YouTube makes sharing video easy. Creating a YouTube account for your club, you can help showcase the work of participants, benefactors, and volunteers. Filming, editing, and posting videos takes time and energy but there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit -- simple videos that booster clubs can make. What’s great about YouTube is what’s great about online video in general. Ditto for what’s not so great. PROs Easy to digest. Videos grab attention in a way that an 800 word blog post with … [Read more...]
posted on February 27, 2014 by
LinkedIn for Booster Clubs?
LinkedIn is a professional networking site. For some, it’s just a place to post a detailed resume. For others, it’s a forum for discussion, especially related to job searching, business practices, and industry news. For booster clubs, LinkedIn offers a number of opportunities. It’s a good space to recruit for volunteers, and has a few lively discussion groups focused on booster clubs themselves. (We’ve been following discussions on AMP, the Association of Music Parents, as well as the Sports … [Read more...]
posted on February 14, 2014 by
30 Things to Tweet your Booster Club
You understand Twitter, you want to make it a part of your booster club's social media strategy, but you're hitting some writers block? Don't dismay, we've got a huge list of things to post. Photos of your participants doing things Rainouts Photos of sponsors and/or their business Playoff schedule Arch rival updates Articles about your club in the local paper or segments on local television Photos of volunteers doing things Updates on alumni (Did they get a music scholarship? … [Read more...]
posted on February 13, 2014 by
Twitter Lingo and Etiquette for Booster Clubs
What the #@”RT? With all of the signs, symbols, and jargon, Twitter can feel like a new language. Luckily, you only have to learn a few terms to effectively manage your Twitter account for a booster club or other small nonprofit. This post is a primer on the most essential ones, and has links to the more advanced stuff. See our previous post on Twitter for Booster Clubs. # (Hashtag) is a keyword that organizes content and codes conversations. On first glance, hashtags are just like blog … [Read more...]
posted on December 31, 2013 by
Everything Booster Clubs Need to Know About the Fiscal Year
What is a fiscal year, in a nutshell? A fiscal year defines the start and end dates for an organization’s accounting. Annual and quarterly reports to donors, as well as tax filings, all flow from the fiscal year. So do budgeting and revenue goals. While the majority of U.S. companies’ fiscal year perfectly overlaps the calendar year (Jan. 1st to Dec. 31st), deviating from those dates is more common than you’d think. For example, check out the fiscal years for these organizations: Feb. 1st … [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 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...]
posted on November 26, 2013 by
Booster News: Giving Tuesday (Dec. 3rd) Could Raise Funds for Your Booster Club
Harness the holidays for your booster club this year by publicizing “Giving Tuesday.” Unlike shopping focused Black Friday or Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is all about charity in the local community. It’s a great opportunity to raise awareness about your booster club’s needs, and make a year’s-end ask of your supporters. How can your club associate itself with Giving Tuesday (December 3rd) and raise funds effectively? There’s still time to issue a press-release (or simply make a phone call) … [Read more...]
posted on November 25, 2013 by
6 Life Lessons of Music, Singing and Band
Music touches us, literally, cascading vibrations from our instruments and massaging meaning into the neuroreceptors of our brains. Music also touches us figuratively, bringing us together and helping us bond. Anyone who’s learned to play an instrument or sung in a choir understands this intuitively. Yet how can booster club leaders illuminate this value in the community and rally their support? One answer: put on lots and lots of concerts with large audiences. In an age when digital consumers … [Read more...]
