Fundraising & Financial Literacy

Fundraising isn’t just how teams pay for robots and tournaments – it’s also a chance for kids to practice real‑world money skills. On this page, coaches and families will find simple tools for building an FLL team budget with students, choosing age‑appropriate fundraisers, and using every fundraiser as a lesson in setting goals, tracking income and expenses, and making smart spending choices.

Why Financial Literacy?

Fundraising is often the first time many elementary and middle school students talk about “how much things cost” for a team they care about. When coaches involve kids in setting goals, planning fundraisers, and tracking money, they are also teaching budgeting, saving, and responsible spending in a concrete, age-appropriate way.

1️⃣ Start with a Simple Team Budget

Begin by creating a one-page team budget with your students: list your basic costs (registration, robot kit, event fees, shirts, and a small travel reserve) and your expected income (family contributions, school support, sponsors, and fundraisers). Ask the team: How much do we need to raise? How many events or sponsors will it take to get there?

2️⃣ Use Fundraising to Teach Money Skills

Frame your fundraising efforts as a real-world financial literacy lesson. Here are the key skills your students will learn:

Goal Setting: Decide together on a fundraising target for the season (e.g., $500) and track progress on a chart the kids can update. This makes the goal concrete and shared.
Budgeting and Trade-Offs: Let students help choose between options. For example, discuss: “If we buy team shirts this year, what might we give up or need to raise extra for?” This teaches them that choices have financial consequences.
Tracking and Reflection: Have students help count money from each fundraiser, log it against the budget, and talk about what worked, what didn’t, and how they would adjust next time. This reinforces bookkeeping and critical thinking.