BoosterHub

Is There a Good Option for Team Fundraising that Doesn’t Have High Fees?

Have you been looking for an easy team fundraising strategy that does not involve exorbitant fees or huge start-up costs? If so, then your booster club may want to consider hosting an online fundraiser.

That’s right, you can generate revenue for your school’s sports teams and clubs entirely online. Let’s take a closer look at how online fundraisers work and why athletic booster clubs love this money-earning technique.

How Do Online Fundraisers Work?

There are several different ways to set up an online fundraiser. The most common approach involves adding a donation form to your existing website or creating a dedicated donor page. When donors go to the page or access the form, they can input an amount and provide payment information.

That’s it. Within seconds, the payment will process and the funds will be deposited into the club’s fundraiser account.

Alternatively, you can arrange an online fundraiser that functions like a traditional raffle. You can sell digital tickets and announce the winner via email. This tactic eliminates the hassle of collecting cash payments and passing out paper tickets. It also gamifies the fundraising process, as raffling off prizes taps into the competitive nature of your donors.

Benefits of Online Fundraisers

Online fundraisers have become a go-to revenue-generating method among athletic booster clubs. This should come as no surprise; online fundraisers offer a multitude of benefits, including the following:

Fundraisers Are Easy to Set Up

You can set up an online fundraiser in minutes. All you have to do is create an account of the fundraising platform you have chosen, provide some basic information about your organization, and build your page.

Once you have created your fundraiser, you can begin sharing the link via email and social media. Make sure to encourage your volunteers, club members, and student athletes to do the same. The more shares you get, the broader your reach.

Fees Are Low (Usually)

Generally, online fundraiser fees are pretty low. Unfortunately, there are exceptions. A handful of popular fundraising platforms charge anywhere from 20–40% in fees.

With that in mind, make sure to watch your game film and do plenty of research before choosing a fundraising platform. The best platforms charge minimum fees so more of the funds you raise can be allocated to the athletes.

Funds Are Available Immediately

In most cases, you can access funds immediately. However, some platforms will make you wait until you conclude your fundraiser before you can withdraw funds.

Review each platform’s rules closely before signing up. Ideally, you want to use a platform that gives you total control over when and how you withdraw the money you raise.

How to Win at Online Fundraising

As you can see, online fundraising is an excellent method of generating revenue for the groups and teams you support. To make sure your online campaign is a huge success, you need the right platform.

Speaking of the right platform, the leading booster club management solution is adding online fundraising to its broad set of features! That’s right, now you can manage accounting, payments, schedules, and your digital fundraising campaign all from one location.

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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: