BoosterHub

Starting a booster club can feel a lot like trying out for the varsity team as a true freshman. You’ll be full of nervous energy, anxiety, and even a bit of excitement. The biggest challenge is simple: you don’t know what you don’t know. It’s hard to pick a sound starting point if you know nothing about booster clubs or fundraising.

The good news, though, is that starting a club is easier than you might expect. This is especially true when you follow the following four simple rules:

Incorporate

First and foremost, you’ll need to incorporate your club. Don’t try to raise money without having a place to put it.

When forming a corporation, you are formally registering your club with the state. Incorporating it also gives you the ability to apply for a 501(c)(3) designation. This means you won’t have to pay federal income taxes on charitable donations.

Incorporating a booster club can be complicated. Luckily, there are organizations out there like Parent Booster USA. They handle everything from incorporating your club to registering it as a 501(c)(3) exempt organization.

Set General Rules

During the incorporation process, you’ll need to establish formal rules, known as bylaws. Your bylaws provide a framework for everything from managing volunteers to electing board members. You need to be very detailed in your bylaws so that everyone knows what your club is about, how it operates, and what its mission is.

After you’ve got your bylaws in place and have completed the incorporation process, you need to elect or appoint board members. The board will function as the decision-making body for the booster club. You can also accept general members, but you’ll need to create a process for that as well, such as by paying membership dues.

Budget

After you’ve begun raising funds, you’ll need to track every dollar and create a concrete budget. A detailed budget will keep your club on the right trajectory and allow you to help as many students as possible.

When logging expenses, make sure that you are as specific as possible. Categorize your expenses by type, such as by supplies for concession stands and insurance. You want to know where your money is being spent so that you can identify any waste and maximize overall efficiency.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Running a booster club can be a hectic process. Therefore, you and the other board members must communicate consistently.

Share information with one another over an agreed-upon channel, like email or dedicated booster club software. Make sure you keep donors and parents in the loop, too. After all, they are the backbone of your club and deserve to be treated as such.

Create a Game Plan and Execute

If you want to start a booster club, don’t let your fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. Develop a plan, partner with trusted entities to help you navigate the incorporation process, and take decisive action.

In doing so, you’ll be able to deliver valuable support to your school. Most importantly, it will also allow you to help the student-athletes who work so hard to perform on game day.

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Ways to Fundraise for a Booster Club

Fundraising is perhaps one of the most important functions of your booster club. However, it can be tough to build momentum, especially if you are new to fundraising as a whole. You can also get stuck in a rut and feel like you are running the same two or three events on repeat. That’s when it’s important to mix things up to keep club members and donors engaged, ensuring a steady stream of support for your student-athletes. With that in mind, here are a few ways to raise more money for the student-athletes you support:

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Non-Profit Donation Receipt

Whenever someone donates to your club, you must ensure that you send them a clear receipt so they can take advantage of their tax deduction. These receipts are your club’s way of saying, “Thanks for being on the team,” and they’re essential for keeping records organized. Providing a timely and well-documented receipt also makes your club appear professional and organized. In turn, you’ll be able to more easily build trust with donors and encourage them to give again in the future. After all, donors need to be confident that you’re acknowledging and managing their contributions properly. On that note, here are a few tips to help you create compliant receipts:

Booster Club Best Practices

Booster Club Rules

You certainly wouldn’t sign up for a sports league without knowing the rules of the game, so why would you attempt to run a booster club without a clear set of guidelines? In a booster club, the rules take the form of bylaws, which are policies and procedures that are vital in keeping everyone on the same page, helping to avoid misunderstandings, and ensuring that each member understands their part in supporting the club’s mission. In some cases, these bylaws will spell out who can and can’t be members, as well as who is eligible to serve on the board. Some states even have standardized playbooks that you need to follow. The University Interscholastic League (UIL) in Texas, for instance, has a playbook of its own, covering specific bylaws for booster clubs that support school programs. In any case, here are some tips for ensuring everyone in your booster club plays by the rules so you can have a productive year: