Mathematics Foundation Representative Information

About the Mathcamp Local Fundraising Program

This program is provided for those who arrange fundraising for MFOA/MFOC in their local communities, as described below. A student will be awarded a fundraising scholarship equal to the smaller of the following two amounts:

• The $2,995 fee for tuition, room, and board (less need-based scholarship), plus $425 for airfare and spending money, or
• 101% of the amount raised and sent in to the MFOA by the student's MFOA representative.

What does a Mathematics Foundation Representative Do?

As a Mathematics Foundation representative, you will act on behalf of the Mathematics Foundations of America or Canada (MFOA/MFOC) and the student for whom you are fundraising. Technically, you will be soliciting tax-deductible donations to MFOA or MFOC. The foundation will then use the money you raise (up to $US 3420 this year) to pay for the student's tuition, room, board, and transportation to Mathcamp, as described above.

You have flexibility in defining exactly how the plan is implemented, and delegating various parts to other volunteers if you wish. Naturally, the student him- or herself is expected to be closely involved with the process. However, as the beneficiary, he or she is not allowed to solicit donations from individuals.

Raising the money may not require as much effort as you think, and your reward will be the satisfaction of helping an outstanding student's career. Many of our students say that the summer they spent at Mathcamp inspired and empowered them in ways that lasted through college and beyond.

The Basic Procedure

Determine how much money needs to be raised

Mathcamp tuition is US$2995 for residential students, US$1995 for commuting students. The student will brief you on his or her financial situation and the tuition reduction expected. Do not forget to include the price of transportation to and from Colorado Springs, and some spending money ($US 100 is reasonable). Add 10% to the final amount to allow for people who cannot keep their pledges. If you are able to raise more money than the student needs, the remaining funds will be used by us to provide scholarships for other talented students.

Make a list of potential supporters

Tax-deductible donation requests:

• Personal contacts -- relatives, friends, and neighbors of the student's family
• Businesses where the student's parents and relatives are employed
• Corporations in your area that support literacy and education

Grant requests:

• Student's high school and the affiliated school district
• Student organizations in the student's school
• Math consultant or math superintendent at the school district
• Community service clubs, such as the Veterans League/Legion, American Legion, Optimists, Lions, Jaycees, Kiwanis, Rotary Club, and others you can think of in your area.

Last year, most personal donations ranged from $20 to $250. Larger donations generally come from local companies, especially the employers of parents. School organizations, as well as the school itself, contributed in many cases. Contributions from the school are especially likely in the case of extremely talented students.

Organize your presentations

Identify and group potential sponsors who would be open to a request by phone and those who would need a personal visit.

Familiarize yourself with the mission of the Mathematics Foundations (see the Mathematics Foundation Website) and the details of Canada/USA Mathcamp (see the camp brochure). For personal visits, you will want to take a copy of the brochure with you. You might also ask the student to prepare a short resume and a statement of how they expect to benefit from Mathcamp, which you can photocopy and give to potential sponsors.

Determine your approach with each sponsor. Consider what would be the most appropriate amount and type of donation to ask for: would they be more interested in helping with something specific like airfare, or would they rather give a general donation? Keep it simple: plan your request to be short and to the point. Here are some sample scripts, which you can vary to suit your needs:

The Personal Approach:

Hi [name of contact]! How are you? I am calling you on behalf of Emily Jones. Emily has qualified to attend Canada/USA Mathcamp 2002 in Colorado Springs, CO. She is one of only 100 students in North America who are eligible to go. It would be an incredible experience for her! She will be learning advanced mathematics from internationally known professors, and meeting other like-minded students from all over the US and Canada. Mathcamp has already given Emily a tuition reduction, and she has about $_________ so far towards the total costs involved. She needs another $________. I've been calling various people who know Emily to see if each of us can help in some small way. The nice thing is, because Mathcamp is a non-profit organization, your donation will also be tax-deductible for you. Do you think you can help Emily with a tax-deductible donation of $___________? Any amount is appreciated.

The Community Approach:

Hi! My name is [representative name]. I'm here on behalf of Jim Rodriguez, a student at [local high school] who excels at mathematics. Jim has qualified to attend Canada/USA Mathcamp 2002 in Colorado Springs, CO. He is one of only 100 students in North America to have this opportunity. Here is a brochure that can tell you more about Mathcamp. [Show Mathcamp brochure, highlight academic program and list of visiting lecturers.] It is an honor to have someone from our community be invited to attend a binational program like this! Mathcamp has already given Jim a tuition reduction, but he needs to raise an additional $_______ to cover tuition and travel expenses. One hears a lot these days about the importance of education, especially in math and science. This is a great opportunity to support mathematics education in our community. Any contribution you make will be tax-deductible.

The paperwork

Once a sponsor has committed to an amount, fill out the necessary information in the acknowledgement booklet. Give the sponsor their acknowledgement receipt and collect contributions (check only, made out to "Mathematics Foundation of America" or "Mathematics Foundation of Canada", not to Mathcamp ) on the same visit, if possible. A corporate contribution might involve a review procedure and may therefore take more than one visit to secure. In the case of grants, an official letter from the grantor indicating that the grant has been awarded and that payment to MFOA/MFOC will be forthcoming is sufficient.

MFOA/MFOC will issue an official tax receipt by mail to each donor. (In the US, a canceled check can be used in place of a tax receipt for contributions of $75 or less.)

After you are done with the fundraising...

Complete the Summary of checks collected page in the acknowledgement book(s). Mail all contributions and acknowledgement books (including blank ones) by registered or priority mail to:

Mathcamp 2002 Registration
Attn: Mary Pat Campbell
61 East 8th Street #143
New York, NY 10003

All contributions and acknowledgement books must be mailed by June 28, 2002. If additional contributions come in before July 7, the student can bring them to Colorado along with the remaining tuition to be paid by the parents.

Follow-up

Please give the student or students a copy of the names and addresses of all the sponsors, so that he or she can send them thank-you notes from camp.

Questions? Concerns? Contact us!

We have guided many people through the fundraising process and may be able to help you with specific pointers, advice, and support. Often, when a potential donor needs an extra little bit of convincing, a phone call from Mathcamp can be just the thing. Please feel free to call us at (519) 672-7990 between 1 pm and 5 pm EST; or send e-mail to [email protected].

The Mathematics Foundations of America and Canada are grateful to you for your participation in the effort to bring top-quality mathematics education to talented students all across America and Canada! On behalf of the student or students you have agreed to represent, we thank you for your time and commitment!