Sponsors

Master Spreadsheet

We maintain a master spreadsheet of all companies that we have previously reached out to as sponsors in the tenure of our team. This sheet includes the company name, sponsor status, contact information, application type, deadline, last year sponsored, and notes. Below are the sponsor statuses and application types that we track in our master spreadsheet.

Application types

Sponsor statuses - this is how we track what companies we have contacted

To help balance out the fundraising effort, students pick 1-2 companies to reach out to during the fall. They can choose if they want to email/call/go in person, but once they pick their companies it is up to them. This has been fairly successful over the past few years and now 60% of our sponsors are acquired through this method. Students use the master spreadsheet to keep track of who has been reached out to and what follow-up information is needed.

Sponsorship Packets

Our sponsorship packet includes a letter to the potential sponsor, a brochure that gives a quick glance of our team, and a business plan. In the letter we give an overview of our team and thank them for previous years of support. This is a great opportunity to make a personal connection or reflect on past events with the sponsor.

The FIRST Fundraising Toolkit provides more information on how sponsorship packets and presentations can boost your team. Learn more here.

The sponsorship brochure is intended to be a quick overview of FIRST, our team, and the need for sponsors. We include this information in emails and packets taken to companies, but they can also be brought to certain outreach events or farmer's markets. This document doesn't change much from year to year so it easy to place on bulletin boards at coffee shops or other places where it may hang for long periods of time.

Back of the sponsor brochure

Front of the sponsor brochure

Business Plan

The business plan is a comprehensive overview of our team and financial state. This is a required document for many grants or corporate giving applications, but can also be used for general sponsor inquiries. Below are the major components that we include in our business plan.

• Mission statement

• Team history and growth

• Organization structure

  • Board of director information for our non-profit

  • Student team leads and leadership structure

• Sustainability plan

• Risk analysis

  • SWOT analysis

  • Action/implementation plan

• Financials

  • Sponsor tiers

  • Annual budget

Sponsor Benefits

Recognizing sponsors is an important part of the season. We reevaluate our sponsor tiers annually to make sure we are finding as many ways to show our appreciation and get involved with our sponsors as possible. Below are some ideas that can be included in your sponsor benefits.

• Company name or logo on team apparel, pit banner, or website

• Quarterly newsletters and photos showing team progress

• Lunch & learn with the company to demonstrate the robot

• Social media recognition

• Customized plaque with team number of FRC season