Scoring donations for your booster club can feel a bit like building a championship team. After all, you need a mix of superstars and consistent contributors to reach your fundraising goals and make next season a huge success. Who, then, should you reach out to, and how can you find businesses that will support your student-athletes? 

Here are a few tips for finding companies that donate to booster clubs:

Offer Incentives

Before you start looking for donors, consider why someone would want to give to your booster club in the first place. While some entrepreneurs will just want to support the home team, others may need a little more motivation. 

The good news is that there are plenty of ways to incentivize donations. Start by highlighting that donations can be tax deductible, and inform business owners that you will gladly provide them with a receipt. 

You might also offer tiered rewards, where a certain donation amount will earn their logo a spot on the team T-shirt or stadium banners.

Start With Your Home Court

Local businesses are often eager to support community teams. In fact, chances are high that they have ties to at least one student-athlete and would, therefore, be happy to contribute to the season. Try stopping by in person or sending local business owners a quick message on social media to gauge their interest. 

If you find someone who wants to learn more, give them a play-by-play of how they can help. Give them options that mention the big and small ways they can support the team, such as sponsoring a huge event or even just donating a few cases of water. 

Follow Up

A little follow-up can go a long way in winning the support of donors. While you don’t want to be pushy, it’s okay to give people a gentle nudge if you don’t hear back. Wait a few days and reach out via text, phone call, or social media message. Business owners are, of course, very busy, and it’s possible for them to simply forget. 

Consider how well you know each business owner when deciding how to follow up. If you or one of the athletes has a strong connection to the business owner, a personalized follow-up like an in-person visit or phone call might be the best approach. If you don’t know the person that well, consider a text or an email. 

Think Big

After you’ve made your rounds with local businesses, shift your attention to major corporations. While it might seem outside the realm of possibility, companies like Walmart and Target often have community grant programs that store operators often use to invest in local businesses. If you can land one of these, it’s like hitting a grand slam! 

Make a list of large businesses and chains in your area. Do a little homework to identify which corporations have sponsorship and donation programs. Then, identify any programs your booster club may be eligible for.

The downside to these programs is that they often have strict application deadlines. The good news is that you can obtain a large amount of funding from corporate donors and can apply every year. 

You’ve Got Donors … Now What? 

Racking up a few business donors is a big win for your booster club. Now, you need a platform that will help you keep up with all of those donations. Identify a user-friendly solution that handles fundraising, payments, and other such tasks. With the right tools, you can accurately track incoming funds and make sure that money goes where it should: to the students.