Team:UMaryland/fundraising
Table of Contents
Why Fundraise?
Pitching an Invigorating Story
Preliminary Steps
Budget Plan
Executive Summary
Brochure
Video
Funding Avenues
Crowdfunding
University Support
Corporations
Grants
Individual Donations
Products/Services
The Grind
Effective Financial Management
Misc. Advice
Fundraising is a critical component to successfully navigating the iGEM competition season. It is perhaps one of the most important yet underappreciated activities of any organization. Like lab work, fundraising is not a straightforward process, and will lead to many dead ends and failed attempts before bearing fruit. In writing this guide, I hope to make fundraising fun and easy for your team.
Before delving into the fundraising process, there are a few documents and analyses that you need to prepare. First and foremost is a Budget Plan for all expected expenditures leading up to the competition. This will vary from team to team, but generally will include registration fees, lab expenses, and expenses related to travel, food, and lodging. Some teams may want to include a stipend for their students as well. UMaryland iGEM’s 2015 Budget Plan is linked below.