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FUNDRAISING

Team Generated Fundraising Ideas

Looking for fundraising ideas for your team? See the list below for different ways teams in our state raise money each year!

Before you begin, ensure that:

    1. Your team knows and stays within any affiliated school/organization/etc fundraising rules
    2. You understand where you will put the money, once raised. Additionally, be aware of any deductions, maintenance fees, etc that may impact the money once deposited.
    3. You know the rules on how to access the money, timeframe for withdrawal, and any restrictions on how it can be used

Ideas:

Host a Summer Camp: Summer camps offer a chance for STEM outreach in your local community, an opportunity for students to learn through teaching, and a way to make money! Camps typically charge a few hundred dollars per attendee for a week-long camp. Some teams raise enough to be able to pay their students for their time during the summer. Other teams partner with local maker spaces to secure a place to run the event. As a bonus, summer camps are a great way to inspire the next generation of students to join your team in the future!

Food Fundraisers:

    • Partner with local restaurants for a “Restaurant Night” where they will donate a percentage of sales for a given period of time (typically 20-25%). Teams have worked with McDonald’s, Menchie’s, Panda Express, Chipotle, Krispy Kreme, Jollibee, Applebee’s and more!
    • Work with a fundraising company to take pre-orders for pies then distribute them.
    • Have team members or local bakeries donate desserts to auction off at your end-of-year banquet.

Grants & Matching:

    • Apply for grants directly through FIRST
    • Take advantage of the generous grants offered by the Haas Foundation
    • Search for grants local to your city or community
    • Have mentors submit their hours for employee matching programs. Build a solid base by recruiting mentors who have access to these types of programs (asking parents is a great start!)

Community Engagement: These suggestions can help you raise money and increase your community impact:

    • Reach out to civic groups in your area like Rotary, Kiwanis, or Lion’s Club
    • Walk in to local businesses and ask what support they can offer. As a bonus, this is great practice for talking to judges! Don’t limit yourself to technical businesses. You can also use businesses where parents or alumni work as a place to start.
    • Run concessions at school sporting events
    • Staff booths at fairs
    • Run parking lots
    • Provide paid build/labor support for local seasonal events
    • Setup seats for stadium events
    • Run a community fundraiser through websites like Hack Club
    • Solicit individual donations through recurring payroll deductions
    • Run a silent auction for parents and/or community members. Local businesses like museums, zoos, restaurants, etc may be willing to donate items.

In-Kind Donations & Discounts: Many teams build relationships with vendors to secure discounts on common materials like metal, wood for practice elements, or fasteners. Some vendors may even ship to a local hub to reduce shipping cost. Make sure you are also taking advantage of the free software you can get through the KOP.

Tips:

Team Collaboration: If you are in an area with one or more nearby teams, coordinate your outreach together. This reduces fundraising fatigue on local businesses and shows a larger community impact for their support.

Marketing Packets: Especially important when reaching out to businesses, be ready with an “elevator pitch” for your team. Create a flyer or brochure that highlights your teams accomplishments, learning, and community impact. Consider offering tiers of rewards for different support levels: $100 for a mention on the website, $500 for a logo on the robot, etc.