FIRST Half-Back Fundraising Concept

[Donut]

Remember that for the majority of teams, this donation can be tax deductible for the donor as well.

We actually had a system similar to this on 498, though not of our own idea. Arizona has a school tax credit system where any individual who paid at least $200 in Arizona taxes for the year ($400 for a married couple) can get a tax credit for fees or donations for any school extracurricular activity. A family can make a $400 donation to the robotics team and then claim that as a $400 credit on their taxes at the end of the year through the school tax credit system. The big benefit of this system is that it's a dollar for dollar match because it is a credit, so it essentially costs the donor nothing (other than temporarily being out $400 which would have to be paid later anyway). A lot of organizations and clubs lobby people for this donation but it's fairly easy to get it from alums or families who have students on the team at the time. We regularly brought in at least $2000 from this and in a good year it could be as much as 40% of the team budget.

In a non-tax credit world (so probably the other 49 states and international teams) it will take a bit more convincing to get the donations but I think that if the amounts are reasonable it would not be hard. It does not have to be in the form of straight cash either. I don't make a cash donation to the team I currently mentor but I do buy some parts or spirit items that I don't ask for reimbursement for, so that acts as a donation effectively.