Fundraising Tips for FIRST Teams
OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION
A fortune in charitable giving is available for FIRST teams. In fact, Americans donate ($390) billion a year,72% of it from individuals. You will also be glad to know that youth and education are among the most popular causes.
Bono put it well when asked about his own activities “If you knew there is a need and know you can help, then you don’t have a choice.” ClassWish.org has created special fundraising tools just for FIRST teams to help you communicate the need and let people help.
Your FIRST team is well poised to raise all the money you need:
- You have a demonstrable need.
- Funding will support an important cause and make an immediate impact
- FIRST is a well-established and highly-respected brand
- You can tap into an entire network of connections through your school, community, mentors, volunteers, and students.
- We at ClassWish.org have provided online tools to make it easy, rewarding and efficient.
We have provided some tips that you may find useful. If you have ideas that will help other teams please share them with us, as we will continually update this document.
GETTING ORGANIZED FOR FUNDRAISING
A Fundraising Team
You will want everyone on your team – students, mentors and volunteers- to help with fundraising in any ways they can. That will not just happen spontaneously, so we suggest you create a team for fundraising, just as you do for other areas of focus, and have them coordinate everyone’s efforts.
Fundraising Mentors
Be sure to find fundraising mentors, too. These might be people with:
- social, civic, and business connections (in fact, it will require a number of mentors to tap all of the local networks and potential donors)
- people who done marketing, advertising, public relations, fundraising, or sales
- people who can help coach you on your presentations
Book Recommendation
There is a wonderful book on fundraising, The Generosity Network by Jennifer McCrea. We endorse it and think you will find it valuable.
SOURCES OF FUNDING
Many people and organizations might be delighted to contribute. The following is by no means a complete list, but just gives an indication of the tremendous range of opportunities. Potential donors might include:
- friends and families of students, mentors, and volunteers
- employees, customers, and colleagues of mentors and volunteers
- any individual or business who supports local schools (the school, PTA, and booster club websites may show who they are).
- local retailers, financial institutions, and companies (large and small, alike) including the stores where students, parents, mentors, and volunteers shop.
- local professionals, including doctors, dentists, and veterinarians (remember they all studied science).
- service and repair shops, electricians, plumbers, auto mechanics, etc. (they understand the joy of rolling up one’s sleeve and making things work)
- anyone who may have previously been involved in your team (former mentors, students, volunteers and parents), as a donation may help them continue to feel involved.
BENEFITS OF FUNDRAISING ONLINE
Fundraising online offers many advantages including the following:
- The potential donor can peruse text, photos, and videos on their own schedule and at their own pace·
- The potential donor can easily share the experience with others who might also contribute.
- Studies have shown that people consistently tend to donate more when they use a credit card than when they write a check (maybe that is part of why so many Americans have so much credit card debt).
- Online fundraising lets you reach anyone in the world, including grandparents, friends, and other potential donors who live in other cities.
- There is no paperwork for you to deal with, as ClassWish processes the transaction, issues the receipt, and handles the paperwork of employers’ matching donations.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media plays a growing role in fundraising, just as it does in commerce. Here are some ways you can harness it to generate support for your team.
Social Media Team
If you do not have a social media team, we urge you to create one. Students interested in writing, journalism, social media, art, and advertising may be especially interesting in helping out. There are so many social media outlets you can use to reach potential supporters that one person could not possibly do it all.
Social Media Mentor
We encourage you to find a social media mentor, as well. You may be able to find an experienced professional from a local advertising agency, PR firm, dotcom, or consumer-facing company. Their expertise can make your efforts far more successful.
Social Media by All Team Members
In addition to your team’s social media account, be sure that your team’s students, parents, mentors, and volunteers regularly post about your team to their own social media accounts. It is easy to overlook, so your social media team should send out regular reminders and provide suggested content for them to share.
SPONSORS - GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THE RELATIONSHIPS
Sponsors are a big source of funding for many FIRST teams. Here are some thoughts about how you can get more out of those relationships.
Engaging Your Sponsors
Be sure to keep your sponsors engaged even after they fund you. They are a great source for mentors and volunteers, for expertise, for exposure, and for introductions to other potential contributors and sponsors. You will also want to establish the sort of strong relationship that gets them to sponsor your team for years to come. Here are some tips on how you can keep sponsors engaged:
- When they first sponsor you, send a thank-you note. Don’t just send an email! And don’t just type a letter. Rather, your thank-you should be as personal and memorable as possible. Make it something they will be delighted to receive and will want to show everyone else. Thing about things such as a photo of the entire team with the robot you are building, perhaps holding a banner that thanks the sponsor by name, and have everyone sign it. Make it so notable that they will want to post it where employees and visitors will see it. Make it something that they will want to share in their newsletter and via social media. That gives them a nice way to show their generosity and earn goodwill at the same time they are promoting your team. You might plant the seed by letting them know that it is OK to share.
- Invite them to your meetings or build sessions.
- Send them regular updates that show your progress and demonstrate your enthusiasm and professionalism. Be sure to include photos and videos. Show exactly how their efforts made an impact.
- Offer to visit and do a demo for their employees and customers. Again, they look good and you get exposure.
- Get the decision-maker(s) at the sponsoring company a team t-shirt, a signed photo of them with the team and robot, or find other ways to enhance their sense of belonging.
- Invite them to participate – and perhaps even make introductory remarks when you present to civic groups, professional associations, or to others they would want to be in front of. Indeed, ask them about the organizations and associations they are part of (Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Associations of Mechanical Engineers, etc.) that might be interested in a presentation. Presenting you might be just the thing to get them to the front of the room.
- Be clear that you want to be a good partner and help them generate whatever exposure, recognition and goodwill you can. They will appreciate that you are not just taking, as many nonprofits do, and are more likely to think about opportunities.
- Invite the head of the sponsoring company to your 'Board of Advisors.' It strengthens the relationship, keeps them involved, makes them feel valued, and provides experts you can turn to for advice and introductions. Assure them that this is not a Board of Directors, that there is no fiduciary responsibility, and no required meetings, as many of them will be very busy and reluctant to commit to more obligations. If you get some good names, that will help attract other Advisors (who need not all be sponsors) and sponsors.
Additional Support from Sponsors
If you keep your sponsors engaged, they can help you in countless ways beyond their sponsorship donation. For instance:
- Their employees or others they can connect you with may be interested in mentoring or volunteering with your team. In fact, many companies encourage employee volunteerism.
- If you need help filling a role, such as a fundraising mentor or a social media mentor, and they do not have a suitable employee, they may be able to introduce you to one of the consultants they work with.
- Discuss with the sponsor how you can work together to get word of their sponsorship to their employees and customers, including via the company’s website, blog, newsletter, and social media. (Don’t be shy about asking, as the exposure helps them build goodwill and loyalty at the same time it helps you). All those employees and customers are potential donors, so be sure that anything they see includes your request for support and a link to your fundraising page (which we hope will be on ClassWish.org).
LOCAL MEDIA
Local television stations, radio stations, newspapers, community newspapers, and bloggers are always looking for something to report on. You know all the stories about the rain or potholes? Your team is a lot more interesting that than. So be sure to pitch for coverage. And be sure to make a pitch for donations in your story, with a link to your fundraising page.
WEB BANNERS
We have provided a set of web banners for various team members, and you can find them here. Or create your own. Get them placed on whatever websites and blogs you can, and be sure they link to your fundraising page.
People will be most likely display those banners on their websites, blogs, and social media accounts if they reflect their interests or that of their readers, or if they are made to look good, rather than just showing the name of your team. For instance:
- A mentor might be more likely to display a banner that says something like, “I am helping kids create robots.”
- A parent might be more likely to display a banner that says, “My kid makes robots.”
- A community newspaper or blogger will be more likely to display a banner that says, “See [Houston] kids build robots.”
- A sponsor might be more likely to display a banner if it recognizes their role, such as, “See how IBM is helping students create a robot.”
Think about all the different type of stakeholders and how you might create banners that (i) they will be most likely to display, and (ii) visitors to their site might be most likely to click. For instance, do some of the students on your team have grandparents who blog or use social media? If so, create special banners for them! “My granddaughter is building a robot.”
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
There are many types of organizations worth pitching for support, which might come in the form of mentors and volunteers, donations, or exposure. Invitations are a huge help, so canvas your sponsors, mentors, parents, and volunteers to see if anyone can get you to the top person at each organization. If not, then go ahead, anyhow. Here are some of the types of organizations you should consider.
Colleges and Universities
Colleges typically have students who might want to mentor or volunteer. Most college students do not have much money available to donate, but an article in the student newspaper that features any students, professors, or graduates involved in your team might be fruitful. A more promising opportunity may be graduates of the college, especially if students, professors or graduates are involved in your team. You might get a story in the alumni magazine or the alumni social media page, or you might be able to present at an alumni gathering.
Civic Organizations
Civic organizations, such as Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, and Junior League, may be supportive. See if you can present to those groups. You might find additional mentors and volunteers there, or you may find additional donors. Your sponsors, mentors, volunteers, and parents may have connections that help you get in the door.
Professional Associations
Professional associations, including but not limited to scientist and engineering groups, are likely to be very interested in your work. See if you can present to their members, seek a story on their website, blog or newsletter, and get them to display a web banner. Be sure they know you are seeking donations.
YOUR COMMUNICATIONS
All the ways you present your team are important. Here are just a few things to consider.
Web Site
You have a web site, right? Good. Be sure to display a prominent banner linking it to your fundraising page. Make it impossible for people to miss.
Emails
Here are some ideas on how to make your emails as effective as possible:
- If at all possible, set up email addresses for team members with the team URL. For instance, [email protected] conveys a better impression than [email protected].
- If you use the team domain for emails, be sure to set up someone with the catch-all account. That is where emails will go (instead of being bounced) if someone writes to a non-existent email on the domain (for instance, because of a type).
- Set up the system to send a copy of incoming emails to someone who will be responsible and can make sure nothing goes astray or is forgotten. This would be a great responsibility to add to a Communications Team.
- We see lots of businesses make this mistake, so it´s worth mentioning here. Be sure to include contact info, including the team name, the URL of your fundraising page and the sender´s email address below the signature (full name) of the sender. Yes, the sender’s email address will appear in the “From” line, but if the recipient forwards the note to someone else, some email programs do not show the original sender´s email to subsequent recipients.
- Some email clients corrupt emails that are replied to or forwarded by putting line breaks in after 120 characters or so or by inserting a symbol, such as >> at the beginning of every line. It looks horrible, so make sure your team members’ emails do not do that.
- Ask everyone on your team (students, mentors, and volunteers) to add your team and a link to its fundraising page on ClassWish.org to their email signature. You want as many people as possible hearing about your team as often as possible.
Business Cards
Anyone of your team who may be meeting potential supports (that´s really all the students, mentors, and volunteers, isn’t it?) should have team business cards with the team name and logo, their name and role, and the URL of the team’s fundraising page. The cards will enhance their sense of engagement, underscore their role in promoting the team and in fundraising, and give them an easy way to engage people they meet. The cards will also emphasize the team’s serious purpose.
Printing the cards, yourself is easy and the cutting becomes less burdens if a group shares the task. Be sure to stick to standard size cards, as they are much easier for the recipient to deal with!
Newsletters
Some people will not contribute when they first visit your site, but they may help you later if you stay in touch, so be sure to offer an email newsletter signup form on your website, just as we have provided on ClassWish pages. Then use those emails! Be sure to send out regular news and updates. Don’t forget to thank donors and sponsors in those newsletters.
DEDUCTIBILITY AND MATCHING
Everyone should understand the basics of deductibility and matching, as it will come up in conversation with potential donors.
Tax-Deductibility
People and businesses are much more likely to donate towards your team if that donation is tax-deductible, and foundations can only donate if it is. For their donation to be deductible, it must be made to a public school or to a nonprofit that have a 501(c)(3) tax designation.
You should understand that deductibility does not make the donation “free” to the donor. They are allowed to deduct the amount from their taxable income (so they do not pay taxes on that amount); they are not allowed to deduct it from their tax liability.
We have seen FIRST teams handle this in several ways:
Through the School
Some schools accept the donation on behalf of the teams. In some cases that works well enough, but many teams have reported that passing funds through the schools was burdensome or worse.
Their Own Nonprofit Status
Some teams have obtained their own 501(c)(3) tax status. That requires a detailed application (a Form 1023) and a lengthy review process (typically 6-9 months, but sometimes more than a year). If you have 501(c)(3) status, you should make your “tax letter” from the IRS readily available. The ClassWish fundraising pages let you upload a number of documents for visitors, and we suggest making that one of them.
No Deductibility
Some teams do not offer tax-deductibility, but that approach greatly limits the number of potential donors and the amount they may be willing to donate. It also generally precludes employer matching, which we discuss below. Please note that fundraising platforms operated by for-profits business (Kickstarter, Indiegogo, PiggyBackr, etc.) cannot provide tax-deductibility for you. In fact, some fundraising platforms specifically exclude charitable donations.
Through ClassWish.org
ClassWish provides an easy solution. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations made to support FIRST teams through the platform are officially donations to ClassWish, earmarked for the specific team (or school or teacher). Accordingly, the donations are deductible and eligible for employers’ matching. This is the case regardless of whether the team has its own nonprofit status.
Employer Matching
More than 16,000 businesses match employees’ charitable donations to 501(c)(3) nonprofits. That can double – or in some cases, triple – their contributions.
Please note that the donor has to apply for a matching donation. Be sure you:
- Ask your mentors and volunteers if their employers match, and point out they (the employee) may double their impact in supporting you
- Ask your sponsors if they match employees’ donations, and be sure to mention that opportunity for double impact when you talk with anyone who works there.
- Ask other donors about matching their employers.
ClassWish makes matching easy, and we handle the paperwork for any match made through our platform. Generally:
- The employee notifies the employer of the donation.
- The employer sends ClassWish a request for confirmation of the donation.
- ClassWish confirms the donation.
- The employer sends ClassWish a matching donation.
- ClassWish credits the match to the ClassWish account of the same team (or school or teacher, as the case may be) as received the original donation.
CAPTURING MONEY NORMALLY SPENT ON PRESENTS
Americans spend $250 million a year on birthday and holiday presents. However, many people, especially as they get older, seek meaning more than stuff. Some nonprofits have shown that many people love making donations in someone’s name instead of buying a traditional present (it’s even tax deductible). Some like having a donation made in their name, rather than receiving more unwanted stuff. For instance, Heifer International raises more than $100 a year this way.
Here are two ways your FIRST team can do the same:
1. Receiving Donations In Lieu of Presents
Ask your students, parents, mentors, and volunteers, to dedicate a birthday or holiday to your FIRST team. Next time someone asks them “what can I get you for your birthday?” they can simply direct the gift-giver to your team’s fundraising page. In fact, there is no need to wait for someone to ask; they can be proactive and let people know they would welcome a donation. Indeed, many people spread the word of that through their social media accounts.
2. Giving Donations In Lieu of Presents
Does your grandfather really need another necktie? Does grandma really need another scarf? They might be honored by a charitable donation to your FIRST team, made in their name, instead.
MORE DONATIONS AT NO COST
Be sure to see how people can easily earn donations for your team--at no cost to them--when they:
- refer teachers to ClassWish (your team earns a referral reward)
- buy books (your team earns 7.5%)
- buy discounted vacation resort certificates (your team earns $100)
YOUR IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS
You probably have ideas and suggestions for this document. Please let us hear from you, as we will be updating it frequently. Just send a note to FIRST [AT] ClassWish.org.