Does Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center donate to fundraisers?

The Discovery Center supports local nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax status and other approved organizations in their fundraising efforts.

Requests are only considered from organizations holding a raffle or auction, not for gifts or incentives for employees or students.

The standard donation is four complimentary admission passes, valued at $48.

Monetary gifts are not donated, and an organization can receive one donation per calendar year.

Not eligible: out-of-state organizations, middle schools and high schools, for-profit companies, and individuals and families.

Tips from the program page: Use the passes as a raffle or auction prize: that is the only use the Discovery Center considers. · Requests are reviewed by the Business Development department and processed when time permits, so submit well ahead of the two-month minimum if you can. · Not every request can be accommodated, even from eligible groups.

What Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center donates

Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center has typically donated: Four complimentary admission passes (valued at $48) for a raffle or auction.

Who can apply

Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center does not donate to individuals. Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center does not support events run for profit.

Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center limits donation requests by area: Fort Bend area and surrounding towns (no out-of-state organizations).

How to apply

Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center asks every request to include the following.

• Submit the online donation request at least two months before your event.
• Eligible groups include preschools, kindergartens, elementary schools and their PTAs; nonprofits in the Fort Bend area and surrounding towns that work with children; and organizations that closely complement the Discovery Center's mission.
• Other organizations may be considered case by case, with priority given to those that meet the criteria above.

What Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center will not fund

Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center states in its own published guidelines that it will not fund the following.

• Out of state organizations
• Middle schools and high schools
• For-profit companies
• Individuals and families
• Monetary gifts
• Gifts or incentives for employees or students

This covers only what Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center states. A request can still be turned down for reasons a company does not publish.

When to ask

Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center states a lead time of 2 months. Count back that far from your event date and send the request no later than then.

Across more than 25,000 fundraising events in our own records over fifteen years, March, April and May are the busiest months for fundraisers, October is the next busiest, and July and December are the quietest.

Work backwards from your event rather than forwards from today, and if your event falls in the spring peak, ask earlier than the stated lead time rather than later.

Common questions

Can a school, team, or individual apply to Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center?

Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center states that it will not fund: Out of state organizations; Middle schools and high schools; For-profit companies; Individuals and families; Monetary gifts; Gifts or incentives for employees or students. Check your organization and your event against that list before you apply — those are the restrictions Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center publishes itself.

How far ahead should we ask Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center for a donation?

Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center's stated lead time is 2 months. Work backwards from your event date: count back that far from the day of the event and send your request before that point.