Making Thousands of Dollars Appear Out of Thin Air For Your Team

1. Making Thousands of Dollars Appear Out of Thin Air For Your Team Wayne Cokeley (Team 25) and Lauralynne Cokeley (Team 1089)

2. Two Ways to Bring in Money For a Team • Fund Raising • Grants and Sponsorship

3. Fund Raising • Short term- quick return • Team 25’s FR Guidelines • A. little or no initial investment • B. high return profit- at least 50%, better at 100% • C. student friendly, team friendly • D. market to different customer bases- not the parents every time L

4. Year Round FR Preparation for the Season • Our 2007 Calendar • January- ad sales for BB show • February- finish ad sales, build season • March- competitions, BB show preps • April- Car wash • May- BB show- gate, Car wash • June- Car Wash • July- Summer Lego Camp, Car wash • August- Hawaiian Shirt Sale • September- Hawaiian Shirt Sale, Heritage Day concession • October- Hawaiian Shirt Sale • November- BE Tournament, Night of Giving tix sale • December- off for the holidays, prep for build season

5. Fund Raising Tallies for 2007 • Body Building Show- overall $2500 • Car washes (total) - $2000 (slow year) • Lego Camp- $1200 • Hawaiian Shirt Sale- $2800 • Brunswick Eruption Tournament- $6500 • Night of Giving Tickets- $600 • Total for Yearly Fundraising- $15,600 • Work crew- 30 students, 20 adults

6. How Do You Get a Fundraiser Going? • Have a goal- how much? by when? • Make a believable plan- the team needs to believe the goal is reachable before it will commit the time to reach it • Build excitement- prizes, contests, ultimate prize • Warrant involvement- everybody involved, parents involved • Target your Fundraisers L

7. Parent Groups • Parent Groups are essential if the team is to grow large and travel frequently • The team must be as fun for the parents as for the students • RPM- Robot Parent Mentors • Run by parents • Both social and supportive • Labor force for making fund raisers happen • Force behind students to keep them moving

8. How do you motivate parents? • Hold a meeting and spell out the team’s goals and activities • Offer opportunities for parental Involvement • Have signups ready • Plan events to make parents a part of the team. Show them their kids succeeding. • Let parents show their best to the team • Fun events and trips L

9. Sources for Ideas • FR Team Development- NEMO !! • http://www.firstnemo.org/

10. Fund Raising Ideas • http://www.fundraiserhelp.com/ - has a huge idea list with many interesting concepts • http://www.easy-fundraising-ideas.com/ - a marketing company with many available FR types • http://www.childline.org.uk/AtoZoffundraisingideas.asp - a glossary of different ideas www.FIRSTRINOS.org- soon to be posted source for new teams http://www.usfirst.org/community/frc/content.aspx?id=7024 - the President’s Circle- FIRST’s support of teams by teams

11. Grants and Sponsorship • Grants are more long term and less reliable than fund raisers • Corporate connections are helpful • Parents, School Boards, Local Politicians offer connections • Many large companies have Volunteerism Reward Grants for their Employees • Be prepared for Matching Grants

12. What Can Sponsors Do For A Team? • Of course $$$$ • Direct interaction with students and tech people • Merchandise • Food • Don’t dismiss a sponsor because they do not have engineers L

13. Make an Introduction Package • Every team needs an introduction sheet • CD with excited kids and robots • FIRST information from FIRST resources • Drop off materials and set a follow up- HR people or Community Relations seem the best • Have a set goal when you approach a sponsor • Get potential sponsors to a FIRST event- in or off season. Treat as VIP

14. Who Can Find Us A Major Sponsor? • Politicians • School Boards • Chamber of Commerce • Parents • Press • Regional Committee • Cold Canvassing- invite to events as guest

15. Double Duty Appearances • Public relations • Display boards • Brochures • PR Packet • Appearances for fun, familiarization and profit • Provide a Service L

16. Educating Sponsors • It takes at least a season to educate a sponsor- probably more so than a student • Respect the sponsor’s time • Say Thanks- and be sure to highlight the sponsor in publicity on the team • Develop a Press Policy

17. Grants? • Educational institutions can accept grants • Grants are written according to set formats- see their style sheets • Have a set goal in mind when you write a grant- a project or a figure is easier to sell • Expect a major lag time in processing grants • You will likely need the following ready at minimum • Budget for 2-3 years (projected) • Essays highlighting grant use and need • Biographies and credentials of workers • Supporting letters from recipient school • Business Plan is helpful

18. Grant Sources • Many major companies have grants (500 Project) • Check the FIRST President’s Circle page above for a list of grants for schools. • Private Grants are sometimes available from philanthropists

19. The Fortune 500 Project • Dean Kamen made a comment…. • A link to explore- http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pjYwV89WZsDT8INoH17myVA&gid=0 Let us know…..