After five years and 34 applications, we might have a grant problem...

[MrBasse]

So, we have always applied for grants. Every year we have applied for two, or four, or even up to 11 grants in one season. We have never been awarded any grant money other than through the State of Michigan's Department of Education grant (which if you turn in your paperwork on time and follow through on the requirements should almost be a gimme). We had gotten to the point where filling out grant applications was just kind of a fun exercise to see what the process entailed. We, or I guess I should say I, never had high hopes of receiving an award. However, this year we got two! After five years of trying, apparently number six is the lucky number. Perhaps it was dumb luck, or maybe when you throw enough applications at someone they start to feel bad for you. But that leads to the dilemma.

We were awarded a NASA Sustaining grant this year due to a loss of a primary sponsor from two seasons ago that is still holding us in a rough spot. However we also were awarded a grant from United Technologies Corporation through a newly acquired mentor that works for Pratt & Whitney in their local facility. So we have two grants that pay our registration fee in full. Seems like a rough problem to have, I know. Of all the problems I have run into in FIRST this is probably the most okay one ever.

The question is, do we have to accept one and decline the other? We have a closer connection to UTC through our mentor and pure proximity, their grant structure is awesome and will hopefully allow us to continue to build a relationship with a wonderful corporation. But on the other hand, NASA is NASA. I mean, how do you say "no thank you" to NASA for Pete's sake?

Is there a way to continue with both grants? I almost feel greedy doing that when I know another team could use that NASA Grant. But I also know that our funding is in a spot where this could potentially make or break our team for this year and then some (Muskegon isn't exactly an after school program funding haven).

I know that I can get a definite answer Monday morning direct from UTC or FIRST or NASA, but I thought I would get a feel for this before making that call.

Thoughts?

[Joe G.]

I could be wrong, but I believe that the UTC grant is eligable for re-grant, or payment from FIRST to your team's bank account for use on other expenses. Alternatively, you can keep the funds in your FIRST account, and put them towards DCMP or CMP registrations.

[MrBasse]

Originally Posted by Joe G.

I could be wrong, but I believe that the UTC grant is eligable for re-grant, or payment from FIRST to your team's bank account for use on other expenses. Alternatively, you can keep the funds in your FIRST account, and put them towards DCMP or CMP registrations.

That's where this problem gets even more awesome... State of Michigan covers MSC and Worlds upon qualification as does UTC. Like I said, not a bad problem to have...

I think you might be right about the re-granting, but I'll have to look into it to be sure. Thanks for the reminder on that one.

[GeeTwo]

I know that in several years, we have had to return $2k per year in grants because of this. For $2k, it was not worth it for us to attend a second regional 5+ hours away. If you have two sponsors each paying $5k for event registration, it may become feasible to attend extra events, especially in relatively event-rich Michigan. (Bayou is the only regional in Louisiana or Mississippi; Slidell is just on the LA side of the MS border only a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico.)

[Rosiebotboss]

UTC allows you to re grant the money back to the team. I do it every year for my team.

Send an email to frcteams@firstinspires.org for instructions. (Or I think the instructions are in TIMS too.)

[MrBasse]

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

I know that in several years, we have had to return $2k per year in grants because of this. For $2k, it was not worth it for us to attend a second regional 5+ hours away. If you have two sponsors each paying $5k for event registration, it may become feasible to attend extra events, especially in relatively event-rich Michigan. (Bayou is the only regional in Louisiana or Mississippi; Slidell is just on the LA side of the MS border only a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico.)

Thanks for the idea, don't know why I never thought of more events as a possibility. I guess I got used to just scraping by all these years.

Originally Posted by Rosiebotboss

UTC allows you to re grant the money back to the team. I do it every year for my team.

Send an email to frcteams@firstinspires.org for instructions. (Or I think the instructions are in TIMS too.)

Thanks for the info, good to hear it from someone with experience in the matter. We are super excited to be working with some staff from Pratt & Whitney and have been really impressed with all of our communications with UTC so far.