What are the ways that you guys thank your sponsors?
3D Printed stuff? Shirts? Hugs…?
Thanks! FRC 333
We host an annual Sponsors Night, where they get dinner, see the robot and some blue banners, hear students speak about what the team means to them, give them a plaque, a shirt and some tsotchkes.
Some of the student speeches (2 or 3 max) are very moving.
We are sending a short paper report of the season’s successes with some exerpts from papers that the students write. Along with a DVD of robot and build highlights and a plaque for our large dollar donors.
We often will go over to their manufacturing plants. Let their employees drive our robot and ask questions. I have CNC/engraved plaques for them. In 2011 we gave out some of the extra mini bots on a small steal pole as a little trophy.
We also dance for them if they want us to… (don’t make us do this its not pretty…) This year i’m working on making 3D printed functioning prototypes of our swerve module’s.
Team 1305 thanks sponsors according to our tiered system known as our:
Cool Degrees of Sponsorship
http://team1305.org/content/uploads/Degrees-of-Sponsorship-Graphic-for-Website.jpg
In addition, we invite all of our sponsors to an annual dinner where we serve home made pasta and individually thank each one for their contribution, no matter how big or small.
At the bottom, I think the FIRST acronym also includes “Science”.
In addition to what Don said about Sponsor Night, sponsors who donate over $1,000 get their names on our robot, t-shirts, pit signs, etc.
We visit some of our major local sponsors (e.g., the Board of Education, ShopRite, BMW) with our robot to give them demos and a chance to take a closer look at what their sponsorships are going toward. The employees get to drive the robot afterward, so it’s pretty fun for everyone.
In addition to visiting our sponsors, team 649, on occasion gives them something (I seem to remember a laser etched acrylic thank you plaque once). We try to visit our corporate/small business sponsors at least once a year to check in with them and remind them that their grant money was money well spent (and show off our new robot) 
I think it would depend on the sponsor. The local mom and pop store would probably love a framed picture of the team, maybe a trophy or team shirt, that they could display. The mega corporation that sponsors 100 teams would have little value for that, but would perhaps like the opportunity to send a rep to your team picnic, event, etc., to meet and talk to the students.
I think the best thank you would depend on the sponsor. The local mom and pop store would probably love a framed picture of the team, maybe a trophy or team shirt, that they could display. The mega corporation that sponsors 100 teams would have little value for that, but would perhaps like the opportunity to send a rep to your team picnic, event, etc., to meet and talk to the students.
MOE has each student write thank you letters, saying a little about themselves, how the team did this year, what they learned., etc. Each sponsor gets three different letters and a team pic. Sponsors love it and it’s a good learning experience for the students.