Grant money for college MA clubs?

[parkerlineage]

Does anybody know if there's any chance I could find a company that would be willing to donate money or equipment for the college MA club that I'm opening next month?

Thanks!

[bushido_man96]

Hmm, don't know how to help you there. Check with the registrars office on campus about places that offer grants, and tell them your interests. You would want the college to know, especially if you do it on campus.

Also, check to see if you could offer an MA class through the college for credit hours to the students....good way to get interest in arts from students.

[lordtariel]

You're probably going to have to do some legwork. Just start going from buisness to buisness. You'd be suprised, many buisnesses will give donations. Make sure you have a solid presentation on how it will help the community, either by getting kids off the street, teaching them responsibility and discipline, stuff like that. Think about something to give them for their donation like a plaque in your dojo and something for them. Not saying you should go commercial and start hanging company banners and stuff in your dojo though, something tasteful like a small plaque saying "our thanks go out to such and such company for donating the equipment".

[parkerlineage]

Thanks for the ideas, lordtariel...I may have trouble with that, for now, though.

Basically, it's not to benefit the community - it's to give bored college students something to do. And I don't exactly have a dojo - we're just going to move chairs in whatever classroom we find available, and go there. I will think about it, though - I'm sure I'll figure something out from your ideas.

As for doing it for credits, I brought it to the PE director, and apparently, they had some guy doing that like 5 years ago who was awful, and he was very against doing it again. I'd like to find that guy and give him a piece of my mind, but in any event, that option is down the tube.

[lordtariel]

But it does. By supporting the club you are helping the college add more to its cirriculum. By adding more to what it offers, you increase the allure of the college(it really does, I chose my college partially on available schools in the area), which brings more people into the community. By giving bored college students something to do, you keep them from following typical college extracirricular activites such as drinking and partying. Also, does the college have equipment you can use such as bags, mats, ect? It may well be that you'll have to require people to supply their own sparring equipment and gi(if you feel they even need one) at first. If you can pick up some momentum and intrest, you can prove that it was just a bad instructor and may change the mind of the school. Fundraisers are another way of getting both some recruitment and money for your club. The Aikido club at our college used to do a "sushi drive" to help fund their club.

[parkerlineage]

Those are some good points! I plan to do a little something or other at the "Fall Fling" bit in October to raise money. I'm just going to go very informal, in terms of gi and sparring equipment, or at least until I can get enough money or enough people interested in buying their own gi. I'm hoping to get some good bulk deals on equipment, anyway.

They do have some gymnastics mats, but no striking bags - I'm still not sure how I'm going to solve that problem, other than use one another's hands, which doesn't sound like much fun for kicking...

Thanks for your help!

[bushido_man96]

Could you borrow some stuff from your current instructor? Maybe he is looking to upgrade some equipment, and you could take some old stuff off his hands for a discount.

Also, maybe talk to the health/human performance department about adding in your class, or doing a case study, or something like that.

[parkerlineage]

Could you borrow some stuff from your current instructor? Maybe he is looking to upgrade some equipment, and you could take some old stuff off his hands for a discount.

I'd feel bad asking. If he offers to give me stuff, I'll take it, but otherwise...

Also, maybe talk to the health/human performance department about adding in your class, or doing a case study, or something like that.

Hm...I shall look into that...thank you.

[bushido_man96]

Could you borrow some stuff from your current instructor? Maybe he is looking to upgrade some equipment, and you could take some old stuff off his hands for a discount.

I'd feel bad asking. If he offers to give me stuff, I'll take it, but otherwise...

Also, maybe talk to the health/human performance department about adding in your class, or doing a case study, or something like that.

Hm...I shall look into that...thank you.

Anytime. As a college student, I have a total of 6 credit hours of martial arts on my transcript!!! I am so proud!

Incidentally, all of these MA classes were taken through the HHP department, and not an athletic dept. That is why I mention it. Come up with a pitch, like what it can do for the body, and how it fits in with healthy lifestyles and such. Then do some flexing for them...just kidding!

Good luck with this!

[parkerlineage]

I think the flexing may deter, but other than that, I'm going to give it a try first thing! Thanks for the idea.