Robotics Team Fundraising: Fund the Build Season

Robotics and STEM competition teams have a specific fundraising problem: the build season is in Q4/Q1, the competitions are in February and March, and the budget needs to exist before both. The fundraiser needs to run early, close fast, and produce cash quickly.

The Fundraising Math

FIRST Robotics team of 25 students. Parents and community sponsors buy 50 custom tumblers at $30. 50 units at the 25–49 tier (8% off $23.99 = $22.07/unit): $1,103.50 cost. Revenue: $1,500. Net: $396.50 (26% margin). That covers the FIRST registration fee and leaves roughly $100 for components.

Pricing uses TLC's published volume tiers. Margin improves as order count grows — share the campaign link broadly to hit a better tier.

How It Works

1
Set up your store
Share your artwork, team colors, and product choices with TLC. We build a simple product page for your campaign.
2
Set your price and goal
You decide the retail price supporters pay. The gap between that price and TLC's cost is your margin. Set a unit goal and campaign close date.
3
Share the link
Send your campaign link to parents, alumni, and your community. TLC handles all payments at checkout.
4
We produce and ship
When the campaign closes, TLC produces every order. Standard production is 5–7 business days. We ship direct to each supporter's address.
5
You collect the margin
After the last order ships, TLC calculates your total margin and pays it out. No inventory, no cash handling, no leftover product.

Recommended Products

Custom Tumblers

From $23.99 — volume discounts start at 5 units. Most popular fundraiser product.

View product

Acrylic Keychains

Lower price point, great for add-on or secondary campaign. Easy to bundle.

View product

Steal This Announcement Message

Copy this template into a group chat, email, or newsletter. Fill in the brackets and send.

Team [Number] fundraiser is open! We are raising money for our build season and competition travel. Custom team tumblers are $30 — we keep $7.93 per tumbler toward registration and parts. Order by [date] at [link]. Ships direct. Share with your company's engineering team — they might sponsor a few.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we put our robot name and competition year on the tumbler?

Yes. Robot names, team numbers, competition years, and slogans all work well for laser engraving. Bring your team logo and any text you want included. Most robotics teams find the design step takes 20 minutes — one email back and forth with a proof.

Can we target corporate sponsors with a "sponsor a tumbler" model?

This is a smart approach for robotics teams with engineering company sponsors. A sponsor buys 10 tumblers at the retail price; you keep the margin. The sponsor gets their name or logo on the back of the tumbler (alongside your team branding) as a recognition benefit. Win-win.

What is the fastest we can get a fundraiser closed and product shipped?

Run a 10-day campaign, close it, and select rush production (2–3 business days). Total lead time from campaign close to supporters receiving product: roughly 2 weeks. Plan your campaign launch 3–4 weeks before you need the cash.

Can STEM departments run a fundraiser separately from the athletics department?

Yes. Your campaign is independent of any school athletics campaign. STEM and robotics fundraisers typically tap a different donor base (engineering-oriented parents, alumni, local tech companies) so there is minimal overlap and no conflict.

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