Best Method of Reaching Out to Companies

[mfine]

My team is starting their fundraising efforts, and I was wondering the most effective way of reaching out to local companies.Sending out emails is the fastest, but many companies don't list appropriate emails, and it probably has the lowest conversion rate. Letters probably have a similar conversion rate, but every company has a mailing address, though letters do take longer to send. Calling them would probably improve the conversion rate, but that takes a while, and they may not have anyone with authority to make those decisions. Finally, reaching out in person would take the longest, but also have the highest conversion rate, though it has the same problem that there's no one there to talk to.

So, what have you found to be the best way to reach out to companies?

[beckyc4841]

What we've learned that works really well is call the company during the day when the managers are there and explain what you do and how it benefits the kids. Normally smaller companies will be more willing to help out. Make a spread sheet of all the companies you would like to contact with email, phone, person of contact (VP or office person), address, and fax. Get two or three kids to call and email. We have also taken our robot to companies and done a demonstration.

[cxcad]

Could you possibly go visit a local chamber of commerce function? Typically there is at least one networking function a week and a major networking function once a month. Try coordinating a visit with your local chamber.

[Nathan Streeter]

The exact methods may vary, but the single most important thing is to follow-up!! Keep going at it until you get a "yes" or a "no." Once you get a "yes," follow-up with polite reminders if the donation is delayed.

The method I've most often used for smallish companies is to e-mail them at their general address (i.e. info@___). This e-mail should be well-written, should include some informative links (videos would probably be good), should quickly expose them to your "cause," and should enumerate different ways they can help (for our FRC team this usually includes practice space, money, manufacturing, products, or tools). I typically follow-up with another e-mail a few days later, then a call the day after the follow-up e-mail. Usually nothing has *really* happened by the time I call, but the e-mails have usually gotten to the inbox of the people that matter... this means by the time you call they may have some questions and/or you may help spur them on to "seal the deal."

Reach out to your team and try to get a list of companies (preferably technically-related) at which people have contacts. Giving a hard or soft copies of fundraising materials to this contact is usually even more effective.

Apply for corporate grants! These are usually too short-notice for getting funds to go to CMP, but can be the way that gives the most "bang for your buck." These grant applications are usually due during the summer and fall. Research potential grants now and put the deadlines in a calendar... it'll help you get them in on time! If you already have sponsors through corporate grants and have qualified for CMP, see if they'll pitch in a bit more... they often do!

In-person visits can be excellent and efficient... A visit from some students (and potentially an adult) with some paperwork and something for show-and-tell can be very memorable! Following up afterward with e-mails and calls is still critical, though.

Larger corporations may require or appreciate a student-led presentation or demo. We've done this for a couple of our larger companies.

Another important part is keeping your sponsors! Keep them included with things like newsletters, updates, hardware/gifts/trophies, and demonstrations... once you've found someone willing to support you, the last thing you want is for them to lose interest! A little bit of effort here can go a long way towards making your future fundraising efforts easier!

[Chief Hedgehog]

I posted this on another thread - but it applies here...

Re: Bad Robots

As a team that has competed in the last two seasons - here is the advice I would slip you to help the process. (It definitely helped us)

1. Get a hold of your state's organizers and get them on board immediately with your team. We did this (here in MN we have a great FRC community) and rally them to your cause.

2. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce/Manufacturers association and ask if your team could present at their upcoming meetings or conferences. Contact your local paper and find a field reporter that would be willing to cover your endeavor. Invite your school's administration to the meeting(s). Polish the presentation, bring in state reps from FRC, and knock their socks off with stats and figures. And then ask them to help with mentoring, organization, and sponsorship.

3. Get your ducks in a row early. Starting as soon as possible get the funding in place. Apply for FRC first year sponsorships, organize a few fundraisers to get the cash in-flow moving.

4. Find a reseller/scrap yard/wholesaler that deals in all things industrial - it is a cheap way to gain structural material (like 8020 components).

5. Build a skateboard/drive deck/platform as soon as you can afford to and start planning your drive train asap. You most likely won't have access to 2015's new RoboRio - so having the CAD plans or a workable deck ready will be paramount. Just keep the FRC notes on pre-season build on hand.

6. Get the superfluous items off your list early (member sign up, logo, website, shirts, parent organization, etc.). Having this done will free up a lot of time during the build season.

7. Get in touch with well-established local teams (again, thank you 1816 and 3023) and ask for help.

8. Attend a pre-regional event.

9. Set the bar high and expect that your team will have a lot of failures during the build season - but strive for nothing short of the best.

10. If you need more help, please contact FRC 4607 if you need any other pointers... we are more than willing to help your team where we can - so many have done the same for us!

GOOD LUCK!

I forgot to add the Fraternal Organizations (such as Lions, KofC, Rotary, and Possum Lodge ) also are great places to present - no matter the outcome, you will reach people that have great contacts in your community.

[ImMoMo]

Originally Posted by Chief Hedgehog

I posted this on another thread - but it applies here...

Re: Bad Robots

As a team that has competed in the last two seasons - here is the advice I would slip you to help the process. (It definitely helped us)

1. Get a hold of your state's organizers and get them on board immediately with your team. We did this (here in MN we have a great FRC community) and rally them to your cause.

2. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce/Manufacturers association and ask if your team could present at their upcoming meetings or conferences. Contact your local paper and find a field reporter that would be willing to cover your endeavor. Invite your school's administration to the meeting(s). Polish the presentation, bring in state reps from FRC, and knock their socks off with stats and figures. And then ask them to help with mentoring, organization, and sponsorship.

3. Get your ducks in a row early. Starting as soon as possible get the funding in place. Apply for FRC first year sponsorships, organize a few fundraisers to get the cash in-flow moving.

4. Find a reseller/scrap yard/wholesaler that deals in all things industrial - it is a cheap way to gain structural material (like 8020 components).

5. Build a skateboard/drive deck/platform as soon as you can afford to and start planning your drive train asap. You most likely won't have access to 2015's new RoboRio - so having the CAD plans or a workable deck ready will be paramount. Just keep the FRC notes on pre-season build on hand.

6. Get the superfluous items off your list early (member sign up, logo, website, shirts, parent organization, etc.). Having this done will free up a lot of time during the build season.

7. Get in touch with well-established local teams (again, thank you 1816 and 3023) and ask for help.

8. Attend a pre-regional event.

9. Set the bar high and expect that your team will have a lot of failures during the build season - but strive for nothing short of the best.

10. If you need more help, please contact FRC 4607 if you need any other pointers... we are more than willing to help your team where we can - so many have done the same for us!

GOOD LUCK!

I forgot to add the Fraternal Organizations (such as Lions, KofC, Rotary, and Possum Lodge ) also are great places to present - no matter the outcome, you will reach people that have great contacts in your community.

First off, thank you for the advice, it was very understandable and helped me personally think of things that previously have blind sided me!
Anyways, just wondering how would one go about contacting a FRC State Rep?

Thanks!

[GeeTwo]

Like Smith Barney used to say - raise money the old-fashioned way - earn it. Nearly every grant and donation we've received was in response to an individual (not mass-marketed) appeal. One of our mentors got us over $9,000 (yes, I know) in a single grant request to Ingersoll Rand Foundation for our trailer and its outfitting. We found a great formula this year sort of by accident. We won at Bayou, and had to raise $15k quickly to make the trip to CMP (the school board covered our enty fee; this was just bus, hotel, and meals). The school authorized 25 students to go to St. Louis, and varsity numbered 24. We offered the "wild card" seat to the J.V. member who raised the most money. We had two who each raisied over $1,000, mostly from driving to businesses (together) and speaking to managers. We had one varsity member who could not go, so both of those J.V. members got the trip. We have more money right now than we did last fall before ordering parts for this season - for the first time, our fund raising will be to support outreach and a second regional, not survival. The take aways are:

• Do individual appeals. Sure, use the internet, but the message should come from somebody the donor knows, or has right in front of them. Anonymous appeals are such a long shot that the increase in audience size doesn't even begin to cover the difference, unless you're going to launch a Nigerian-scale e-mail blitz.
• Lead with the message of how much good you're doing. If you've won a competition recently, that's good. Even better is a story about how you've changed kids' lives. Just like mentors, sponsors like to know that they are changing the world.
• Provide real incentive to student members (not a backpack or candy bar, but a field trip!)
• We skipped this step in our fund-raising blitz, but also appeal to companies for mentors and in-kind products and services. Finding a good match there can be a win-win for both the company and the team, and may be something that a "company store" can slip in even if they can't provide money. Services don't need to be technical - if they can provide help organizing your business practices, that's a major score for both of you!

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by ImMoMo

Anyways, just wondering how would one go about contacting a FRC State Rep?

Google "FIRST senior mentors" and pick a likely link, such as: http://www3.usfirst.org/node/1560

[Ichlieberoboter]

We had our business captain type up letters at the beginning of the year and sign them (plus her typed up name obviously) and it looked really professional and nice. Because of it we got a lot of compliments and sponsorships from businesses. Not necessarily the most efficient method, but certainly effective.

[pribusin]

What has worked for us in the past is to contact a local business to setup an 'informational interview'. If we want to find out about how to do something, like making a better battery spill kit (baking soda really isn't that effective apparently), we contact several companies in the area to ask if they would share their knowledge. More times than not a company will become a sponsor and either donate parts and products or become a financial donor. If you go in asking for money right up front we found that our success rate was much lower.

[IronicDeadBird]

Vine or snapchat works for me. It really does get someones attention. However it isn't very effective so I would advise contacting customer support and trying to route your way up to someone higher up. I generally do this through our Robotics Email account, or through the phone.