Hello Forum,
I am treasurer of my school’s robotics club. We currently 8 competitive teams (2616B Black Tie Robotics, 2616C Caesar Engineering, 2616D Deus Vex, 2616E Eureka, 2616F Frightning Lightning, 2616G Galactic Gorillas, 2616H Heisenbots, and 2616J (currently unnamed) ) and quite frequently need to replenish our stock of parts. We receive one purchase order of up to $2000 from our school at the beginning of every school that must be spent all at once or we lose out on the difference. Otherwise, we must raise all of our money on our own. As I’m sure any other club of our size knows, $2000 is nothing.
In the past, we have always raised money through Krispy Kreme fundraisers at our school (we would buy the doughnuts in bulk and sell them to students and staff members at a table outside the auditorium). These have been unbelievably successful for us to this point. Unfortunately, so many other groups in our community have started to have similar fundraisers so frequently that it now costs us double to have a sale than it did a year ago. Also, due to the Healthy and Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, it will become impossible to hold these fundraisers anymore. Our only source of funding is gone.
I will be a senior and president of my club next year and I don’t want to start off the year on the wrong foot, unable to make any money to keep us afloat. We have a reputation as one of the strongest organizations on the east coast, and I would like to keep that up. Since robotics was brought to my school during the Clean Sweep season by 2616 Army of Two, the club has made 6 appearances at worlds. 2616 went during Clean Sweep, Round Up, and Gateway. 2616B went during Gateway and Sack Attack. 2616F went during Sack Attack. Already this year, 2616B 2616C 2616D and 2616G have been Tournament Champions, and 2616F has won a Design Award and been a Tournament Finalist. I want to keep up our reputation going into the future.
Therefore, I come to you, the VEX community, to ask how your organizations raise money. What sorts of sponsorships do your clubs have? What sorts of fundraisers do you do?
Thanks!