Fundraising
Details and documentation on how KSC raises the money to accomplish our goals.
Last updated
Details and documentation on how KSC raises the money to accomplish our goals.
Last updated
Knights Satellite Club primarily relies on fundraising for operating funds. Most of our fundraising comes in the form of tax-deductible donations made possible by our 501(c)(3) status. We also get significant support from the UCF Student Government. This page documents our fundraising process to provide guidance to KSC members and other relevant student groups.
FSGC has several , but two are particularly relevant to KSC. The offers financial support for projects, and the offers financial support for students traveling to present a paper or poster at a conference. FSGC funding is offered on a first come first serve basis so the sooner you apply the more likely FSGC will be able to accommodate your request. All requests must go through your institution's Sponsored Research Office so you need to work with faculty in order to apply for grants. If you think you qualify for an FSGC grant the best thing to do is contact the director, currently , and work with him to ensure you have the best chance at getting funding.
KSC is in the process of applying for this opportunity. More information will be published once completed.
KSC has yet to apply for this opportunity.
SG offers several avenues for Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) to receive funding for their activities. SG requires applicants to have undergone which explains the details for different types of funding. Overviews of the opportunities here will be provided but the training will go into detail on current procedures. All funding comes in two forms: allocations and bills. Allocations are dispersed by the relevant committee within SG and have specific limits on the amount of funding available. RSOs can only receive $4,500 (2024-2025) across all allocations each Fiscal Year. If an individual request exceeds twice the allocation limit, it might be advantageous to try for a bill. Bills have much higher limits but only cover 50% of the expenses (which is why they only make sense at 2x the allocation limit) and must be voted on by the SG Legislative Branch making them a much more arduous process.
KSC has yet to apply for this opportunity.
RSOs are eligible for funding to produce promotional items that are given away. FAO funded promotional item designs must include "Funded by SG" (or similar) and be approved. FAO funded promotional items must be available to all UCF students, not just club members, and should be relatively cheap; production of individual items that cost more than $15 require special justification. An RSO can receive up to $800 in FAO funding each Fiscal Year.
KSC has previously used CRT Allocations to support travel to the SmallSat Education conference.
RSOs are eligible for funding to support student travel. Different amounts of money are available depending on the event type. Each type may also have additional requirements or funding opportunities.
Research Presentation Trip
$1,500-$3,000
Observational Research Trip
$2,500
Competition Trip
$2,500
Seminar/Networking Trip
$1,500
Service Trip
$2,500
The process for applying and receiving CRT funds is roughly as follows:
Apply on KnightConnect
Wait for email from CRT Chair
Attend CRT Meeting and explain trip to the committee
Work with A&SF Office to coordinate funding and purchases
If all steps are completed correctly, the CRT Committee will likely approve your request unless they run out of funds. Apply sooner rather than later to allow time for any problems to be worked out and to ensure SG will still have the funding to support you.
Sponsorships from local and relevant businesses offer a very powerful fundraising avenue. Some larger businesses have a specific sponsorship process, but working with most smaller companies usually means knowing for finding out who to contact. Direct connections such as friends or family working for a business are great places to start. Some companies may be able to offer discounted goods or services with an in-kind sponsorship.
When reaching out to a company, explain why that specific company should sponsor you. This is especially effective for in-kind sponsorships from relevant companies, but all requests should be tailored. Be sure to mention the 501(c)(3) status and that KSC is a student-led organization. Explain briefly what KSC does and link to our website. Queries to general inboxes are less effective than messages to specific people. LinkedIn can be useful to find specific people in a company such as recruiters or public relations who might be able to help.
We are happy to report that Blue Origin has sponsored KSC in 2025!
If approved, fill out
Blue Origin provides annual sponsorships of $1,000 to $3,000 to support student engineering teams and projects. Blue also provides technical mentorship to the teams it partners with. Applications are by invitation only; reach out to for more information.