The Ten Commandments of Successful Booster Clubs. What the TD Club Learned from Better Booster Clubs http://www.betterboosterclubs.com/
1. Focus on the Big Picture: Don’t be caught in the trap of trying to raise a few dollars in “whack a mole” reaction to the latest request. This reactionary strategy wears out sponsors and your members. Learn to say “no” to the coach. Think big picture. Who among your contacts would like to help the cause?
2. Cultivate the past and future: Don’t rely solely on hitting-up your booster parents and local businesses for money. Recruit from the broader community; especially those groups that have a stake in the success of your cause, i.e. families with children and alumni.
3. Promote Your Positive Image. Work smarter, not harder. The jumble of fund-raising activities that boosters engage themselves in are often very labor intensive, ineffective in raising money, and have negative public image. Just say “NO” to most events! Instead, have your booster club volunteer for high profile community building events that will attract the attention of corporations and foundations.
4. Conduct an Annual Membership Drive: Create a multi-tiered membership structure with corresponding gift and benefit levels. Renew dues/ memberships each year with your parents and reach out to as many new prospects (i.e alumni and households) as possible.
5. Promote Your Advertising Space: Develop professional materials and websites. Promote sponsorship opportunities for special events such as sports camps, social functions, homecoming, and banquets. Allow businesses to barter advertising for gifts that may be raffled later. Thank and promote your sponsors at every opportunity.
6. Promote Capital Projects: Publish a wish list of projects so that sponsors may choose those projects that interest them. Distribute this list to sponsors whenever the opportunity presents. Make the wish list available on the website.
7. Sponsor and Support Youth Programs: Organize annual sports clinics for the youth in your feeder programs. This not only strengthens the bond between your high school and feeder programs, but it gets the entire community behind your cause. Ask your coaches to share plays, techniques, and facilities with the feeder programs.
8. Find Ways to Involve Alumni: Have an Annual Hall of Fame Event, host a BBQ, and use media to promote accomplishments of alumni. Actively support charitable foundations in which alumni are involved. Organize annual alumni games and host alumni appreciation games. Make sure to recognize those outstanding past performers, volunteers and donors.
9. Use Student-Athletes Sparingly: Ask your athletes do one big fundraising activity a year that reaches beyond the usual prospects. Work with the coach so that athletes help out at sports camps, feeder programs, and alumni events. Get the players involved in community service activities such as reading to kids, visiting nursing homes, raking lawns for the infirm or painting homes for the needy.
10. Perpetuate Your Success: Document the jobs/ tasks of the organization so that the transition from one year to the next is smooth. Promote your community service ideals in your mission statement so that potential sponsors understand the benefit of your booster club and interscholastic athletics.
Contents for our ten commandments were derived from a special report, "Twelve Steps to A Better Boosters Club" published by Better Booster Clubs of Burnsville, MN. Go to http://www.betterboosterclubs.com to request your free copy of this report.
