Funding is the biggest obstacle in robotics. It’s why some programs end up dying out. No one likes to talk about or ask for money (myself especially). It’s the most awkward part of this job, but something that has to be done to keep this great initiative alive.
In our program, we want to keep it as inexpensive as possible for families. Knowing that hotel and travel costs can add up quickly for them, we don’t want to charge a fee to participate. Money should not be a barrier for a kid to experience this.
We try to cover all costs associated with jerseys, robotics parts, extra robotics kits, team registrations, tournament registrations, meals, and travel so that parents aren’t saddled with that burden. Because of that, we have three funding phases to help keep our program sustainable:
- Sponsorships
- Fundraising (State Tune-Up)
- GEARing UP Event
A robotics program is expensive. A robotics program with 18 teams and 120 students is even more so. A large robotics program that annually sends multiple teams to State and Worlds can create some serious financial challenges. In a year where money was tight for everyone and fundraising was down for us, this quickly became a significant stress point this season. But one thing I’ve learned in this role is that our community (and even some people beyond it) always pulls through.
Enter Tim Tahara, Executive Leader at Views On Learning, Inc., who I’ve never met before. With a very expensive trip to Worlds approaching for 8 of our teams, he reached out asking if he could help. And in front of some of our World-qualified students this afternoon, Tim presented a check for $11,000 – the exact amount we needed to take 56 kids to Dallas, Texas on a charter bus.
We are beyond grateful to Tim and Views on Learning for this significant donation, as well as all our community members, parents, and local businesses for keeping this program not just afloat, but thriving year after year!
Story by: Wa-Nee Robotics
