$500 to go, one week

[Brandon_L]

We are about $500 away from the $5,000 fee and there are only a few of us out of 20 or so that are trying. Me and my friend made about $700 total, while half of the kids didn't even hit 25.

I just don't get it. I'm at the point where I'm about to just tell them their on their own and if they don't make it, I go to another team. I just don't get how 2 kids can get $700 and 20 can't get $500. We ordered hexbugs and most of them refuse to even attempt to sell them. Only 3 or 4 people signed out/sold them (were currently out, ordering more.)



Where can I magically get $500 within the next week?!?!

[theprgramerdude]

Do you know of any local colleges or universities that could pick up the last of the tab for you guys? Our community college has helped us all four years, and for the first two the University of Minnesota helped pay as well (it really helped when they picked up the tab, but it also helped with forcing us to get out and contact more businesses.)

[Brandon_L]

Originally Posted by theprgramerdude

Do you know of any local colleges or universities that could pick up the last of the tab for you guys? Our community college has helped us all four years, and for the first two the University of Minnesota helped pay as well (it really helped when they picked up the tab, but it also helped with forcing us to get out and contact more businesses.)

All we tried was NJIT and we didn't get anything from them, we do have a community college Ill check that out.

Who should we talk to there?

[Chris is me]

Open your phonebook and call all your local tech business and hardware stores, one by one. Say you're $500 away from your goal. Even if you get $25 from a business, you only need 20 of those to make the fee.

On a slightly unrelated note, anyone got $3000 on hand?

[EricH]

If you do get the $500 within the next week, I've got a suggestion.

Don't let the team members that didn't do any work on fundraising know that you made the deadline--yet.

Then, at the next team meeting, you, or better yet, a trusted mentor who's in on the game announces that because A Certain Group of Students couldn't be bothered to fundraise, your team is short X amount, and therefore can't register. Because you can't register, you can't compete, and if the Certain Group of Students had raised $Y apiece, it would have been rather easy to pay registration, etc, etc.

After the news sinks in and they start complaining and wondering why (and the point gets hammered home by repetition--you didn't raise enough, so you can't compete), you announce that A Different Group of Students managed to raise $500 at the last minute, and the status given was a week old. Because of that, you can in fact compete, but you will all need to work hard like the Different Group of Students. Oh, and by the way, that includes raising funds to help with building and travel (whether you actually need said funds or not, it's always good to have a little extra).

If they don't start complaining and wondering why, then it's probably time to shrink the team. Give me 10 hard workers who are willing to learn any day over 50 people who don't do any work, even if those 50 are more qualified. (Also applies if Certain Group of Students keeps being not-productively-busy without good reason.)

OK, now for some suggestions for places to get money:
-Chamber of Commerce
-Parents/grandparents/other assorted relatives
-Small businesses
-If a local mall or somewhere like that has a fountain, ask if you can collect the change that gets thrown in.
-More demos.
-See if another local team can give you a loan/pay part of your fee outright.
-See if FIRST can arrange to give you more time. (Of course, announcement of more time should you get it could easily be handled like getting more money above.)

[Trying to Help]

Kiwanis Club, Chamber of Commerce, any targeted youth organizations, etc. might be able to help.

I know that we've received several "we'd like to help and we stretched last year to help but we can't just do it this year" replies which I completely understand.

Do you charge a membership fee? Perhaps those non-fundraising members of your team can kick in a supplemental amount to make up for their lack of effort/success.

Trying to Help

[JaneYoung]

I'd start by taking a good look at your post and thinking about the message that you are conveying to your readers. Example: do you really need 5 bright red mad looking faces in the post? That shows anger and frustration but with a week to go, would you want to be asking for advice in a way that portrays your team in a less negative light than anger presents?

It's too late to write a letter campaign to friends and relatives of the team members via snail mail but it's not too late to send a letter via e-mail and/or make some phone calls.

Write a letter and/or 2-3 minute elevator speech to give over the phone - for the team to use this week. Give instructions on sending the e-mail or making the call to request a donation. Send that e-mail letter out to friends and loved ones asking for help and support in your effort to obtain registration costs with a deadline looming. You can give them suggested amounts but let them know that any amount will help with the registration, build, and travel costs for the team - but that right now the focus is on making the registration deadline. Ask them to respond with an answer and provide them with the mailing address to send in the monies. Make sure that address is valid and can be trusted - such as the school mentor's address or one similar. The letter presents an excellent opportunity for members of your team to share why FRC is valuable to your team and to your community.

If you don't have a good communication network with the team, pre-season is a great time to start. As it is, get the letter/information to the members of the team and let them know the importance of the deadline without assigning fault or blame. Dave Lavery has an awesome post in CD that says something about a team succeeding together and failing together. You are there. It's not you and them. It's all of you, together. I'll see if I can find Dave's gem of wisdom and share it with you.

Good luck,
Jane

[Joe G.]

Lead by example. It seems like you've done a great job with your personal fund raising already, but keep on going! You'll hear a lot about "continuous improvement" in robotics, which applies at every level, right down to fund raising. Keep up the good work! Giving up never got anyone anywhere.

The (somewhat unfortunate) simple truth is that, it is nearly impossible to evenly distribute work like this. The people who are dedicated to it are the people who get the job done. The people who are not sound like they're either not very into the club to begin with, or are expecting something for nothing. If they are in the first category, then there's not so much you can do, other than trying to get them into your team (which some people simply just won't do).

If they are expecting something for nothing, then you eventually should make sure this situation is rectified. There are already some suggestions in this thread, such as giving these members lower priority for travel, a required minimum funds threshold, having to make up the difference with participation fees, or simply guilting them into it. But this should not be your first priority. If a job needs to get done quickly, use the people who have had success with it. Yourselves.

If you find yourself getting angry at a problem, distract yourself by fixing it.


EDIT: I believe this is the post Jane is referring to. I agree, an excellent point.

[Garret]

Open your phonebook and call all your local tech business and hardware stores, one by one. Say you're $500 away from your goal. Even if you get $25 from a business, you only need 20 of those to make the fee.

Calling works. My team has recieved several sponsorships this year by calling local companies. Also do not limit yourself to local businesses call wherever you think you could have a chance. Our team (students make the call only) calls the executives of companies, most of whom are out of state and has had surprisingly good luck with them. The reason for students to call is that it gives more credibility to the team because most kids are not going to go and try to scam a big company. Another reason is that it gives the appearence that this program is something that the students really want and they are obviously hoping to get something out of it.

Our mentor always tells us that if you do not ask you will never get anything.

It is probably too late to undertake a major sponsor-getting campaign but it is worth a try and $500 is not that difficult an amount to raise through sponsorships.

My team raises money mostly from seeking sponsorships so I do not have any real suggestions about fundraising (as in holding fundraisers).

Who should we talk to there?

Talk to the person in charge of the school. They are essentially the executive and as such they are the most likely to say yes. The reason being that they really do not have a boss who they can blame for not letting them sponsor you.

Hope this helps,
-Garret Smalley

[artdutra04]

Don't automatically write off students because they didn't do well raising money in fundraisers like Hexbugs. Especially in this economy, people might not have the discretionary money to buy fundraiser flair. Our team encompasses high schools from both well-off suburbs and working class inner-city areas, and we've found the most "fair" fundraising efforts were ones that involve something everyone can provide: time and elbow grease. Things like selling food at state fairs, can and bottle drives, pasta dinner fundraisers.

Fundraiser events like these elevate the responsibility from an "every man for himself" attitude into a team activity, in which the product is worth more than the sum of its parts.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by rocketperson44

EDIT: I believe this is the post Jane is referring to. I agree, an excellent point.

That is very similar to one I found in my search and, it is indeed, the one I was looking for. We know one thing: Dave is consistent. On many levels, including the ones that make us want to bang our heads against a concrete wall. But, in this case - not so much.

Thanks, Joe!
Jane

[Brandon_L]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

Don't automatically write off students because they didn't do well raising money in fundraisers like Hexbugs. Especially in this economy, people might not have the discretionary money to buy fundraiser flair. Our team encompasses high schools from both well-off suburbs and working class inner-city areas, and we've found the most "fair" fundraising efforts were ones that involve something everyone can provide: time and elbow grease. Things like selling food at state fairs, can and bottle drives, pasta dinner fundraisers.

Fundraiser events like these elevate the responsibility from an "every man for himself" attitude into a team activity, in which the product is worth more than the sum of its parts.

We have sponsorship packets that we made, and gave to the kids. All they have to do is make an attempt to go to a business or two. I'm fine with "Hey, I went to x business and got nothing". That shows an attempt. It just bothers me when they don't try at all.

We have a list of places to start calling, were going to do that soon. I just got home from a Dairy Queen fundraiser (10% of receipts dropped in bucket). It wasn't a great turnout, but not bad. While there we talked about possibly borrowing money from the other two teams in the area.

If you do get the $500 within the next week, I've got a suggestion.

Don't let the team members that didn't do any work on fundraising know that you made the deadline--yet.

Then, at the next team meeting, you, or better yet, a trusted mentor who's in on the game announces that because A Certain Group of Students couldn't be bothered to fundraise, your team is short X amount, and therefore can't register. Because you can't register, you can't compete, and if the Certain Group of Students had raised $Y apiece, it would have been rather easy to pay registration, etc, etc.

After the news sinks in and they start complaining and wondering why (and the point gets hammered home by repetition--you didn't raise enough, so you can't compete), you announce that A Different Group of Students managed to raise $500 at the last minute, and the status given was a week old. Because of that, you can in fact compete, but you will all need to work hard like the Different Group of Students. Oh, and by the way, that includes raising funds to help with building and travel (whether you actually need said funds or not, it's always good to have a little extra).

If they don't start complaining and wondering why, then it's probably time to shrink the team. Give me 10 hard workers who are willing to learn any day over 50 people who don't do any work, even if those 50 are more qualified. (Also applies if Certain Group of Students keeps being not-productively-busy without good reason.)

OK, now for some suggestions for places to get money:
-Chamber of Commerce
-Parents/grandparents/other assorted relatives
-Small businesses
-If a local mall or somewhere like that has a fountain, ask if you can collect the change that gets thrown in.
-More demos.
-See if another local team can give you a loan/pay part of your fee outright.
-See if FIRST can arrange to give you more time. (Of course, announcement of more time should you get it could easily be handled like getting more money above.)

I've actually thought of doing that.

Where/who would I contact for a possible extension on the deadline? Could we pay like 4,000 up front and the rest when we get it?

Thanks a ton for all the help guys!

[EricH]

You'd probably want to contact FRCTeams at usfirst.org to see about an extension. Extensions/payment plans/all that sort of thing are their department (I think--if it isn't, they'll know who to contact). And you're best off doing it well before the deadline so you can deal with whatever they say.

[Brandon_L]

Originally Posted by EricH

You'd probably want to contact FRCTeams at usfirst.org to see about an extension. Extensions/payment plans/all that sort of thing are their department (I think--if it isn't, they'll know who to contact). And you're best off doing it well before the deadline so you can deal with whatever they say.

so email frcteams@usfirst.org?

[BEEKMAN]

Originally Posted by EricH

If you do get the $500 within the next week, I've got a suggestion.

Don't let the team members that didn't do any work on fundraising know that you made the deadline--yet.

Then, at the next team meeting, you, or better yet, a trusted mentor who's in on the game announces that because A Certain Group of Students couldn't be bothered to fundraise, your team is short X amount, and therefore can't register. Because you can't register, you can't compete, and if the Certain Group of Students had raised $Y apiece, it would have been rather easy to pay registration, etc, etc.

After the news sinks in and they start complaining and wondering why (and the point gets hammered home by repetition--you didn't raise enough, so you can't compete), you announce that A Different Group of Students managed to raise $500 at the last minute, and the status given was a week old. Because of that, you can in fact compete, but you will all need to work hard like the Different Group of Students. Oh, and by the way, that includes raising funds to help with building and travel (whether you actually need said funds or not, it's always good to have a little extra).

Although I really do love the "Make them feel bad approach", I would definitely not go with that approach. Having worked at an amusement park for two years, I know how to deal with people, and yes, making them feel bad is definitely one way, but its definitely against what FIRST is about. I have been team captain for the past two years, and have made some huge improvements on our team--guilt was not the cause.
Instead, show the team members what happens from laziness, show them that they cannot reach their goals by slacking off. Maybe set a goal, everyone must raise $X or maybe they they have to do some supplement...like clean the toolbox?


As for the money--

Many High Schools (I assume you're with a school...?) will let you overdraw from your school account. In years past, we have been several hundred dollars short. Our school allows us to go into the negatives within our account. Maybe your mentor should ask about doing so?

Another option that has worked well for my team has been going door-to-door. We have been able to send out about 10 kids, in groups of two. Knock on doors, explain who you are, what the team is, and how it effects not only your life, but the world. THEN tell them that you are $500 short. Many people will gladly give $2-$10. Its not much, but it takes about 5 min per house. About 1/3 of the people donate at least some money.....get enough people and you're all set!

~Brendan