New Team

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Formerly Famous

Sharing a building with a church... I love the idea. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of churches around that have a location we could use. Hmm. Never hurts to ask. Worst they can say is "No".

Guess I should explain our layout a little more...

The church itself is a separate building. The church owns the grocery store, and uses it for the youth ministry. 330 builds in the store's warehouse space, which is shared with other ministries that need it. As such, we lock our robots in a large freezer when we aren't working.

Can't hurt to ask, but you want to pick who you ask wisely.

[Rion Atkinson]

Originally Posted by BrendanB

Haha, endurance before or after they pass out? I'm kidding I know how it feels, and yet there were students far more dedicated then me and I still don't know how they did it. And yes, "the worst they can do is say 'no'" is a great attitude!

Typically it's after. Kidding. But yes, there is always someone more capable, or in this case dedicated. Sometimes you just have to search.

Originally Posted by EricH

Guess I should explain our layout a little more...

The church itself is a separate building. The church owns the grocery store, and uses it for the youth ministry. 330 builds in the store's warehouse space, which is shared with other ministries that need it. As such, we lock our robots in a large freezer when we aren't working.

Can't hurt to ask, but you want to pick who you ask wisely.

I had the feeling. And I do know that there are many vacant buildings and warehouses in the Oklahoma City area.

You have a good point when you say to pick who we ask wisely... Best thing I can think of is only ask those would you would follow through on.

I get the feeling that I'll probably be writing a lot of paper work over this...

[ttldomination]

Originally Posted by Formerly Famous

Fundraising:
What is the best way to approach a possible sponsor?
What do they want to hear, what will help them make the choice to sponsor us?
Would dressing up in a suit, or a team shirt be better for giving a presentation?
Does having a robot there with you help?
How many people would be good to have with you?
(I am pretty sure there are white papers on some of this stuff. I will be doing a search right after this)

I would suggest approaching a sponsor through mail, or a PR representative. Our main sponsor is Motorola, and we created a presentation, and one of the team parents just passed it onto a PR rep.

They want to hear that they're making a difference. They want to hear that their money is going towards good use for the team and that the company will get good exposure. Last year, I talked to a Motorola Rep. and he was just so ecstatic to hear how we did things, and how we about robotics. Don't give them BS, if they're truly interested, you'll pull them in right away.

Team T-shirts are helpful, but look nice. Don't come in with torn up jeans and a dirty shirt. If you have a capturing presentation, then a robot might not be necessary, but it always helps your case if you can show your sponsors that you've done something.

And we generally bring roughly 5-6 students to presentations. Any larger than that, and you get people who are disruptive and bored.

Originally Posted by Formerly Famous

Location:
What is the best way to find a location?
Does it need to be central to everyone on the team, or should we get the location and then recruit around it?

I would say base yourself out of a nice school. Generally the students live around it, and people often show up. I've found that major sponsors are often content with donating some shop space for teams to work out of. It really depends on your goals and what you want.

Plus, you can get funding from the school/county.

Originally Posted by Formerly Famous

Team Communication(outside of meetings):
What is the best way to communicate with team members and mentors outside of the meetings?

Email List/Forums. You want to be conservative with the emails on the email list, because if you send out too many, people tend to gauge all of their importance the same and then some truly important emails get overlooked. That's why a forum is used for general discussion.

Originally Posted by Formerly Famous

Recruiting:
What are some good places to go?
Does having a robot there help with this as well?
Again I ask; suit, or team shirt?
Again the question of, how many people?

I answered this question in that base yourself out of a nice school. Recruiting is as easy as hanging banners and whatnot. If you choose not to base yourself out of a school, then recruiting can involve posters in various places like schools, libraries, etc. My team is based in a school, so we've never done recruiting like this.

You want to show fun. You want your recruitment showcase to *spew* with fun. So wear team t-shirts, once again, take 5-6 students, and have a fun robot. I find that having a shooting robot, like this year's robot or even last year's robot, really helps attract attention.

I don't have to tell you how hard it is, so many people have already done it. Just don't get overwhelmed. I found out that running/managing something can be a lot more involved than simply "doing" something.

[Mike Schreiber]

http://teamrush27.net//resources/toolkit.html

It's long, but it helps.

[DonRotolo]

You asked how to approach a company for funds, what would they like to hear?

My recommendation is to pick two or three companies in the area - one large (nationally known), and one or two smaller ones. Ask if you can speak to their PR department or corporate giving department, and make it clear that you are NOT asking them for money. Instead, ask them those questions about approaching other companies.

It's not a sneaky way to get funding; it's an excellent way to get professional advice on a topic you need to learn about. Most company people will be happy to share their expertise.

One of our early sponsors had to drop out for financial reasons; we invited their corporate giving officer to meet with five students, to get advice on approaching other companies. We made it clear we weren't looking for funding, but advice. They were tickled pink to help, their advice was VERY valuable to us, and that company has remained peripherally involved with us four more years.

It takes some 'guts' to ask, but do it anyway.

[Rion Atkinson]

Originally Posted by ttldomination

I would suggest approaching a sponsor through mail, or a PR representative. Our main sponsor is Motorola, and we created a presentation, and one of the team parents just passed it onto a PR rep.

They want to hear that they're making a difference. They want to hear that their money is going towards good use for the team and that the company will get good exposure. Last year, I talked to a Motorola Rep. and he was just so ecstatic to hear how we did things, and how we about robotics. Don't give them BS, if they're truly interested, you'll pull them in right away.

Team T-shirts are helpful, but look nice. Don't come in with torn up jeans and a dirty shirt. If you have a capturing presentation, then a robot might not be necessary, but it always helps your case if you can show your sponsors that you've done something.

And we generally bring roughly 5-6 students to presentations. Any larger than that, and you get people who are disruptive and bored.



I would say base yourself out of a nice school. Generally the students live around it, and people often show up. I've found that major sponsors are often content with donating some shop space for teams to work out of. It really depends on your goals and what you want.

Plus, you can get funding from the school/county.



Email List/Forums. You want to be conservative with the emails on the email list, because if you send out too many, people tend to gauge all of their importance the same and then some truly important emails get overlooked. That's why a forum is used for general discussion.



I answered this question in that base yourself out of a nice school. Recruiting is as easy as hanging banners and whatnot. If you choose not to base yourself out of a school, then recruiting can involve posters in various places like schools, libraries, etc. My team is based in a school, so we've never done recruiting like this.

You want to show fun. You want your recruitment showcase to *spew* with fun. So wear team t-shirts, once again, take 5-6 students, and have a fun robot. I find that having a shooting robot, like this year's robot or even last year's robot, really helps attract attention.

I don't have to tell you how hard it is, so many people have already done it. Just don't get overwhelmed. I found out that running/managing something can be a lot more involved than simply "doing" something.

Thank you VERY much! I will definitely be taking all of this into account!

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

You asked how to approach a company for funds, what would they like to hear?

My recommendation is to pick two or three companies in the area - one large (nationally known), and one or two smaller ones. Ask if you can speak to their PR department or corporate giving department, and make it clear that you are NOT asking them for money. Instead, ask them those questions about approaching other companies.

It's not a sneaky way to get funding; it's an excellent way to get professional advice on a topic you need to learn about. Most company people will be happy to share their expertise.

One of our early sponsors had to drop out for financial reasons; we invited their corporate giving officer to meet with five students, to get advice on approaching other companies. We made it clear we weren't looking for funding, but advice. They were tickled pink to help, their advice was VERY valuable to us, and that company has remained peripherally involved with us four more years.

It takes some 'guts' to ask, but do it anyway.

I never would have thought of that. That's a great idea! Four years... wow... I'll have to definitely take notes!

Thank you everyone for the great advice. Everything that has been shared here will make this that much easier.

[spencer28n]

If you're interested in starting a new team, I just finished compiling a guide to fundraising which can be found at http://stuypulse.com/?page=fundraising

Hope it helps.

Spencer

[KathieK]

There are many resources both on the FIRST website (click on the Mentors and Coaches link that appears at the top of each page and also under FRC, under the Resources section, the Mentor Resources section). Also check out the NEMO website which contains white papers and links to other resources that will be of help to you (www.firstnemo.org). Review the Kickoff and Conference presentations (http://first.wpi.edu/Workshops/index.html) and the ThinkTank (http://thinktank.wpi.edu). Finally, contact your local FIRST personnel - Regional Director, Regional Chairperson, VISTA or FIRST Senior Mentor. Anyone interested in starting a new team should contact those people who can be instrumental in helping launch the team successfully!

[Phoenix Spud]

This year, my family started the first FIRST team in Australia, and let me start off by saying, it was one of the hardest things that we have ever done! But, it was also one of the most rewarding. The lives of the students on the team will never be the same! A lot of the time, I have "Herb Brooks" moments, all these kids were "meant to be on this team, they were born to be FIRSTers." I don't know the exact reasons that you are starting a new team, but for me and my family, it was moving. If we hadn't have moved I would have continued on with my old team (2342, Team Phoenix), and without their support this year, our team would not be around! I would highly recommend finding another team in your area to mentor your start up team. Or, if you can't find another team in your area, you can always use e-mail and Skype, that's what our team had to do. (Turns out the closest team is an 8 hour plane ride from us, go figure!)

Having a robot to demo is key. Having Fenix1 (2342's rookie bot) was essential to getting our team started. Also, wear your team shirt or a FIRST shirt, I always did!

For getting sponsors and a place, I would recommend getting a prime sponsor with a location. Then, they can help you get more sponsors, and you won't have to worry about building a machine shop etc. Have you tried the company where your Dad works? What about your Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, cousins, etc? Blind calls don't tend to work as good. Also, since you are an American team, I would look into the NASA grants. Also, are there any universities/community colleges in your area? They tend to sponsor FIRST a lot!!!

As for communication, our team used Google Groups. We like it a lot, as we can send e-mail to the whole group quickly, and share documents etc. Google even lets us set up private web pages!

On a more personal note, let me warn you, you are about to set out and do what will probably be the hardest thing you have ever done. On those days where you just want to give up, remember all the other students who may not be on a FIRST team if it weren't for you. Think about how much you are going to change their lives. And just keep "doing hard things, one step at a time." If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me!

Good luck, I hope to meet you at a competition some day!

[Lisa Perez]

Fundraising:
What is the best way to approach a possible sponsor?

It helps a ton to have a business proposal written up, something that details how the team will be run, who will be involved, what the roles of the people involved will be, how much you expect everything to cost, etc. However, distributing that business proposal to companies alone will not get you the money you need. It's much better to create some kind of direct communication (in person at competitions, via e-mail, via phone) and then follow up that communication with the business proposal.

In addition to this, sometimes companies will have community and educational grants to which you can apply on their websites.

[afowl]

Fundraising:
You always want to be professional when approaching a potential sponsor. Also try to see where you have connections because it can make it easier. They definitely want to know what their money will do so make sure you talk about all the wonderful things you do as a part of the FIRST Robotics Program. Make sure the presenters are passionate (I'm sure that won't be an issue here) and well-versed in what you'll be talking about as well as knowledgeable on every aspect of your team. We typically have 3 to 4 presenters. When my team does a presentation, we wear our professional team polo's (we have two team shirts, a polo with our name and logo etc and crazy silver soccer jerseys) but as long as you look nice you should be fine and I think that having the robot always helps.

Also you might want to try some fundraisers that aren't just looking for sponsorship. Car washes etc bring in a lot of money on our team.

Location:
Make sure you have people that will be willing to go where ever your location is before you find everything else out. If no one wants to go that far,then it's all useless.

Team Communication(outside of meetings):
Our team does so much. we have a Team forum on our website that we use just like delphi for team specific things. We have a team gmail account that is used to sends reminders to everyone's phones and emails. We also use a texting chain, twitter, facebook etc but we have a large team so use what your team members check the most.

Recruiting:
For recruiting, be more fun. Team shirts help get your message across. Go to places in your community, do demos, give out brochures and get yourself known because then people will ask about it. Always advertise that you need members and show them the benefits of being in FIRST. I've always been fond of our movie demos (like Iron Man 2!) because people don't expect to see a robot in the lobby of the theater. I'd say you can't have too many people but depending on the space, you may need to cap the size of the team.

If you have any questions or need any help, feel free to PM me. And sorry if anything I wrote doesn't make sense, I didn't get to proof read it and I've got to get to our Iron Man 2 demo. Good luck with starting your team!

[StevenB]

Rion, I'm going to make several educated assumptions based on the little bit I know about you and your former team. If they're incorrect, let me know.

Fundraising
I haven't heard for sure, but I would guess the Oklahoma Department of Education will be giving out grants again this year for rookie teams. NASA also has grants for rookie teams. Between those two, you may have enough to get started.
In regard to how you dress up and what you present to potential sponsors - it depends on your audience. Some companies may just want to see the robot or some competition footage, others may be more interested in a well polished presentation. Think carefully and adapt to each situation. In addition to our team shirts (which are bright blue tie-dye), 1519 has navy blue embroidered polo shirts. These are great for talking to sponsors and going to other more dressy events.

Location
I'm going to guess that you're homeschooled or otherwise unaffiliated with a public school that doesn't have a team. Despite this, working with a public school is a really good option. They likely have some space, a machine shop or wood shop, teachers who would be interested, and they certainly have a huge supply of potential recruits. Will you find all this right away? No, not everything (2359 has space and teachers, but no access to the woodshop, for example), but you'll find something.
Also, a school is a recognized entity for contact and sponsorship. For at least two years, used a local school as the donation contact so that we could receive tax-free donations. We now have our own non-profit organization: MAYHEM, inc.

On top of all this, there is a limited number of non-public-school teams an area can support. We have three unaffiliated teams within about twenty minutes of each other here in NH, and unfortunately we are competing for students. I fear that ultimately not all of the teams will have the student resources to continue long term. It sounds like you're not full of warm and fuzzy feelings for your former team, but avoid making enemies by stealing all of their recruits.

Team Communication
Like most other teams, 1519 and 2359 have email lists for the team managed by the coach(es). Traffic is relatively low; it contains primarily meeting announcements, to-do lists, and other important information.
I enthusiastically to second Brendan's comment about a wiki. Our wiki lets us store all kinds of information, including team contact information and shirt sizes, motor characteristic tables, lists of suppliers, awards and competition history, lists of things to pack, and the list goes on. It's simple, flexible, and accessible nearly anywhere. 1519's wiki is hosted on a server at one coach's house, which gives us complete control over it. As others have said, there are also numerous hosting options, some of which are free.

Recruiting:
You mentioned the aid of a couple of college students - I'm going to guess that at least one of them is majoring in mechanical engineering. As a college student in engineering, I want to caution you to not lean on them too heavily. I have been blessed to have had a lot of time during the beginning of the spring semesters to help 2359, but in general, being an engineering student is a lot of work, especially after freshman year. As a college student, I have too much on my plate to put the kind of time and energy into FIRST that I did as a (homeschooled) high school student.

[Krissilynn]

Fundraising:
- For approaching sponsors I recommend having a booth at a fair, showcase etc. Companies always have booths at these and will see your team as a good investment. If you can't participate in an event talk to friends and families companies first. It's better to start small and gain momentum.
- Sponsors love hearing how sponsoring you will help better them. So make sure you include that your tax deductible. Also, talk about FIRST's positive outlook.
-Team shirts are the way to go because it's uniform and casual.
-Having a robot with you helps, it brings a wow factor.
-Don't have an overwhelmingly large group maybe a group of 5-8 to start with.


Location:
For finding a location make sure it's easy to access for everyone.

Team Communication(outside of meetings):
Facebook and Twitter are always good options. But make sure that the head executives of a team (president, mentors, etc.) have everyone's phone number.

Recruiting:
Go to local middle schools right before summer and get the incoming freshman involved and into it.
- In most cases for recruiting you always want to have a working robot present, it shows what exactly you do.
-Wear what you would wear to competitions.
- For recruitment 10-15 is a good number of people to have.

[Rion Atkinson]

Sorry for the time it took to reply, I honestly just saw more people had posted. Made me so happy.

Originally Posted by KathieK

...

Thank you very much. I have read most of the info on the FIRST website already; learned quite a bit from them... Didn't even think about the rest though... I will definitely be sending an email to the Regional Director ASAP.

Originally Posted by Phoenix Spud

...

On a more personal note, let me warn you, you are about to set out and do what will probably be the hardest thing you have ever done. On those days where you just want to give up, remember all the other students who may not be on a FIRST team if it weren't for you. Think about how much you are going to change their lives. And just keep "doing hard things, one step at a time." If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me!

Good luck, I hope to meet you at a competition some day!

Thank you very much! I heard about you starting the team in Australia. I have to say, I am VERY impressed... I hope to see a regional there in the upcoming years!

Sadly I'm not sure there I could get a robot to demo... I have a feeling my old team wont be lending me theirs any time soon... I will definitely be showing them game footage of the Robowranglers, Poofs, Simobotics, ect.. Maybe even my old team... If I can find a video were the robot was running...

I will definitely be pulling every contact I have. Sadly my father works out of the house though, and that's not nearly big enough for a robot team. But he does know plenty of company's that I can contact.

I will probably send you a PM one of these days. And I definitely already knows what it feels like to want to quit... But those people you feel were made for FIRST... I'm one of them.

Thank you very much for everything. Hope to run into at worlds in 2011.

Originally Posted by afowl

...
If you have any questions or need any help, feel free to PM me. And sorry if anything I wrote doesn't make sense, I didn't get to proof read it and I've got to get to our Iron Man 2 demo. Good luck with starting your team!

Thank you very much! I can't wait to put all this information into good use!

Location will be the biggest problem... I live an hour out of the city.. and everyone else lives in the city... And I'm to only student so far. I would rather inconvenience myself than the mentors though.

I'll have to try out that movie demo one of these days...

Originally Posted by StevenB

Rion, I'm going to make several educated assumptions based on the little bit I know about you and your former team. If they're incorrect, let me know.

Fundraising
I haven't heard for sure, but I would guess the Oklahoma Department of Education will be giving out grants again this year for rookie teams. NASA also has grants for rookie teams. Between those two, you may have enough to get started.
In regard to how you dress up and what you present to potential sponsors - it depends on your audience. Some companies may just want to see the robot or some competition footage, others may be more interested in a well polished presentation. Think carefully and adapt to each situation. In addition to our team shirts (which are bright blue tie-dye), 1519 has navy blue embroidered polo shirts. These are great for talking to sponsors and going to other more dressy events.

Location
I'm going to guess that you're homeschooled or otherwise unaffiliated with a public school that doesn't have a team. Despite this, working with a public school is a really good option. They likely have some space, a machine shop or wood shop, teachers who would be interested, and they certainly have a huge supply of potential recruits. Will you find all this right away? No, not everything (2359 has space and teachers, but no access to the woodshop, for example), but you'll find something.
Also, a school is a recognized entity for contact and sponsorship. For at least two years, used a local school as the donation contact so that we could receive tax-free donations. We now have our own non-profit organization: MAYHEM, inc.

On top of all this, there is a limited number of non-public-school teams an area can support. We have three unaffiliated teams within about twenty minutes of each other here in NH, and unfortunately we are competing for students. I fear that ultimately not all of the teams will have the student resources to continue long term. It sounds like you're not full of warm and fuzzy feelings for your former team, but avoid making enemies by stealing all of their recruits.

Team Communication
Like most other teams, 1519 and 2359 have email lists for the team managed by the coach(es). Traffic is relatively low; it contains primarily meeting announcements, to-do lists, and other important information.
I enthusiastically to second Brendan's comment about a wiki. Our wiki lets us store all kinds of information, including team contact information and shirt sizes, motor characteristic tables, lists of suppliers, awards and competition history, lists of things to pack, and the list goes on. It's simple, flexible, and accessible nearly anywhere. 1519's wiki is hosted on a server at one coach's house, which gives us complete control over it. As others have said, there are also numerous hosting options, some of which are free.

Recruiting:
You mentioned the aid of a couple of college students - I'm going to guess that at least one of them is majoring in mechanical engineering. As a college student in engineering, I want to caution you to not lean on them too heavily. I have been blessed to have had a lot of time during the beginning of the spring semesters to help 2359, but in general, being an engineering student is a lot of work, especially after freshman year. As a college student, I have too much on my plate to put the kind of time and energy into FIRST that I did as a (homeschooled) high school student.

I am indeed home schooled, but I also go to Francis Tuttle Pre-Engineering Academy.(1561) Long story why I don't join them.

I will definitely be applying for every grant available to me. The more money we get to start this team, the better off we will be. I'm wanting this team to stay around for awhile, and I don't expect that do be handed to me on a silver platter. (Though if anybody feels like doing that, feel free. )

Great... a limit cap... Just what I needed... We are considering working with a public school, but we are very cautions about it... Red tape and all. And regulations can really hurt. Though approaching them just for students wouldn't be too bad. I thought the RoboLobos had access to OC's machine shop? haha.

You are correct... Being kicked off a team during your first year as team captain tens to do that... And I don't plan on making enemies with them, I asked one student if he would be willing to join me. Past that, no one else.

I'm beginning to learn how little they will be willing to help me.. One of them (the most helpful one, also the previous team captain) is taking summer classes.. yay...

Thank you very much for your help. I really appreciate it.

--------

Thank you very much for everything guys. I have a feeling that all of this information will help me out a whole lot. I know this wont be an easy task, but it is one I am willing to do. FIRST is about inspiring is it not?

Thank you again everyone. I hope to put everything to good use
-Rion

(Sorry for any typos. I was in a hurry)

[Nicabot22]

Guys, I'm trying to start an all -girls team in South Central CT. Does anyone know where I can find any recruiting flyers? I'd like to see what's already out there before I start drawing up my own stuff...

Any help would be extremely appreciated. I'm trying to put flyers in high schools to get girls interested!

Thanks a bunch.