Budgeting

Creating a budget should be one of your first steps, even before the event date is finalized. Templates from previous iterations can be helpful, but every year’s budget will need to reflect local needs and resources.

A useful strategy is to divide your budget into three categories:

1. Absolutely necessary

These are items that are essential for the event to function. Without them, Flip the Fair is not possible.

Poster-making supplies: You’ll need to provide materials so graduate student presenters can build their posters. This typically includes:
- Poster board
- Glue sticks
- Construction paper
- Markers, scissors, and tape (if not already owned by the presenters)

A smiling woman in glasses with brown skin tone stands in front of a handmade trifold poster made with colorful paper and drawings of bats, pangolin, and a human. She is wearing a bright green t-shirt that says flip the fair across the chest. — Blessy Antony presents her poster, "Viral Language: Teaching Computers the Viral Alphabet," at the 2025 Flip the Fair at Melrose Branch Library in Roanoke. Photo by Erin Smith for Virginia Tech.

Presenters may request additional simple supplies for their demonstration. Examples include sugar, hand sanitizer, and paper towels.

Food:
- Light snacks for the poster workshop
- Snacks or lunch for presenters for the event day itself. Teachers often convene in the break area and help themselves to snacks, so plan and budget accordingly — specific food ordering guidance is covered in a later section.

2. Would be great to have

These items aren't essential, but we have found that they significantly enhance the event and help with participation and energy:

Giveaway items for presenters (referred to informally as “prizes” but not in any official writing — calling something a prize may interfere with university student financial support)

T-shirts: For presenters, volunteers, and/or students as a memento of the event

Goodie bags for kids: Fun, kid-friendly, university-branded or STEM-themed items to hand out at the end of the event

Goodie bags for teachers: Similar to bags for kids, but with adults in mind

3. Costs borne by partners, grants, etc.

These are items that partners — such as school districts, libraries, or grant-funded programs — may be able to support or provide. Examples include student transportation (busing), book giveaways, and select items from the “Would be great to have” section above.

A parking lot featuring two large gray buses and one yellow school bus parked in front of a modern, sunflower yellow building with a metal sign that say "LIBRARY" — Flip the Fair 2025 school buses wait outside Melrose Branch Library in Roanoke. In 2025, the event was able to expand, inviting two more schools with the use of two charter buses, sponsored by the U.S. NSF COMPASS Center. Photo by Carrie Kroehler for Virginia Tech.

Sample minimum budget (~$500):

Poster supplies: ~$50–100 (buy locally at discount stores rather than online)
Snacks: ~$100 (buy in bulk at local warehouse or grocery stores)
Lunch: ~$300 (pizza or similar group-friendly option)

Seek funding or donations to cover “nice-to-have” items like t-shirts, canvas bags for teachers and graduate students, and simple swag giveaways if you want to elevate the experience.

BACK: Planning process

NEXT: Soliciting support

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