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ALL PROGRAMS
Fundraising Toolkit
An important part of being sustainable year after year is raising enough money to support your team. Fundraising allows your team to develop both technically and as a program by providing sufficient funds to grow and expand your team.
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Step 1 - Creating a Budget
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Step 2 - Resource Mapping
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Step 3 - The Ask
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Step 4 - Thank You
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Step 5 - Donorschoose.org for Small Projects
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Step 6 - Donorschoose.org for Large Projects
SECTION 1 – FUNDRAISING PLAN
First step towards completing a fundraising & business plan.
- Section 1.1 - Team Fundraising Plan Overview
- Team Fundraising Plan Webinar
- Team Fundraising Plan Examples:
- Section 1.2 - Team Business Plan Overview
SECTION 2 – COMMUNITY ANALYSIS
Helps teams gain a better understanding of their community and the opportunities available locally to them.
- Community Analysis Overview
- Community Analysis Webinar
SECTION 3 – TEAM DOCUMENTATION
Teams learn how to create documentation about their program with resources created to give examples of team documentation and sponsor packets.
- Team Sponsor Packet Template
- Team Documentation Webinar
- Sponsor Packet Examples:
SECTION 4 – ORGANIZING A PRESENTATION
Helps students develop presentation skills to be prepared when speaking with sponsors for the first time.
- Organizing a Presentation Overview
- Sponsor Presentation Webinars:
- Team Resources
- Email and Phone Script Examples:
- Sponsor Letter and Handout Examples:
- Sponsor Presentation & Media Note Examples:
- Fundraising Workshop Presentations and Tips:
- Team Training Videos - Team 27
SECTION 5 – MAINTAINING SPONSOR RELATIONS
How to build long-term partnerships with sponsors.
- Maintaining Sponsor Relations Overview
- Maintaining Sponsor Relations Webinar
- Team Resources:
- Presentation: Team 234 Team Championship Maintaining Sponsors Presentation
- “Thank You” Examples:
- Newsletter Examples:
SECTION 6 - 501(c)3 PROS, CONS & ALTERNATIVES
Learn if this option is right for your team.
- 501(c)3 Pros, Cons, and Alternatives Overview
- Webinar
- Presentation Slides
- Team Resources:
- Presentations
- Parent Booster Examples:
- 501(c)3 Document Examples:
SECTION 7 - ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF FUNDRAISING
Highlights creative ways to fundraiser through crowd sourcing websites and grant writing.
- Alternative Methods of Fundraising Overview
- Grants
- Crowdfunding
SECTION 8 - FUNDRAISING EXAMPLES & BEST PRACTICES
Shares examples of successful fundraising ideas created by veteran teams.
THANK YOU to the following for their valuable contributions to this project:
The Argosy Foundation and John Abele;
Renee Becker, FIRST AmeriCorps VISTA, Indiana;
Members of the FIRST Community including Regional Directors and Committee members; and
FIRST Robotics Competition Teams 27,68, 234, 291, 359, 5420, 696, 781, 1018, 1100, 1111, 1477, 1511, 1625, 1675, 1816, 2175, 2177, 2220, 2470, 2648, 2713, 3132, 3847, 4274, 4787, 4403.
FIRST Tech Challenge Teams 1937, 2753, 3550, 4140, 4220, 4924, 4982, 5096, 5466, 5972.