New USDA Rules Restrict Sugary Drinks and Snacks Say goodbye to sugary snacks and drinks between classes! This is the last semester before USDA rules will restrict snack sales during school hours in public schools across the country. These include traditional junk food like chips and sodas, as well as more subtle sugar-containing beverages, like Powerade and Gatorade. Some states, such as California, had already banned these drinks in a piece of legislation that would have kicked in this fall. … [Read more...]
posted on January 6, 2014 by
Locker Room Technology in a Post-Shower Era
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 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 19, 2013 by
Passive Fundraising With Scrip: Getting the most from your campaign
In deciding how your club can make the most of scrip fundraising, it is important to consider the context of your campaign. Regardless of how actively you fundraise, with electronic scrip programs, you can only do so much to encourage supporters to shop. Before your club begins fundraising with scrip, you can ask yourself a few questions that will help you make the most of your campaign: Will local businesses support your club's campaign? Make a list of participating merchants in your area, … [Read more...]
posted on December 17, 2013 by
Passive Fundraising With Scrip: Little effort, big donations
There are two primary kinds of fundraising that organizations use to increase donations: active fundraising, which requires large amounts of time and resources (like a car wash), and passive fundraising, which goes on in the background and requires little effort on your club’s part. Traditional scrip fundraising falls somewhere between active and passive. Clubs are required to purchase gift certificates or cards from participating merchants at a discounted rate, then sell them at full value to … [Read more...]
posted on December 10, 2013 by
Stakeholder Engagement: The Art of Sharing Success
What exactly is stakeholder engagement, in the context of booster clubs? We've written before about how booster clubs need to consult with their closest stakeholders, such as parents and financial supporters. Booster clubs are also affected by the decisions of other groups, such as school boards. Those institutions and their administrators are also stakeholders. We've tweeted a few stories recently about that other type of stakeholder, and in this article we’ll discuss school administrations, … [Read more...]
posted on December 9, 2013 by
Fundraising Spotlight: The SABC Turf and Track Project
In Southern California, one high school booster club has taken on an ambitious task. The Scorpion Athletic Booster Club (SABC) in Camarillo began fundraising this fall for their Turf Field Project, a $1.7 million plan to install artificial turf on the Camarillo High School athletic field and resurface the track. The center of the field has been worn through by years of games and practices, and students even complain that the dirt patches are dangerous. The SABC acknowledges that the school … [Read more...]
posted on December 5, 2013 by
11 Sports Fundraising Ideas for Booster Clubs
Looking to engage supporters in experiences instead of purchases? Sports fundraisers let supporters participate, and they’re not just for sports-related clubs. This list offers ideas on how to bring donors together to compete against their friends, neighbors, and family members. Any type of booster club can take advantage of the community feel that comes from these great games. Bocce tournament: probably the last fundraiser you’d think of. But it’s the best game for entire families to … [Read more...]
posted on December 2, 2013 by
Boosterwashing
How Companies and Charities “Colorwash” Ever notice how every major cause today gets a color? Pink for breast cancer, green for the environment, red for AIDS--causes cover the rainbow and beyond. This kind of branding is effective, raising millions of dollars in the name of various organizations. Yet like most branding, the color codes have a great potential for abuse. With no clear standards for what counts as pink, green, or red products, fundraisers inevitably find themselves in conflict … [Read more...]
