Sponsors, Ideas, and Many Things

[Spartan151]

Hey, all. I've been dormant for a while, but I decided to come to you all for some advice now. The team I'm on, 2065, is on our own this year. We have used our grants from NASA already, and our previous sponsors can't fund us this year. Our founding coach moved on to another high school, and didn't really pick a suitable successor, mainly because she told her successor to ask me what to do on everything. Now, normally I'd like this kind of responsibility, but I'm slowly being overwhelmed as we have to get everything ready. I've already talked with a few possible sponsors, and I'm just waiting on a reply from each. I've been attempting to recruit more members in the school, but so far I haven't been able to organize a decent recruitment meeting. It seems that we have our work in for us this year.

I want to ask some of the more experienced teams: What is your secret to success? We're a small public school who doesn't have a lot, but we're willing to do what we can to survive. What advice could you give us to get ourselves righted and started good this year?

Also, what else do you think we can to for sponsorship? I mean, with the economy being a bit tight, people are rather apprehensive about putting out money to anything nowadays.

Really, we just need a lot of help. We've got to get started somehow, but we need a place to catch hold of and get some momentum, 'cause our wheels are spinning, but we're not getting anwhere.

[DonRotolo]

One thing that was successful for us was to have all the team member's parents come to a meeting, explain the basic financials of competing in FIRST, and beg ask them to inquire at their companies about sponsorshi0ps, both small ($100) and large. Prepare an info packet for them to take, explaining FIRST and the need for sponsorships.

Parents actions account for more than 60% of our funding. And, since it is several relatively small donations, the loss of one does not have as big an impact as, say, losing a $10k sponsor. (Heck, parents and grandparents account for several personal donations...)

Just one idea.

Don

PS: As for overwhelmed, ask for help, and delegate a lot.

Don

[Cynette]

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

One thing that was successful for us was to have all the team member's parents come to a meeting, explain the basic financials of competing in FIRST, and beg ask them to inquire at their companies about sponsorshi0ps, both small ($100) and large. Prepare an info packet for them to take, explaining FIRST and the need for sponsorships.

Parents actions account for more than 60% of our funding. And, since it is several relatively small donations, the loss of one does not have as big an impact as, say, losing a $10k sponsor. (Heck, parents and grandparents account for several personal donations...)

Just one idea.

Don

PS: As for overwhelmed, ask for help, and delegate a lot.

Don

I agree with Don! Parent support and having them understand what is involved in having a team is very valuable. Use the parents to help what ever team members you have to kick off a patron / sponsor drive! I've attached the link for our fundraising page. We have posted the documents we use for our patron drive there as examples of forms you might want to use. http://www.penfieldrobotics.com/team/fundraising.php

[waialua359]

As teams like yourselves and rest of us face these harsh realities, you mention the time effort needed to secure funds.
I would definitely recommend a full-time person on this if you have people to spare. Building relationships/partnerships with donors takes a lot of work, time and effort. In the long run, its much better than wondering year to year where the next dollar comes and from exhausting fundraising every year.
Having students as part of that effort is very powerful.

[Spartan151]

We've got our original team back in one piece, and we're starting our recruiting drive soon. All of these are good ideas, and I'll be getting someone on each of them as soon as we get back to school on Tuesday. Most of the core staff are seniors, so there is a need to train new ones. But we'll be watching them. I've already managed to get several finanical and publicity documents done in this past hour or so, so I'll be implimenting these into the ideas you all have posted....somehow.
I've given my coach the manual I've written for her, so she should be up to speed soon. It's just gonna be hitting that December deadline in advance. It's a challenge, but we're up to it. If you have any suggestions that haven't been mentioned, or could add to them, please do so. We do need guidance this year.

Thanks for the advice, guys. Hope to see all of you at competition this year!

[Spartan151]

Well, I'd like to take my time to say a little something, and then step down off my soapbox. Now, keep in mind that I enjoy working together with other teams, and that I have NOTHING AGAINST IT AT ALL.

But what I'd like to say is something I'm concerned about. Our coach left us last year and started teaching at a school 20 minutes from here. She told us that she'd be starting a new team there, and that we could mentor them. This, of course, is no problem. By no means was I against this. In fact, I thought it would be real neat. Given the fact that we are on our own this year, we would have to work to get funds, and the team just created could rely on the grants, and we'd work a joint partnership.

I guess I'm just living in the days of old. A couple of the team members decided to go behind everyone's backs and discuss merger deals with the rookie team. That would mean the end of 2065 and the rise of a new team. This also means the full startup grant again (I would assume). Now, I don't know the intricacies of this, but I, as most of the veteran staff, would suppose that we would basically be doing no hard work whatsoever and getting most of everything handed to us. This teaches us what? That we can just get by without really having to lift a finger? That we can have things handed to us for free? That you don't need to do a lot of work to get what you want? I may be taking this to an extreme, but a lot of them, due to human nature would apply this hand-out fact to real life. I guess the reason I'm ranting about this here and now is that I've been a hard worker all my life, and to see it just handed away on the notion that things can be given free and us not having to do anything just kind of grinds my gears.

Now, I DID say that I'm not against working together with others, and a merger would seem to make sense if it were two rookie teams, two veteran teams, or a veteran and a rookie, and that it was the rookie that was being integrated into the veteran, but with things just being handed to us it doesn't teach a whole lot. I may just be venting, but I wanted to get this out, because it was nagging at me for a couple weeks.

I know there are those who disagree, and those who may agree, and I respect each of your opinions. I would be happy to hear them. Thanks for reading.

Sean
Captain, Team 2065

[vivek16]

My opinion:

If it is absolutely necessary, I would do the merger but come back as 2065 in another year when you do have the funds. You still have a month to come up with funds. Beg your school administration for funds. A loan could even work.

The point of FIRST is to Inspire. I believe you can still do that with a merger. I personally, would be a lot more inspired if I had to work for something than if it was handed to me. FIRST is meant to get you ready for the real world. Try to acquire the funds on your own. Make your goal to have your own team. If you do not have the funds, you can fall back on the merger.

Just my .02,

-Vivek

EDIT: Don't let your team slack off and do the merger since it is the easy way out. That is the coward's way of doing it.

[EricH]

I would like to point out that there is nothing preventing said students (as individuals) from joining the other team. But a merger needs the whole team to agree, or at least a majority of the team.

Here is the problem, which these students may not have considered. At least last year, teams were NOT counted as rookies if they had more than 5 veterans from another team! So if you do merge, there will be no grants for either team. So you just made it harder for both teams by merging. The students will have to work just as hard for their participation.

Just talk to the students in question. If they do want things given to them, they are free to switch teams, if everyone approves. If they want to stay, they will need to work. If the teams merge because of their efforts, they will need to work.

Above all, there should be no behind-the-back deals on the team, particularly if they affect the whole team.

[dlavery]

Originally Posted by Spartan151

...and the team just created could rely on the grants, and we'd work a joint partnership.

I guess I'm just living in the days of old. A couple of the team members decided to go behind everyone's backs and discuss merger deals with the rookie team. That would mean the end of 2065 and the rise of a new team. This also means the full startup grant again (I would assume). Now, I don't know the intricacies of this, but I, as most of the veteran staff, would suppose that we would basically be doing no hard work whatsoever and getting most of everything handed to us. ...

I would just like to respond to one part of your concerns. I need to point out that the startup grants for rookie teams (whether they be from NASA, Kleiner Perkins, Annenberg, or anyone else) are NOT entitlements. There is no guarantee that a rookie team will automatically receive a grant. For example, in the case of the NASA grants all applications are put through a competitive evaluation process, and only the best and well-prepared applications (based on the established selection criteria) are selected for award. That is usually less than half of the applications. So all new rookie teams would be well advised to have alternative funding plans in place should they not be selected.

-dave


.

[JesseK]

I believe every team goes through a rebuilding process, and I'd highly recommend against starting over again. It takes a lot to redefine the image of your team to your community and to other FIRST teams once you've merged and then split from another team.

If you define your levels of success early and drive for that success, you can't go wrong. Aiming to do everything in the game with the bot or extending on community outreach just may not be possible if you don't have the support or manpower. So if you only define your success as making it through the build and competition seasons in one piece, then you'll have successfully made it through your rebuilding year.

We had one of those this past year, and with some dedication and focus we merited alot more success than our initial outlook encompassed. A couple of weeks ago, it felt like this coming year would be more of the same due to school administration and teacher changes, yet as of this week a couple of things have worked themselves out and made our future a bit less hazy. That said, I'd recommend that you hang in there and keep pushing for your goals. Keep your goals simple so that you don't burn your sponsors or your mentors out and things should improve from there. I've found that defining roles with simple unambiguous expectations is one of the best ways to encourage more mentors to participate, so maybe you could try the same in your recruitment drive.

Hope this helps.

[wendymom]

Exploding Bacon has never gotten a rookie grant from anyone. Our first year we formed after the NASA rookie grants were awarded. We never qualified after that. One thing we learned last year was to not put all your eggs in one basket. We have been fortunate our first two years to be fully funded (15K)by one main sponsor. Last year, two weeks before payment was due, they let us know that couldnt fund us again. We were forced to scramble and diversify to get small amounts from lots of different companies. We actually ended up raising more than the original 15K. Now if one sponsor pulls out we aren't in as bad a position. Don't discount anyone. A team in South Florida is sponsored by a car wash another team gets checks from a hair salon. Contact your local VFW, Kiwannis Club, Lions Club, Toastmasters Club and anyone else you can think of.

Check the rookie rules. Like said in above posts....if you have more than 5 students from previous teams.....you don't qualify as a rookie, at least according to last years rules.

[Spartan151]

Originally Posted by EricH

I would like to point out that there is nothing preventing said students (as individuals) from joining the other team. But a merger needs the whole team to agree, or at least a majority of the team.

Here is the problem, which these students may not have considered. At least last year, teams were NOT counted as rookies if they had more than 5 veterans from another team! So if you do merge, there will be no grants for either team. So you just made it harder for both teams by merging. The students will have to work just as hard for their participation.

Just talk to the students in question. If they do want things given to them, they are free to switch teams, if everyone approves. If they want to stay, they will need to work. If the teams merge because of their efforts, they will need to work.

Above all, there should be no behind-the-back deals on the team, particularly if they affect the whole team.

Of course. If they choose to join the new team, then they are free to do so, and I won't hold anything against them. It's their choice, whatever they decide to do, and whether they decide to leave or not, I'll be 110% supportive of their decision.

I really don't think they put that fact about the grants into consideration. I don't even think they know. Heck, I didn't even really know the specifics until you guys told me. There was always someone else on the administration end concerning money until this year.

Again, I'm going to let those few decide what they want to do, and be supportive of that. And I think that our team will be putting every effort into getting our ducks in a row and getting this year going in the right direction.

Thanks for clearing up several facts, guys. You've made things easier on my mind. I think you've also succeeded in clearing things up for our new coach, as she's reading this, too. Look forward to seeing ya out there!

Sean
Captain, Team 2065

[Anna B.]

Have you tried sending letters informing local businesses about your team and the need for funding? I know my team does that, and we make upwards of 2,000 dollars.