Just nine months after launch, BoosterHub software sprinted past the $1 million threshold in gross merchandise volume (GMV). Our software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution provides booster clubs with the integrated tools they need to increase sales, manage events, streamline planning processes, keep parents in the loop, and deliver for their student athletes.

According to Statista, credit and debit cards remain the most popular payment options among Americans. Four out of ten Americans consider credit cards the go-to payment method. 31% prefer to use their debit cards, 12% prefer paying with a digital wallet, and just 12% prefer cash. The bottom line is that your booster club needs to accept credit cards if you want to accommodate the preferences of today’s consumers. However, adding credit card payment processing to your booster club workflows can feel more challenging than beating your alma mater’s rival in the regional championships. Never fear — this guide from BoosterHub will help you start accepting credit cards like a big-time retailer.

Charms, one of the most popular marching band management tools in the country, is officially stepping off the field in 2024. Program management company CutTime, which acquired the Charms system in 2023, is discontinuing the service and moving everyone over to its proprietary platform. While you could stick around and see how CutTime works out for you, you’ll have to learn an all-new system and ride the wave as the developer figures out the bugs — which is notoriously difficult to do when you receive a flood of new users. And dealing with a finicky platform that doesn’t work right is the last way you want to spend your next marching band season. Let’s take a closer look at why you probably shouldn’t try to navigate the CutTime transition. We’ll then explore a top alternative that can make managing your marching band effortless.

Are donations to a booster club tax deductible? Well, yes and no. For those of you interacting with booster clubs in the past, the rules may have changed since you last visited the topic on your tax return. In the past, donations to a booster club with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation entitled you to a write-off on your tax return equal to 80% of the monetary value of your donation, even if goods or services were received. For example, if you donated $10,000 to a booster club in exchange for great seats at a football game, you may only be able to write off $8,000 on your tax return.

Fundraising is a critical part of booster clubs, and it can be a challenge for many organizations. It can be hard to get parents and students involved, and not every fundraiser may be as successful as you want it to be. That’s the bad news first. The good news is that there are easy-to-use tools available to do all the heavy lifting of fundraising for you—all integrated into your booster club software. And a successful fundraiser can set your club up to support your students for the entire year! An easy way to change up your normal fundraiser routine is to switch to an online format. Online fundraisers can be much less work for volunteers and are a quick way to raise funds. With today’s trends, more and more people are familiar with, and prefer to use, online fundraising. Going door to door is a thing of the past, as are fundraisers requiring delivery, warehousing, and driving of products around!

For decades, athletic booster clubs (ABCs) have worked to raise funds for athletic teams and fine arts groups across the nation. Traditionally, one athletic booster club will serve all athletes at a school, regardless of the sport. However, in recent years, a new trend has begun to emerge. Several schools have broken away from the centralized ABC fundraising model and now form separate booster clubs for each activity or athletic endeavor. While having a centralized booster club for an entire campus certainly has advantages, the more modern approach also has its appeal. Let’s examine the pros and cons of the classic approach and highlight why the new school model is gaining traction on campuses nationwide

No one goes to a sporting event for their child and wants to deal with the money side of the sports program. We want to watch the game! We want to cheer for our child! However, a thriving booster club relies on effective fundraising. It’s that simple. If the money side of the booster club is well-managed and successful, the members of the booster club can spend more of their time cheering on their children from the stands! It is essential that your club use the correct tools to manage your booster club accounting and finances in order to have a strong financial backbone and a long future in support of your club. Booster club accounting software allows you to tap into a wealth of resources that will help your booster club grow, prosper, and thrive. Here’s what you need to know about the best practices for booster club accounting!

One critical part of your booster club’s success is maximizing the size of your audience for fundraising. A great way to do this is by leveraging club alumni. Alumni are a valuable resource for your club. Most booster clubs do not utilize alumni effectively, so you are not alone in learning about how to tap into this resource. Alumni are a unique resource for your club because they are a defined audience already familiar with what you are doing and passionate about your activity. They feel an extremely close connection with your club up until the point they graduate, and then that feeling gradually fades as they move on to other activities and experiences. This happens naturally if that connection is not actively maintained. However, there is no need for the connection to fade quickly or completely. In fact, most alumni would love to maintain a strong sense of connection with their high school team! Give them that opportunity. Foster a sense of belonging with your alumni group, and they will happily maintain their connection with the team for many years to come. You should make a point to not only communicate with alumni but seek their support and even lean on them for booster club fundraiser ideas. Here are a few ways you can make the most of your alumni network:

Chances are high that you’ve at least heard about booster clubs. They’ve been around for years and are a vital part of the high school sports ecosystem. The question is, what do booster clubs actually do? And more importantly, who do they support, and what are they allowed to spend money on? If you’re thinking about starting a booster club or just have questions about these important fundraising organizations, this introductory guide is just what you’ve been looking for. Join us as we explore booster club basics.

When running a booster club, it can be difficult to set up a regular channel of communication between members. Booster clubs are run by volunteers who turn over sometimes yearly. Parents and students move in and out of activities and sports due to changes in interests, sports injuries, family moves, and a whole host of other reasons. It can feel like herding cats, trying to manage who is doing what and who is involved or isn’t involved. People often get busy, and connectivity can fall by the wayside. To ensure that your booster club community remains engaged, follow these important tips:

Booster clubs are filled with dedicated parents who want the best for their kids, but few have fundraising training or experience. Many booster club fundraising ideas may seem like they’ll work, but it's critical to pick a project that your group is passionate about.

Booster clubs are wonderful organizations, often supported by dedicated parents. However, most members do not have fundraising experience and most members do not know which type of fundraiser to choose and how to run a fundraiser. It’s not easy to come up with fun and engaging booster club fundraising ideas. Even if an idea seems like a good one in theory, it can be difficult and expensive to organize. Some fundraising partners and platforms charge as much as 40% of the proceeds. In addition, busy parents often don’t have the time required to organize a large event, or even attend one. In addition, many fundraisers require time to set up, purchase products ahead of time, store products, and even deliver products over some period of time after the event. For these reasons, it’s critical that you think carefully about the best ways to maximize engagement and boost attendance without overburdening your hard-working volunteers. Here are a few ideas for booster club fundraising.

Did you just get chosen to start a booster club? If so, you might have even been unofficially selected as the club’s inaugural president. Talk about feeling the pressure.At this point in the journey, you are probably feeling a bit overwhelmed with ideas and are being pulled in a million different directions. The question is, what should you do first? When you’re starting a booster club, one of the first things you will need to do is come up with a name for your club. Here are some practical tips for choosing a memorable, practical, and engaging name.

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:

In today’s digital world, you use computers and software for everything from shopping to communicating to working. Have you ever considered software for your booster club? Booster club software can simplify your life, free up more time for fundraising, and make your organization run more efficiently.

Booster club alumni are a goldmine for fundraising. However, you’ll need to get creative if you want to tap into this invaluable resource and generate vital revenue for your student-athletes. One great way of mobilizing your donors is to create multiple booster club sponsorship levels. 

Congratulations! You’ve been elected as an officer for your booster club! Uh oh, what do you do now? This fear and uncertainty is very common. You are not alone. Booster club leadership turns over yearly for most booster clubs. This brings the unique challenge of having frequent changes in leadership, and it is a problem for continuity of the club and the transfer of knowledge from one term to the next. Managing a booster club and ensuring its success can be a difficult task. However, the reward that comes from seeing the beneficiaries of the club flourish is hard to beat.

In today’s world, it is essential to have a website in order to promote your club, share information, and serve as a base of connection for members and the public regarding your club activity. Starting a website for booster clubs is a great idea, but not all websites are equal, and not all websites are functional in the way current users need. If your website still has an old-fashioned, early 2000’s feel to it, it may be time to update it. The number one idea to keep in mind with website design is to think of the purpose of your website. For example, is it to advertise your club to the public? Is it to communicate practice and game times to your students? Is it to raise money from your families? Is it to showcase the accomplishments of the team or of individual students? Is it to serve as a record of club activity? Is it to drive traffic to your social media? Or drive traffic to your online store? Each one of these, and others as well, may be reasons, or may have been reasons in the past, for various choices you made about your website. Are those choices still relevant to your club today? Are those choices still relevant in today’s technology world? If you take the steps to create a website, you should also make sure that a member of the club has time to dedicate to it. A lot of booster clubs put up a website but fail to update it, which can ultimately hurt your organization. Here are a few booster club website best practices.

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:

BoosterHub, a software app for high school booster clubs, has appointed Aidan Gildea as their new Sales Account Manager. With a background in fostering client relationships and experience in managing club lacrosse programs, Gildea is set to make a significant impact on the BoosterHub team. The company expects to double in size in 2025.

In an October 2022 press release, Yahoo! Finance recognized BoosterHub as the #1 booster club software in this emerging industry. Since it launched, BoosterHub has experienced championship-level growth. In just nine months, BoosterHub surpassed the $1 million gross merchandise volume threshold. Since then, we have grown to hundreds of high school booster clubs almost 40 states. BoosterHub’s overnight success speaks to the fact that the dynamic platform fills a long-standing void in the school booster club space. BoosterHub now has more than 10,000 members and has facilitated over 250,000 transactions. Our platform has an incredibly low single-digit churn rate, which is undoubtedly due to the fact that our customers are extremely satisfied with the product.

Whether your booster club is part of an affluent community in a major metropolitan area or operates in a smaller, tight-knit neighborhood, raising more revenue is undoubtedly one of your top goals this coming year. The question is “how?” You are probably already using the usual tactics like operating concession stands during games and encouraging student athletes to reach out to loved ones for donations. These tried-and-true strategies can certainly help bring in some revenue. However, they are most effective when raising funds for larger teams, not smaller clubs. Fortunately, there are a few ways to give your revenue a boost and help young athletes get funding for the sports or music programs they love. If you want to raise more money for your booster club, follow these suggestions.

Since the 1980s, Broadneck Music Boosters booster club has supported the award-winning music programs at Broadneck High School—the designated performing arts magnet school for their county. The parent-run non-profit raises funds and coordinates resources for extracurricular music activities that fall outside the public school system's curriculum funding.

Congratulations! You find yourself in charge of a booster club. What to do now? And is what you’re trying to do even legally organized under the rules of your state? Whether you are just starting a booster club or have been managing one for some time, you should know the difference between non-profit status and 501(c)(3) status. Both have different qualifications, requirements, and benefits that booster club members should be aware of. Both have pros and cons that are important to weigh as you proceed with managing your club.

Well, yes, you can. But digging a bit deeper, is it something you should or should not do? Setting up a Venmo account for a booster club can seem like an easy way to simplify your club accounting. It’s digital, it’s easy, and almost everyone knows how to use it. Apps like Venmo can be an attractive alternative to cash and are more traceable and less susceptible to fraud or mismanagement. However, using a personal Venmo account to conduct booster club business may have unintended consequences. Read on to learn more about the implications of using Venmo or other cash apps.

Volunteering to join your child’s booster club is a wonderful benefit not only to your child, but also to all of the students involved in the club’s activities. You are giving of yourself to help others, and we salute you for doing so. Although the purpose of running a booster club is to support the sports team or music program to be successful, all of us volunteers hope that our time involved with the club will also be personally enjoyable. Booster clubs can be fun, and they’re a great way to support your students and make new friends. However, like any organization, sometimes the daily operations or coordination of events can be frustrating. That is understandable, and it is very common across all booster clubs, across all states. However, there are some things you can do to address these frustrations. Let’s look a little more closely at common booster club frustrations and how to solve them.

When running a booster club, it can be difficult to manage all facets of the organization. Running a high school booster club is almost like running a small business. The president of the club is responsible for managing events, organizing fundraisers, and ensuring that the organization operates efficiently and effectively. In addition to this the president has his/her own day job and wants to be around to cheer on his/her child as well! So what are the most frequent mistakes that booster club presidents make? If you manage a booster club, these are the things to avoid!

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:

The Boosted Volunteer Podcast is a wealth of information on how to make your booster club safer and more productive. In a recent episode, we sat down with Jon Bonnell, owner of Bonnell’s Restaurant Group. Bonnell shared some great tips on keeping food safe and making more money while running concession stands.

For years, Charms has been the go-to marching band management tool for band directors across the country. However, Charms is discontinuing service in 2024. If you rely on Charms to power your marching band, you need to find a viable replacement fast. Enter BoosterHub, the all-in-one booster club management solution that not only replaces Charms but offers a huge upgrade as well. Here’s everything you need to know.

Like any booster club all-star, you want to make sure you have your “i’s” dotted and your “t’s” crossed before you start selling food at your concession stand. As you gear up for the rapidly approaching season, and start to think about food preparation, food safety, rubber gloves, cleaning supplies, and other concession issues you may not have considered before, you may have found yourself wondering, “Do we need food service licenses to run a concession stand?” To help you adhere to local and county regulations, let’s explore some general guidelines regarding concession stand licensing requirements.

When managing a booster club, one of your top goals is generating as much revenue as possible for the athletic team or fine arts group you are supporting. One way you can maximize your revenue is by taking advantage of any price breaks and tax exemptions offered in your state. This brings us to the topic at hand: booster clubs and sales tax. Sales tax is a fee imposed by state governments on transactions involving services or goods. Because these fees are primarily imposed at the state and not the federal level, tax percentages vary from state to state. So does your booster club have to collect sales tax? Let’s explore.

It’s easy to crunch numbers when you are calculating your favorite student athlete’s RBI or rebound average for the season. If you have been part of your booster club for a while, you can probably run through these formulas with your eyes closed. But when it comes to taxes, you undoubtedly have some questions. This is understandable — your booster club has to adhere to both state and federal tax laws, which can make things a bit confusing. Figuring out whether you need to collect sales tax can be particularly tricky, as some items are tax-exempt and others are not.

A concession stand is one of the most effective ways for your booster club to raise money for sports teams. However, if you have never run a concession stand before, you undoubtedly have tons of questions about it. Running a successful concession stand is not quite as simple as it may appear. In order to do so, you need to familiarize yourself with food service requirements, explore state tax laws, and much more. The good news is that there are great resources to jumpstart your efforts. In addition to creating this beginner’s guide, the team at BoosterHub frequently tackles important concession-related topics. In this post, we take a deep dive into food service licensing requirements for concession stands. Whether you are already running a successful concession stand or have recently taken over these responsibilities for your booster club, this playbook will help you comply with state and local guidelines.

Booster club fundraising is a fun and exciting process, especially once you build some momentum. However, you need to make every dollar count so you can do the most good for the students. After all, that’s what it’s all about. To maximize your resources, you’ll need a solid budget. The team at BoosterHub has created this budget example that you can use as inspiration for managing your finances.

As a leader of a booster sports club, you’re dedicated to enhancing the experience for athletes, parents, and fans alike. But let’s face it—managing membership dues and transactions can be a daunting task. This is where BoosterHub steps in to transform the way you handle contacts, schedules, merchandise and payments, making your life easier while ensuring a seamless experience for everyone involved. In this blog, we are taking a closer look at BoosterHub payments.

When managing a booster club, one of the most important things you’ll need to do is establish clear guidelines for joining the organization. You can’t admit new members on a case-by-case basis. Instead, you need clear guidelines explaining who can join, how they become a member, and what you expect of club members. Here are some common approaches to establishing booster club membership guidelines so you can decide what’s best for your organization.

So you’ve established a booster club, obtained a 501(c)(3) exemption, and are ready to start fundraising. Thus far, you’ve relied mostly on parents to generate funds for the club, which has gotten you off to a great start. However, parents can only give so much, and you’ve got big aspirations for your club. Thousands of booster clubs have found themselves at this very crossroads. The natural solution is to find a few MVP donors who can make large one-time (or recurring) contributions to your club and the athletes it supports. The question is, where do you find these five-star donor recruits? Here are a few tips to help push your fundraising efforts over the goal line once and for all.

In the latest episode of The Boosted Volunteer podcast, Robin Eissler sat down with Jennifer Martin, the booster club president for the New Braunfels Marching Unicorns. Martin has an extensive background in event organizing and has served on the New Braunfels Marching Unicorns’ booster club board for several years. She recently stepped into the role of president after thriving as the treasurer. In this podcast recap, you’ll gain a glimpse into the conversation between Eissler and Martin. You can use these insights to improve your club’s fundraising capabilities and garner newfound support from your donors.

BoosterHub’s all-in-one platform transforms GHS Lady Eagles Volleyball Club’s membership management, fundraising, and communications to help them elevate their game and achieve their goals.

Picture this scenario. At the start of the year, you contacted your athletic booster club officers to start preparing your previous year’s tax documents. However, you quickly realized that the accounting information you needed was scattered across dozens of spreadsheets and stored in a variety of locations. The previous treasurer had some information on a thumb drive. Someone had a spreadsheet somewhere. There was a previous software service that no one has the login for. And some of the data from previous years is even in a three-ring binder! Does this scenario sound all too familiar? If so, it’s time to ditch your spreadsheet-based accounting strategy for a more modern approach.

Do you want to make 2024 your most successful fundraising year yet? If so, here are seven tips you can use to raise more money for your booster club.

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.

There’s no doubt about it — running a booster club takes a lot of effort from dedicated volunteers. When booster club parents become disengaged, it can bring the organization to a screeching halt. It can be a lot to ask of parents to take time out of their busy days to volunteer, and sometimes there will simply be lulls where volunteers are in short supply. If your current practices aren’t working to increase engagement, you may have to change up your strategy and think outside of the box. Here are a few ways you can encourage booster club engagement and get your volunteer numbers up.

While booster clubs are almost always made up of honest individuals who are genuinely trying to help support kids and their schools, unfortunately there are exceptions. A well-run organization, no matter what size, should have fraud and theft preventative measures in place. Here are a few ways you can help prevent fraud and theft in your booster club:

To execute a fundraising event, you first need to determine your goals and how you’ll get there. Will you sell things or hold a raffle or silent auction?

Concession stands are one of the most popular booster club fundraising events and often the easiest to execute. Your members are already watching their children, so you have a ready customer base at every meet, game, or competition. Knowing how to start your booster club concession stand, including proper hygiene, money collection, and the right food and beverage items, can make your fundraising successful.

Starting a booster club is a great way of raising funds for scholastic sports and supporting student-athletes. However, launching your own booster club can be daunting, especially if you are new to the world of sports fundraising. Fortunately, there are a few simple steps that you can follow to make the process manageable and even fun. When forming a booster club, you’ll need to:

When it comes to athletic fundraiser ideas, concession stands remain one of the most effective ways to raise money. The margins on concessions are generally good, and with smart operations, your club can raise the money necessary to fund your athletic program. If you recently took over the concession stand, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The key is to get organized and work to maximize efficiency rather than just getting by. Here are a few tips to make your concession stand successful:

There is no secret formula that guarantees success when forming booster clubs and electing officers. However, strong leadership and administration have a significant impact on whether your booster club achieves its goals and objectives.

Congratulations on your recent election to Booster Club Secretary! While each club may assign responsibilities differently, for the most part, booster club secretary duties are fairly consistent across the board and ideal for someone with precise attention to detail and good organizational skills.

Congrats, Treasurer MVP! Becoming the treasurer of your booster club is an exciting and significant opportunity, and it’s one you should relish! However, it’s important to recognize that it’s also a position that leaves you with a big to-do list. Now that you’re officially playing the (financial) field, here are the steps that need to be in your playbook to ensure you start strong:

During episode four of BoosterHub’s The Boosted Volunteer podcast, the team sat down with Kerri McDonald, a chartered property casualty underwriter (CPCU) from RV Nucio and Associates. McDonald shared some excellent insights based on her extensive experience managing liability and risk for nonprofits. The bottom line is that your booster club needs insurance to protect itself from the inevitable risks associated with fundraising, working with volunteers, and collecting large amounts of cash. Here are the highlights of this insightful episode.

With limited resources, booster club fundraising can be a real challenge for some organizations. Organizing a fundraiser takes time, volunteers, and money. Oftentimes, the easiest way for clubs to organize an event is through a platform that comes along with fees. Some platforms charge as much as 25-40% in fees. If your club is paying this much, it may not be worth all of the effort that you put into the fundraiser in the first place. Paying these high fees is not your only option. There are lots of ways that you can raise money without giving away a significant amount of your proceeds.

Finding effective ways to communicate with donors and members is a problem as old as your school’s rivalry with the neighboring high school football team. And just like that generation-spanning rivalry, you never seem to be able to maintain the upper hand for long. During your time as an athletic booster club member, you’ve probably tried a variety of communication techniques, from phone calls to flyers and even email. If that’s the case, you know that none of these strategies are especially effective for relaying information to your membership. While you’ve probably considered using SMS messaging to talk to donors and booster club members, you may be hesitant to make yet another change to your communication strategy. But trust us — SMS messaging is the way to go. With the right SMS messaging tools in place, you can effortlessly share information, keep parents in the loop about upcoming events, and make 2023 your most productive fundraising year ever.

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.

Traditionally, band software has been purchased by the school district or band director. In some instances, the district expects the band director to use generic education software that isn’t made for managing band activities or tracking instruments. Purchasing band software is one of the many responsibilities that has been passed on to the booster club. If your booster club is on the hunt for new band software for the 2024–2025 school year, it’s time to start searching now. Even if your club hasn’t been tasked with this responsibility, you should take a proactive approach. Doing so can make life a whole lot easier for the band director and their young musicians.

Marching band accounting is known for being complex and convoluted. The good news, though, is that you don’t have to maintain this status quo. To improve the process, all you need to do is implement some tried-and-true best practices and upgrade your payment processing software. Specifically, you should consider the following best practices:

When running a booster club, it’s important to ensure that booster club parents, members, and volunteers are all engaged in the organization's success. A booster club that isn’t properly organized can easily fall flat, leading to disappointed children, teenagers, and parents. ‍If you find that your booster club isn’t meeting goals and members lack interest, take these steps to get your group back on track.

Traditional booster club fundraising strategies like hosting a banquet dinner, organizing a raffle, or producing customer merchandise are highly effective at generating revenue. The problem is that planning these events takes time, resources, and money. If your booster club needs a quick injection of cash to cover an unexpected student need, you’ll have to turn to a non-traditional fundraising strategy. When time is of the essence, online peer-to-peer fundraisers come in clutch to save the day.

The New Braunfels High School Band Booster, located in New Braunfels, Texas, is a dedicated support organization for the high school's band program. As a 6A high school, the band competes at the highest level among Texas schools to ensure band members receive top-tier opportunities. This past year the program boasted a membership of approximately 270 students who participated in the marching season and concert season in the spring. Under the leadership of Jennifer Martin, the current president, the booster club manages a substantial budget of about $500,000 for this year's activities. This budget covers all program expenses not funded by the district, including band and meal fees to ensure operations are efficient and responsive to our members' needs.

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:

The key to successful booster club fundraisers is encouraging participation and having fun. One of the easiest ways to do this is with a 50/50 game at fundraisers. 50/50 games incentivize supporters to donate by offering a prize and also help the organization meet its fundraising goals. While it seems like a harmless activity, 50/50 games are often considered gambling, which can come along with a whole host of rules for your event. Your booster club responsibilities include ensuring that all activities are permitted under the laws of your state, so it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the rules around gambling.

While booster clubs enjoy some tax benefits, that doesn’t mean they are immune from filing paperwork with the IRS. Between fundraising, managing day-to-day operations, and keeping track of expenses, it can be easy to forget about other booster club and tax requirements. Here’s what to do if you forgot to file and how you can avoid it in the future:

There’s a lot to like about Charms Office Assistant. This program has been a music program stalwart and can help schools and boosters communicate with students, manage assessment data, and collect payments. We get the appeal of using Charms to support your band’s billing activities — the system is already in place, and you can collect payments from students and parents all in one platform. However, Charms wasn’t really designed for booster clubs. It was really designed to be used by the school or music director. Most booster clubs are non-profits. The activities and best practices are different. For instance, non-profits can not fundraise for the benefit of one person. They must fundraise for the group as a whole. Also, fees can not be mandatory in a non-profit. You can certainly say “100% participation is highly encouraged,” but you can not require anyone to pay to participate. By replacing Charms with a purpose-built booster solution, your club can:

After each sports season, the coaching staff gets together to review what went well and what they can do better next year. Often, coaches will turn to league winners for inspiration. During this process, they analyze film, look at stats, and explore ways to incorporate these insights into their own coaching strategies. Your athletic booster club can apply these same principles to get better at fundraising during the off-season. On that note, let’s turn our attention to the Round Rock Volleyball booster club and how they’re delivering for student athletes with BoosterHub.

Enloe Athletic Booster Club manages fundraising and financial support for 38 athletic teams at one of North Carolina's largest high schools. Led by a volunteer board of eight members, this non-profit organization handles everything from uniform purchases to facility upgrades, working to create opportunities for over 1,000 student athletes.

The simple answer is: if you have it, it should be updated. Don't just open a Twitter account because everyone has one. Pick the media your fans and families use the most, and then keep it updated.

Managing the financial aspects of a booster club can be time-consuming, tedious, and open to mistakes. Many booster clubs still follow old-school accounting methods, including collecting cash payments and performing regular deposits. If you identify with these approaches, it may be time to consider moving to a cashless operation. Consider these benefits of booster club accounting software:

In a recent episode of The Boosted Volunteer podcast, BoosterHub founder and CEO Robin Eissler tackled a tough subject: booster club fraud. The episode, titled Preventing Fraud in Booster Clubs, showcases examples of club fund misuse, abuse, and fraud. Eissler explained why she believes cashless booster club management is the best tool for fraud prevention while also relaying the importance of having a skilled and trustworthy booster club treasurer. Join us as we recap some of the highlights of this fantastic episode.

Avoid common booster club mistakes with preparation and organization. Using booster club accounting software and an application that allows communication, fundraising, and financials to all be handled from one place can streamline your club’s operations.

If there’s one trait that all marching bands share, it’s a need for equipment — and lots of it. Keeping up with all of your musical gear can be a complete nightmare, especially if your band director is relying on old-school inventorying practices and manual logs. Are you ready to make your band director’s life a whole lot easier and take the hassle out of inventorying instruments? If so, it’s time to invest in great band software.

The Tivy High School Booster Club is a non-profit organization that raises funds for and provides support to all Kerrville ISD Athletics. Lisa Dyal is the annual chairperson of a branch of the booster club, called Project Graduation. Every year in May, the booster club hosts Project Graduation—a night of celebration for graduating seniors. Project Graduation coordinates efforts to provide a post-graduation party, complete with dinner, prizes, and entertainment, celebrating the achievements of the graduating class in a secure environment.

Running a booster club is a rewarding experience that gives you the opportunity to serve countless student-athletes. However, building a thriving booster club is not without its challenges. Some of the biggest hurdles you might encounter while running your booster club include the following:

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:

Do you feel like your booster club has exhausted all of the traditional team fundraising strategies? If so, consider one of these five booster club fundraiser ideas:

Like the other members of your booster club and the athletes you represent, you probably use mobile apps for just about everything. From browsing social media to scheduling meetings and sending emails, there’s an app for that. In fact, there are over 8.9 million mobile apps, according to Forbes. Among this sea of apps are a few that were designed specifically for athletic booster clubs. Of these, BoosterHub Pro represents the ideal solution for your ABC. Join us as we explore why.

There are few things more fun than a night of games and gambling. A booster club casino night fundraiser can be a fun way to get people involved and raise a little (or a lot of) money. Even if your booster club has no intention of setting up a roulette table, you might still need to take a few additional steps to legally prepare for this event. If you want to host a casino night, your booster club must meet certain criteria to host one of these events.

The primary booster clubs officials' roles are President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. This group is known as the Executive Board. Some clubs have additional VPs for Social, Fundraising, and Communications. Your organization may also have committee chairs for specific events, with ad hoc responsibilities over the course of the year.

Online fundraising is a great way of generating revenue for your school’s sports teams and clubs. However, if your athletic booster club wants to get the most out of its fundraising efforts, it’s vital that you choose the right solution. During your search for an online fundraising platform, you’ve likely come across SnapRaise. This well-known tool is relatively easy to use and provides you with a dedicated customer service representative, but it also charges exorbitant fees to cover the cost of this service. The good news is there are plenty of better options out there.

The majority of your booster club volunteers are passionate parents and relatives of student athletes. While these individuals are highly motivated, many of them lack fundraising experience. If you are fairly new to managing a booster club, you may be struggling to come up with ideas as well. Before you resort to old-fashioned tactics like selling t-shirts or arranging car washes, consider these three highly productive options:

As a charitable organization, your booster club is eligible for 501(c)(3) status. However, to maintain this status, you’ve got to play by the rules. Otherwise, the IRS is going to throw a penalty flag, and that’s not a road you want to go down. One of the most important rules governing 501(c)(3) organizations concerns what your club can and can’t pay for. Here are some spending dos and don’ts so you can protect your club.

Most booster clubs are run by dedicated parents who want to support their children and their local organizations. However, any organization that handles money is susceptible to theft and fraud. Booster club theft and fraud is more common than you might think, so you should consider implementing safeguards to keep your funds safe and secure. Below are a few measures you can take to ensure your booster club is protected.

Almost everyone uses apps on a daily basis to navigate, communicate, transact, and more. In many ways, apps can make life easier and more convenient. Booster club software, along with a mobile app, can do the same for your organization. An app can simplify day-to-day management, improve communication, and make your life easier, all in one location.

If you are looking to improve your booster club’s performance and get more out of your volunteer hours, booster club software is a great solution. BoosterHub is the only software and mobile app designed specifically for booster clubs. While some other apps offer services that booster clubs can use, they are not specialized and don’t consider booster clubs' specific needs.

One of the biggest challenges your athletic booster club will face involves efficiently sharing information with volunteers, parents, and athletes. Getting the word out about fundraisers, concession stand needs, and upcoming ABC events is crucial to maximizing engagement and ensuring that you have the support you need to really deliver for the students. The question is, what’s the best way to communicate with booster club members and volunteers? Let’s take a look at four common options.

Managing a marching band can be a fun and exciting experience, but it also involves quite a bit of work. Among your tasks, perhaps one of the most tedious is keeping track of instruments, uniforms, music, and other equipment. Without the proper tools, it can be like trying to wrangle a team without a playbook! While it’s possible to log equipment on a legal pad, tracking equipment the old-school way just isn’t the best use of your time. The question, then, becomes a matter of knowing how you can put the headache of equipment tracking behind you for good. And the answer is simple: All you need is an inventory tracking tool that ensures you know who has what, so you’re never caught off guard during game time. Enter BoosterHub for Bands. Having initially launched this past Spring, it’s well on its way to becoming the MVP of instrument tracking. Here’s a closer look at why tracking band equipment with BoosterHub for Bands is the best option for your program.

A booster club is a volunteer group of parents and other generous individuals who are devoted to supporting specific activities in schools and throughout communities.

Every great meeting starts with a game plan. And having a solid layout of your booster club meeting minutes is like maintaining a coach’s playbook. It sets the tone and keeps things moving. With that in mind, here are the steps you can take to create an agenda that keeps your club meetings focused and productive:

Booster clubs depend heavily on coordination and engagement from members. The best-run booster clubs are usually the ones with the best communication mechanisms. If members are in the dark about what’s going on, you are unlikely to get support when you need it. Try these tips for effective communication in your club:

A booster club that qualifies for IRS 501(c)(3) status must file its tax return by the 15th day of the fifth month after the end of the organization’s tax year. For booster clubs that operate on a calendar year-end, the due date is May 15th. However, the booster club may choose another fiscal year-end, which can result in a different due date.

Volunteering for a booster club is a great way to help your local schools, neighborhood kids, and the community. However, booster clubs must abide by certain rules, and when those rules are broken, someone has to be held accountable. Booster club members generally are not responsible for mishaps that occur in the club. However, when you volunteer to be President or any officer in a club, your office comes with certain liabilities.

When you’re operating a booster club, having a wide audience is key to success. If you have a small mailing list, you’ll be sending communications and invites to the same group of parents repeatedly. That can make it really hard to get engagement over time. There are lots of groups who may be interested in the club aside from parents. In addition, not every communication needs to be about fundraising. You can simply send a newsletter with club updates or encourage supporters to attend an event. At a minimum, you should consider adding sponsors, club sports, local businesses, and alumni to your booster club mailing list.

You’ve been racking your brain trying to come up with an MVP fundraiser for your athletic booster club. Suddenly, the light bulb goes on and you’re struck by a brilliant idea: you’re going to set up an online fundraiser on GoFundMe or GiveButter. That’ll work, right? In theory, yes. There’s nothing stopping you from setting up a GoFundMe account or launching a campaign on GiveButter. However, there are some hidden challenges associated with these tactics. Think of this approach like that flashy trick play the young assistant coach drew up last season. Sure, it looked cool on the whiteboard, but things fell apart as soon as the team tried to execute it under pressure. Let’s take a closer look at why these platforms may not be the answer for your ABC and explore a better option that will help you find the fundraising end zone.

As you may have noticed, some schools have centralized athletic booster clubs (ABCs) and others have a dedicated club for each sport or group. If you use the ABC model, you may have contemplated making the switch so you can provide dedicated support to each organization at your school. To help you navigate that decision-making process, take a closer look at these two models and consider the pros and cons of ABCs.

Booster clubs depend on the participation of club members. Running the club can be a lot of work, between concessions, fundraisers, and other events. While some events are well attended and volunteers are easy to come by, it can be difficult to get regular engagement throughout the year. If you are having trouble with booster club participation, consider the following ideas to try to improve your engagement.