Hopefully you already have a group of interested parents. From there, we recommend that you start with the school- Ask the coach or director or principal if it would benefit the school- Get them on board first. Next you will need to consult the districts rules and get with an accountant or attorney to see if you need to incorporate or if you need to file as a non-profit organization.
The initial funds are generally raised from membership dues. Membership dues typically range from $25 - $100 per person or family. Usually a booster club will have at least 2 major fundraisers per year or more. Check out our homepage or message boards for some good ideas.
Last we heard, you could meet as parents and make donations to schools as you like. Generally it comes down to how you handle the funds. A group of parents can do fundraisers, buy spirit wear, etc.- you just assign one parent to collect and distribute the funds. If your booster club is seeking sponsorships from local businesses you probably need to be an incorporated business or unincorporated association so you can deposit funds, etc. Ask your school or accountant about the differences and pros and cons of being incorporated or not.
Mid Summer is usually the time to complete the budget planning so that the booster club can agree on it at the start of school. The budget is usually completed by the chairs of the committees with the fundraising chair and treasurer estimating the amount of funds that will be available and when. From there you can just work backwards and decide what you want to spend on banquets, gifts, donations to the school, etc.Of course you can adjust the budget as the year goes on depending upon the funds raised. Check out our sample Booster Club Budget.
We recommend that you just ask them if they want to help make the organization better for the kids and say that you would appreciate their help. Tell them what you need help with and let them pick how they want to help. Be mindful of their other commitments but get a firm commitment from them. Say, “I appreciate your help so much. When should I put down that you will do that?” Of course, the easiest way to build support over the years is to make the organization and the booster club beneficial and especially fun!
First, remember that this person is a member of the booster club and a parent of one of the kids! Respect them for that. If it just gets out of hand well, we recommend letting the parliamentarian remind him or her of the rules and meeting agenda. That way he has an organization to deal with and not just a committee chair or president to direct his attention towards. You can also assume that person is eager to help and can assign them a certain task. If you still have issues we recommend the books “Dealing with Difficult People” by Christina Osborne or “Bullies, Tyrants, and Impossible People” by Ronald M. Shapiro and Mark A. Jankowski.
We recommend everyone consult with their own insurance representative first to make sure that they are protected with decent liability coverage. In some states, this may be part of your homeowner’s insurance. Parents who serve as coaches, umpires, etc. are vulnerable to some liability in sports where injury can occur. If you find the answers you are seeking from a good representative, ask them about insurance for your booster club.
More Questions about Booster Clubs or Booster Club Products?
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