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.
Try New Forms of Communication
One of the biggest reasons booster club parents don’t participate is a breakdown in communication. Parents who don’t know about events or volunteer opportunities can’t help. Make sure to regularly test your messaging method to ensure that your communications are reaching parents.
You may also have to get creative to break through all of the other messages parents get on a daily basis. Sending out weekly or monthly communications with a calendar may not be enough to reach parents and get them to volunteer.
Try different forms of communication, such as text reminders or even a phone tree. Managing regular communication can be a part-time job in itself. Booster club software can help you organize your communications and streamline contact with parents.
Plan for Busy Schedules
If parent participation in your club is low, it might not be because parents don’t want to help. Between kids, work, and other responsibilities, many parents may be unable to carve out time to dedicate to the booster club.
Make sure to offer opportunities to volunteer at different times, including during the week and on weekends. In addition, you can meet parents halfway by creating opportunities for them to volunteer from home or on their own schedule.
There are plenty of things parents can do to support the club on their own time, such as:
If you present convenient opportunities for parents to get engaged, you can maximize parent participation.
Make It Fun
Parents don’t often have a lot of extra time on their hands, and when they do have a moment, they understandably want to spend it doing something they enjoy. You may need to get a little creative to compete for parents’ precious time.
Bring snacks or drinks to planning meetings and volunteering events, or get the kids involved. Plan fundraising events that are new and exciting so that parents will look forward to coming.
Be Organized
When parents take time out of their schedules to support the booster club, they want to know that their time is well spent. You may have to put in a little extra work to ensure that you are making the most of everyone’s time.
Plan ahead and clearly communicate so that parents know what is expected of them and what they are working toward.
Getting regular parent participation in your booster club isn’t always easy. But with a little extra effort and some creative ideas, you can improve your engagement and make your club a success.
