Big head bobbing and kilt a-flutter, Hank the Highlander made his debut in January at a New Jersey high school, the first mascot to grace the court in Governor Livingston High history. The much-anticipated mascot was purchased by the Highlander Booster Club after much careful research, some creative brainstorming, and some good old fashioned democracy. Booster Club executive board members, parents, teachers, students, and school administrators worked together to design the costume, and students … [Read more...]
Club Recruiting: We want you!
It’s that time again: as we head toward summer, volunteer recruiting will top the agendas of most booster clubs. If your school doesn’t already have a club of its own, it’s the perfect time to start one! Rounding up officers can be a challenge, but there’ s no shortage of resources out there for fledgling clubs. Get the word out by contacting your local newspapers, broadcasting and radio stations. A brief, straightforward announcement like this one from the Shelter Island Booster Club packs a … [Read more...]
Innovation in Fundraising: Overhead, Risk, and Pancakes
Booster clubs I speak with tell me that they have to raise more money than ever before. More than ever, school districts depend on booster clubs to fill the ever-growing gap between after-school budgets and actual student need. How can booster clubs radically increase revenues? Does reducing overhead mean more money for programs? When does fundraising clash with a club’s mission? Experts address these questions in very different ways. In this post I borrow points from Dan Pallotta’s TED talk … [Read more...]
Sunscreen for Supporters: Encouraging generosity with voluntary donations
When it comes to fresh fundraisers, pay-what-you-will donation drives can be an exciting twist on classic events. Voluntary donation fundraising can be a great way to update old and tired fundraisers, or utilize new opportunities. We’ve discussed the science behind the model’s success — donors feel proud to choose donating of their own accord, as opposed to purchasing goods in exchange for their support, and tend to be more generous in their giving. Booster clubs have applied this thinking to … [Read more...]
Hitting the Road: Buying a van
Booster clubs can make a number of significant contributions to athletic and extracurricular programs — between uniforms and facility renovations, the needs of student are many, and in many cases the responsibility has fallen on booster clubs to meet them. But all the new supplies in the world won’t do a team any good if they can’t get to their games. In South Dakota, the Sturgis school district booster club “Saw a need and they acted,” contributing $42,000 to the purchase of a new 15-passenger … [Read more...]
5 Things You Should Know About Mobile Concession Stands
These days, a snack at the ballgame is a whole lot more than peanuts and Cracker Jacks. Concession stands are stepping up their game, serving fresh, hot meals, and making a bundle in doing so. In Ohio, the Lowellville Rockets Booster Club relies on the money they make from serving up wedding soup and stuffed pepper sandwiches to buy uniforms for all of the school’s athletic teams — their concession stand is so profitable it’s “really the only fundraiser [they] do,” according to club volunteers. … [Read more...]
What Booster Clubs Can Learn From the Olympics
We are totally excited for the Winter Olympics. From the pageantry of the opening ceremony to the awe of the ski jumps, it’s gonna be really fun. (Also, women will compete in ski jumping this year, which is awesome.) Still, we can’t help but notice the context of the competition. There’s a lot going on outside the Olympic Village, and sometimes it’s not pretty. Fans of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi might feel like they are seeing more politics than sports on TV this year. For starters, the … [Read more...]
Valentines Day Fundraisers for Booster Clubs
Be Mine? Before you get all excited about how to entice donors with a Valentine’s-Day-themed fundraiser, here’s a piece of advice: make your donors your Valentine. Send them love letters, chocolate, and flowers (okay, maybe just e-cards with flowers and chocolate on them.) Seriously, show them some love and shoot arrows through their hearts. Be playful. How can you do that? Here’s an example of a Valentine’s day thank you email from UNICEF Australia, which we found in a blog post by Mary Lynn … [Read more...]