BoosterHub

How Can Our Booster Club Use Photos and Photography to Raise Funds?

A picture is worth a thousand words. When leveraged properly, it can also be worth hundreds of dollars in support for your booster club. During the Boosted Volunteer Podcast, Founder and CEO of BoosterHub Robin Eissler sits down with industry experts to provide practical tips that will give your club’s productivity a boost.

On the episode The Art of Sports Photography, Eissler chatted with Haim Ariav, the founder of Glossy Finish. The youth sports photography powerhouse is changing the game with its innovative approach to athletic imagery. Here’s a glimpse into the conversation.

Photos and Fundraising: A Winning Formula

For decades, sports teams and student-athletes have participated in group and individual photo sessions. However, most booster clubs fail to tap into this revenue-generating trend.

The typical youth athlete photo process goes something like this:

Athletic Directors will hire a photographer or coordinate with the school’s photography teacher (if they have one)
The team will schedule group and individual athlete photos
Parents purchase photo packs
Fund collection is disorganized and unfocused

The big problem with this formula is the lack of consistency across teams. Photo quality and format will vary depending on who takes the photographs and what sort of presentation strategy is used. Pricing can vary greatly, too, which may lead to frustration among parents.

By centralizing the photography process, your booster club can create a better experience for parents and athletes while also raising more funds. Here’s what Ariav recommends:

Meet With the AD

First off, your booster club needs to meet with the athletic director. Let them know that the club would like to take on the responsibility of organizing team and athlete photographs for all of the school’s organizations. The AD will likely be relieved to pass this task on to the club.

Connect With Skilled Photographers

Next, you’ll need to find a skilled photographer in your area. Carefully vet the photographer candidates, ensuring they have the skills and equipment necessary to accommodate your needs. Look for competitive prices and choose the person who is the best match for your school.

Schedule Events

Now, you are ready to book photo sessions with student-athletes. Coordinate with coaches and school faculty so that photo sessions are minimally disruptive. Make sure you keep parents in the loop, too, so they can encourage relatives to purchase photo packages.

Compile Photo Books and Banners

Finally, put those great photos to use. Don’t stop with family photo packages. Use photography content to compose team photo books (memory books for athletes), banners for the school’s pep rallies, and other visual content.

Expanding Your Fundraising Horizons With Photography

In order to do the most good, your booster club needs to generate as much revenue as possible. Photography sessions and selling personalized merchandise to the families of student-athletes are a few excellent ways to generate more funds for the club. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start making moves to grow your club!

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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: