I’m currently working on Fundraising for team 4500. This is our rookie year, so none of us have experience earning the money needed to compete.
We have a grant from NASA, allowing us to enter the competition. We are in an affluent area.
If anyone has any advice on fundraising in our rookie team, it would be most appreciated.
Thanks!
The best fundraiser is any fundraiser you do. Car wash, bake sale, asking friends, family, and neighbors for money, talking to local businesses of any sort, doing a meal like a spaghetti dinner…
Any fundraiser that your school or other organization does should be able to be adapted to the robotics team.
Call local businesses and ask to meet with someone. You’ll be surprised how many people are willing to listen to what you have to say and support you however they can. Be prepared and professional - have a pitch ready to go for potential sponsors.
Reach out within the school community. There are undoubtedly parents who themselves are in a position to sponsor, or work for a company that can.
There are many excellent threads about fundraising here on CD, so I’d suggest you search and read the stuff that’s out there. The two stickies are not a bad place to start.
Depending on the rules of your school, don’t rule out a team fee or “suggested contribution” if many families are able and willing to help.
Feel free to PM me if you need help with specific details, your business plan, etc.
If you plan to attend Championships in April, I’ll be submitting to do a presentation again on Program Management and Sustainability.
Last year, I shared some basic actual samples of our previous NASA grant writeup and a sample LOR with follow up.
This year, I plan to share even more for larger grants I got in the 5,10, and 20k ranges.
Maybe in 2014, I might be able to share on our larger foundation, legislative and federal grants that our program received from 2005-present ranging from $400k to 2 million. Those kinds of grants involve much more accountability, scope of needs, and evaluation follow up.
Our largest new grant acquisition this season is a 2 year grant for $60k to be used for registration fees and VEX/FRC parts.
I am spending what little free time I have right now on a $20k grant which is due by January 28th.
I’ll probably share these specific ones since they are relatively new and would be most relevant to what we’re doing today in our program, both short/long term goals.
-Glenn
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