Robotics teams supported by Non Profit Group

[Coach Norm]

I am looking for teams that are supported by non profit organizations. How many teams out there are supported by non profits for their team or school?

Can you provide links to the teams as well as the non profit organization?

Thanks,
Norman

[D_Price]

If I may ask why? Just out of curiousity.

[tab1a]

I know that several teams in the Pacific North West are supported by non-profits such as Boys and Girls Clubs of America or 4H clubs. For example the 4H Cloverbots https://sites.google.com/site/cc4hrobotics/

It's not uncommon for teams to be supported largely by organizations like that! Hope that answers your question.

[SuperBK]

Its also common to form a non profit to support a team.

[nandeeka]

We (the Space Cookies Team 1868) are also supported by a non-profit (Girl Scouts).

Space Cookies: http://frc.spacecookies.org/

Girl Scouts of Northern California: https://www.gsnorcal.org/

[RyanCahoon]

A group of parents on FRC766 recently incorporated a 501(c)(3) to support the team as a subsidiary of Parent Booster USA

[JohnFogarty]

Both teams I work with are sponsored by a Non-profit organization. Both are 4H FRC teams.

[RoboChair]

The Blue & White Foundation supports our team, 1678 Citrus Circuits. To my knowledge they provide us with a 501c3 that we can make use of by proxy for donations, management of at least one of our accounts by way of their organization(I know we have at least 2), and I am sure there is more that they do for us as well.

In addition our school district also supports our team, primarily by way of facilities but also financially. They are one of our top team sponsors.

[Squillo]

A few years ago, we (a group of mentors, teachers, and parents) formed a 501(c)(3) to support robotics programs on our island. The Kauai Robotics Alliance provides fundraising and logistical help to all youth robotics programs, including our multi-high school FRC team. We have helped to set up new programs (including providing seed money for our first FTC team this year), and we hope to someday construct a facility where we can have workshops and hold competitions (pipe dream, but we're trying).

KRA is, in turn, a United Way participating agency, so we get some money from the UW, which we use to support robotics. We have recently used the UW funds to hire a grantwriter, in hopes of reeling in more (desperately needed) funding. It's very expensive for our teams to ship parts here and travel to competitions.

[bEdhEd]

Team 701 is supported by our own 501(c)(3) non-profit known as the Vanden Robotics Foundation. The Foundation also sponsored the team we started last year, 5496 Robo Knights.

[rich2202]

My team is a "club" of the School (public school). So, tax-deductible donations can be made to the club via the school.

[Coach Norm]

Thanks to all who have responded.

Hope some others can find some ideas or get jump started on the non profit support as we have had since 2010.

Originally Posted by D_Price

If I may ask why? Just out of curiousity.

Derek,
Short answer: just wanting to see what others are doing to support their program and maybe have some ideas shared that others might check out.

Long answer below with more explanation:

I am the lead of our robotics program here at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. I am also the lead contact/teacher for robotics within our school district.

FRC 2468 Team Appreciate is our FRC team and we have 6 FTC teams at the high school.
Westlake is a single high school district with feeder elementary and middle schools. We have experienced growth not only at the high school but at the middle and elementary schools. WESTA is our 501(c)3 non profit for our robotics program and was officially established in 2010. It would be impossible for us to be functional as a team and program without WESTA.

I am having conversations with our district administration about our program on a variety of fronts including new building we move into next Fall, additional building space for the future to hopefully include field space for FTC and FRC, new staff and funding. The administration is fully aware of WESTA and its support.

I ask because I am always looking at what others might be doing that we are not. Not more to the request than to get names of teams and non profits that are working together for us to look at.

In addition, I believe that this kind of thread may raise some interest of some other teams to begin to look at a non profit to assist their program.

Thanks

Norman

[GeeTwo]

3946 is supported through a 501 (c) (3) named Slidell Tiger Robotics Booster Club. As I understand it, we set it up starting with a template from our school's band boosters.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Norm,
WildStang is a team that accepts students from any school in our district and the district does provide quite a bit of support although not the only source for us. We are also a credit class in the district. District 214 is the largest Illinois school district outside of Chicago Public Schools.

[Carol]

MOE 365 is not associated with any school or district, and gets no support from any school (a continuing source of irritation for us, but I digress). We currently have students from 17 different schools. We formed a 501(c)(3) in 2003 to help with fundraising, but now supports two FTC teams as well. (Each team does their own separate fundraising).

We gave a presentation 10 years ago on how to become a nonprofit entity. Here is a copy of the presentation; the links are dated but the basic information is still the same:

http://moe365.org/moeu.php