Inspire

This time of year, many of us pause to thank meaningful people and communities in our lives. At FIRST, we’re forever grateful to our tireless mentors, coaches, volunteers, alumni, sponsors, fundraisers and donors who support our mission wholeheartedly. These are the folks advancing FIRST toward our goal of inspiring young minds everywhere, and they deserve to hear our thanks – not just in November, or at the end of the season, but all year round. With that in mind, we’re spreading a culture of gratitude throughout the FIRST community.

I believe the video below about saying “thank you” to supporters is the most important in our wonderful FIRST Fundraising Toolkit video series, which was developed with the generous financial support of the Argosy Foundation. Learning how to fundraise for robot parts and t-shirts for their teams equips FIRST participants with financial awareness and skills they need to be successful in any role. But more than that, learning how to express heartfelt gratitude toward their supporters helps them become gracious, thoughtful citizens

Many FIRST participants and alumni show gratitude for the impact the FIRST community has had on their lives by “making it loud” for our movement, to ensure our game-changing opportunities are available to the generations that come after them. This Giving Tuesday – a global day of giving back happening November 28 – we’re asking our community to make it loud for FIRST, show their thanks for what they’re been given, and help equip more kids with the tools to build a better world.

On Giving Tuesday, our dedicated fundraisers will be rallying their STEM squads by asking friends and family to support a cause close to their hearts – and then thanking them for their contributions. And we’ll be alongside them, expressing our sincere gratitude to our fundraisers and donors for inspiring kids to dream big – and give back.

If you have an inspiring story or piece of wisdom that you’ve picked up through your experiences in the FIRST community, please reach out to us at inspire@firstinspires.org and inquire about becoming a guest contributor for Inspire.