Socially Awkward? Decades ago, showers were a required part of PE. Now, they’re an afterthought. Most athletes leave the locker room covered in their sweat—and others’—all the way home or, worse, all the way through class. "In all the years I've played football, I've never seen anyone shower in the locker room," said high school football player Joe Eason, in an interview with the Sun Sentinel. "I just don't feel comfortable around all of those people.” While locker room showering has … [Read more...]
posted on January 1, 2014 by
New Year’s Resolution: Say Thank You All Year Long
When family gathers over the holidays, childhood memories are often shared as well as more recent anecdotes from daily life. My sister recalled an exchange with an older kid from the neighborhood where she had reminded the person to say "please", to which she received a response of, "PLEASE is for inside, GIMME is for outside." Decades later she still remembers it clearly. And fondly!? Her 6 or 7 year old self had felt flattered that the big kid was taking her under his wing to show her … [Read more...]
posted on December 26, 2013 by
Passive Fundraising With Scrip: 5 ways to spread the word
Once you've set goals for your scrip fundraising campaign and have a clear understanding of where you’re headed, it’s important to think about how you’ll get there. There are many ways to promote your efforts, and with a long-term project like electronic scrip enrollment or scrip sales, it’s important to continually reach out to your supporters in new and unexpected ways. 5 ways to communicate your campaign: 1. Bide your time. Many boosters who sell scrip or participate in electronic scrip … [Read more...]
posted on December 23, 2013 by
Passive Fundraising With Scrip: 4 tips for setting campaign goals
Though electronic scrip fundraising is more passive than selling traditional scrip, some initial legwork is required to get your fundraising campaign off the ground. To ensure your club’s scrip efforts start strong and maintain their momentum into the future, it is important to have attainable goals and a clear plan for achieving them. First, set your target. You want to be sure you have realistic expectations of how your scrip donations will contribute to upcoming projects. If you are … [Read more...]
posted on December 12, 2013 by
BoosterNews: It’s a Good Time to Thank Your Donors
Make a list, check it twice, and be sure to acknowledge those who’ve supported your organization over the past year. It takes a little time to do it right, but it’s a simple task and there are lots of reasons to make the effort. One reason is that some of your donors may feel unacknowledged due to mistakes made by volunteers in the past. A friend of mine recently told me that she stuck her neck out to get her company to donate auction items to the local elementary school. She had to pester all … [Read more...]
posted on November 19, 2013 by
How To Raise Funds Inside Your Community: Partnering with local businesses for mutual gain
Local business can be a great fundraising source for booster clubs, and most are happy to help. Parents, friends, and fans of student clubs and teams are potential customers, and partnering with booster clubs can be beneficial for both parties — booster clubs can raise funds through established, profitable businesses, and business owners can expand their local client base. But many of these establishments are approached by numerous teams, clubs, and charities for donations, and end up having to … [Read more...]
posted on November 18, 2013 by
How To Raise Funds Outside Your Community
When it comes to fundraising, there’s no business too big or too small to approach for help. Some of the big-name businesses may seem out of reach for booster clubs, but you’d be surprised to know how many have programs in place for just such donation. From airlines to retail stores, many of the places you already shop are glad to lend their support and name to charitable causes. Some businesses offer contests and large sums in charitable grants, while others offer up gift cards and products as … [Read more...]
posted on November 12, 2013 by
How to Cut A Budget Beforehand
Austerity Budgets What would your club do if a major revenue stream dried up, or if schools drastically cut your extracurricular funding? We see governments do this all the time: shutdown, sequestration, and austerity plans. Nonprofits and charities have had to face serious austerity budgets as well. After the economy collapsed in 2008, many charities had to decide which programs, staff, and other sectors to cut. Many weren't prepared. Booster clubs are very different than most … [Read more...]
posted on October 29, 2013 by
Making Traditions (Whether You Mean To Or Not)
We are the makers of memories! What are your best memories from high school? What stories do you retell when you go to a reunion or get together with your old classmates? Arguably, most booster clubs aim to make great memories, so I think it’s crucial that we try to put a finger on what made our own experiences stick with us over time. Sometimes experiences are memorable because of random events--spontaneous downpours, chance encounters, or the serendipity that sparks both romantic and … [Read more...]
posted on October 15, 2013 by
Booster News: Tax Alert!
While some booster club board members are focusing on recruitment, funding requests, and fundraisers, treasurers should take a minute right now to think about tax filings. Nonprofits are required to file a tax return, even if they don’t owe any taxes. Small organizations with under $50,000 in gross receipts have to file, too. However, they can use a 990-N “postcard,” which is more simple than regular nonprofit filing. Either way, it’s time to start gathering receipts and training new volunteers … [Read more...]
