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. If it is a real drag for your members to participate in, they won’t want to help out and they won’t promote it to their contacts. You want to choose a fundraiser that people are comfortable joining. That way, you will not only raise funds but also attract more people to join your booster club.
It's important to consider the time involved in setting up a fundraiser and any fees associated with the program. Some fundraisers are so labor-intensive that by the end of it, your members regret they ever spent the time on it. They are frustrated. They are burned out. Try not to let this happen! Consider travel time, the number of trips required, the number of days required, whether the fundraiser will require follow up volunteer hours to deliver products purchased, for example. All of these little extra requirements can really add up to a lot of hours required to run the fundraiser. If an overwhelming number of hours are required, your members would probably much rather just donate directly to the club and be done with it! Make sure that the results are worth the time and effort put into the program.
Conventional ideas
Some conventional fundraising ideas are mulch sales, mattress sales, car washes, wrapping paper sales, popcorn sales, and various types of swag such as T-shirts, mugs, ball caps, etc. Auctions can be a fun event, including silent auctions. Events such as banquets can raise money.
Restaurant Nights
You may have spotted other clubs in your community hosting a booster club fundraising night at a local restaurant. These events are much easier to organize than you might imagine. They really cut down on the amount of time and effort your volunteers will have to put in to organize and run the fundraiser, and the restaurants are often eager to host in order to spread word of mouth about their restaurant and give back to the community. Some restaurants will collaborate with you and share a portion of their revenues with you throughout the night. The best part is that they will do all the work as far as the food and the venue! Your only task is to get the word out to your supporters about this fundraising event and draw a crowd. Again, communication is the key. Make sure that you choose your date wisely so as not to conflict with any other major events. Make sure that you send out multiple notices for the event, once far in advance so that attendees can set their calendar, and at least once a day or two prior to remind them to attend!
Online Booster Club Fundraising Campaigns
For those looking for a less labor intensive and frequently much more successful fundraiser, you will definitely want to try online fundraising. However, this area is buyer beware. There are a lot of online fundraising platforms that charge high fees. Some fundraising platforms and programs charge as much as 40% of the fundraising proceeds! Your donors will very likely be offended if they find out the company hosting the fundraiser is taking this much of a cut of their hard earned money. If they come away with regret for donating with this high of a charge, they will be less likely to donate the following year. You want your donors to feel good about their donation and to know that you are being a good steward of their money.
BoosterBucks is a tried and true peer-to-peer fundraising platform integrated into BoosterHub, the software platform designed specifically for high school booster clubs. With BoosterBucks the platform fee is an extremely low 5%, meaning your club gets to keep 95% of what it earns! BoosterBucks setup is easy, the system organizes and helps promote your fundraiser, and makes it easy for your members to raise money quickly. You can watch the donations roll in and set up teams to compete with each other for some good natured competition and camaraderie! With BoosterBucks your donations are integrated into the BoosterHub accounting system, making accounting very easy for your treasurer. Your BoosterHub contacts can be used to set up the BoosterBucks fundraiser, making the integrated nature of the system save you time.
Many fundraising platforms exist to help programs like yours. Ask a few members of your booster club who are actively online to spearhead a campaign and give it a try! Share your experiences, passions, your club's purpose, and photos for the campaign. Give the public a reason to contribute to your school and show how it contributes to your community. Ask people involved in your school to share information with their friends and family on the internet to raise funds for your booster club.These types of fundraisers work best if you have good communication channels. Make sure that you announce the fundraiser and then promote it often. With as busy as many families are today, they are much more likely to contribute online to your fundraiser than to want to attend an in-person event. Using an online fundraiser allows you to meet your supporters where they are and allows them to contribute in a way that is easy for them. It allows them to spend more of their time being fans in the stands instead of dealing with the hassles of traditional fundraisers.
