Robotics Fundraising
2019-2020
During the 2019-2020 FIRST Robotics Competition season, I was elected as the Fundraising Director as a part of the Outreach Leadership Team. With this position, I was tasked with communicating with sponsors, procure new sponsorships, and organize fundraising events. I also had to manage our year's budget in cooperation with the head outreach director along with all departments such that of build departments, community education, spirit, chairman, and media. to make sure that spending and income were intact. Additionally, because of this, I had to communicate frequently and keep the mentors of our team informed about what expenditures our team planned on making during the year.
Planned Activities
$30,000+ Raised
​Organized 100 members to sell 60 lollipops each
Networked to dozens of local businesses to explain the outreach of robotics and making sponsorships
Hosted and Headed the planning of a java programming camp for middle schoolers. Prepared them for AP Computer Science A, teaching real programming. Inspired kids about computer science with examples of coding accomplishments
Helped organize and plan for STEM camp for middle school students and introduce them to structural engineering through engaging and fun activities. Introduced them to computational engineering and emerging career fields
Retained sponsorship company relationships and ventures for potential new sponsors
Boosted outreach involvement for team entirely
Established Student-Based Income and generated the most income in the team history
Origin Story
Fundraising is often a task that is extremely difficult to do with almost very few people willing to do it. This is especially true for high school clubs and non-profit organizations. The origin story of me wanting to become the fundraising director for my team and boosting outreach involvement was very much due to me wanting to make the most impact on the team. Each time I join an organization, I ask myself what the best possible usage of my time is in such a project- typically an area of weakness or inactivity. I remember one day in my freshman year when our outreach team decided to host a car wash, only bringing in around $500 for a very large amount of effort and very little payoff. Participating in that event, although helpful to the team, almost motivated me to change the course of how the team would fundraise. I wanted to find a way that we could channel our individual energies and uniqueness of a team rather than be "just another high school club" and because we were an academic-based team, I decided that our best efforts would be providing education to our community. Because Katy has such a rich culture or desire for education, especially early on, camps were the best way and in my eyes a strong source of income for our team and utilization of our own skillsets. This, along with my deep fascination with the business side of my father's gift shop prompted me to be as innovative or creative as possible in hosting events. I pledged that as Fundraising Director, every event that I hosted would provide a product back to the community that had supported us for so many years and along with this also come off as a hardworking team rather than just as a typical request for money system. I am beyond happy with how our outreach team is running as of right now and I am excited to see the program grow in so many new and interesting ways even without my direct leadership.