FIRST Washington Grant

FIRST Washington Grant Update 9-1-26

As we said in communications over the summer, FIRST Washington Grants will be handled a bit differently this year. Here are the important changes to note:

You will have to fill out a grant application to be considered for any funding that FIRST Washington manages

The grant form will need to be filled out for each team you would like to be considered for funding

Grants will no longer be deducted from your FIRST Washington registration, they will be issued separately based on the info you submit in the grant application as well as your school requirements (if you are a school based team)

The grant will open 9-14 and will close 10-5. As stated above, if you want your team to be considered for any funding that FIRST Washington handles, you will need to fill out this application.

We will post the application link and information on the application on the FIRST Washington website once the grant is open as well as send that information out in the blog on 9-15.

Update on Funding and Support for the Upcoming FRC/FTC/FLL Season- 7-10-26

Hello FIRST Washington Robotics Teams!

What an incredible FIRST AGE season!

As another chapter closes and we head into summer, FIRST Washington is preparing for the upcoming CANOPY season. We are also finalizing our budget for the next fiscal year starting July 1, 2026, and wanted to share some important updates.

As many of you are experiencing, funding continues to be a major pressure point for programs like FIRST Robotics. Last season, FIRST Washington was able to support our community by granting nearly $1.4 million in discounts and team support funding.

When planning last season’s budget, we were optimistic we could replenish those reserves through foundation grants, renewal of OSPI, individual donors, and increased corporate support. To that end we set a large fundraising goal of over $1.5 million for the year.

Unfortunately, our success in securing replacement funding fell short by around $700,000. We were unable to secure all the grants we needed, and the State Budget did not restore any funding for FIRST Washington this year.

We have adjusted our fundraising strategy moving forward and are continuing to work as hard as we can to fill this funding gap.

At this time though, we are unable to guarantee registration discounts that teams have become accustomed to over the years.

From now until the start of the next season, we are asking your Teams to work in direct partnership with us to ensure the FIRST Washington ecosystem of nearly 1,000 total teams have the resources and support needed for another successful season for all our FLL, FTC, and FRC programs in the Pacific Northwest.

What we need you to do:

Develop a fundraising plan for the summer and fall that includes the payment of full registration fees for the upcoming season
Work in partnership with FIRST WA Development and Volunteer management staff to engage new mentors and volunteers to support your team- both with time and matching funds from their companies

What FIRST Washington will do:

Host fundraising strategy sessions and office hours for coaches, mentors, and business managers in July and August
- Fundraising outside the school ecosystem.

Link to the recording and slides

This targets fundraising in your community and could be helpful for both school based and community teams.

Fundraising inside the school ecosystem.

Link to the recording and slides

This targets fundraising inside the school ecosystem and may be more of a brainstorming session. I would not recommend this session for community based teams.

Provide clean fundraising collateral for teams to use
Links to these materials here
Work directly with companies who currently provide volunteers and mentors with matching funds available to set new engagement goals – ultimately increasing the number of volunteers and mentors on each team whose participation hours are matched with cash from their employer
Activate a team support funding campaign, in addition to our standard fundraising goals for operations, with a target goal of $500K to allocate out to teams on an “as needed for sustainability and stability” basis
Every challenge is a turning point. Every turning point is an opportunity.

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity- Albert Einstein

Working together, we can stabilize funding for the FIRST WA ecosystem over the next two to three years- getting us all to a place where the question isn’t “how do we fund this?” but instead “what do we fund next that makes the student experience even better?”

We know this represents a shift, and we are committed to working alongside you through it. Our focus remains the same: ensuring that every team has a path forward and that our community continues to grow and succeed. Thank you for your continued dedication, resilience, and partnership—we will navigate this next season together.

Regards,

Fred

Fred Krug

President

FIRST Washington

Grant Application

FIRST Washington Grant FAQ

What's different?

FIRST Washington is going to a more traditional way of funding teams. Rather than applying FIRST Washington grants as a registration reduction, we are sending funding directly to teams.

When does the grant open?

The grant will open on September 14th, 2026 and close on October 5th, 2026.

Who can apply?

Any team can apply.

FLL Discover and Explore teams are NOT eligible for this grant. Only FLL Challenge, FLL Future, FTC, and FRC teams.

How will teams receive funding?

Grants will no longer be deducted from your FIRST Washington registration, they will be issued separately based on the info you submit in the grant application as well as your school requirements (if you are a school based team).

For school based teams, please coordinate with your school’s administration as all schools have different policies and procedures regarding this.

What if my school has multiple affiliated teams/programs?

The grant form will need to be filled out for each team you would like to be considered for funding

What expenses can this grant cover?

This award can be used broadly for all expenses that are associated with developing a FIRST team.

Acceptable expenses include:

Materials for the team project
Other educational materials that supplement the project
Meeting expenses: snacks, beverages
Administrative expenses
Facility expenses (many teams have their own trailers and fieldhouses)
Coach stipends
Advertising and printing *including t-shirts for the teams
Travel costs: transportation costs, snacks and meals while traveling
FIRST Washington registration fees and/or FIRST Inspries registration fees