraising is NOT.

Our team has been fortunate to raise a lot this year despite the economic crisis by "laying a foundation" as you have stated.

I cannot post our balance sheet for this year due to sensitive info, however, I'd be more than happy to give people a glance if you come to our pits.
This year we raised a record total of 133k and will spend at least half of it this year and already.

At 3 regionals we attended this year, at least 20+ judges heard of our plan and came to the pits to ask us about it. They called it "the book." Even by the time we got to the Hawaii regional (our 3rd), judges knew about it from the head judge advisor. We call it our bible.