What makes a successful booster club?
There are so many ways that booster clubs help students and schools. They are a valuable source of both emotional support for children and financial support for schools. It is the hard work of the parents and volunteers through these nonprofit groups that help schools to run academic, arts and athletic activities and programs they would not otherwise be able to afford, which has a direct impact on the students.
Successful booster clubs raise money through in-person and online fundraising events, help to engage local businesses and community members with school issues, and help create a positive environment to help children succeed.
How do booster clubs raise money?
Booster clubs’ fundraising efforts span everything from fun-runs to dance marathons, raffles and yard sales. Whatever type of fundraiser you choose, you can also secure sponsorship for fundraising events by researching local businesses that align with the group’s mission, which can turn into long-term relationships that benefit the entire local community.
Below are a list of booster club fundraising ideas, and if you’ve already tried some you can check out our other school fundraising ideas for even more inspiration.
Sports fundraiser ideas for booster clubs
If you’re a part of an athletic booster club, sports fundraising can be a great way to raise money for vital sports equipment and new uniforms for your kids’ sports team. Try out one of these sports fundraising ideas:
- A fun-run (5K or 10K): Ask participants to lace up for a 5K event to boost funds for the school and give a suggested donation. Coordinate a scenic route through nearby neighborhoods, organize pre-race activities, and get sponsorship from local restaurants and businesses for food, music, t-shirts, and drinks. You could also organize a walk-a-thon.
- Team sports tournaments: Organize mini knock-out tournaments for soccer, basketball, and other sporting events. Use the school’s facilities and bring snacks and drinks for spectators. Ask for a suggested donation toward a specific cause from both participants and spectators to attend the event.
- Golf tournament: This can be a fun way to create a fundraising event, especially if the school has access to a local golf course, as you can often ask for reduced prices during the week. Secure the golf course, plan pre- and post-event festivities, secure sponsorships for the event, promote the event on social media, and have participants donate toward your fundraiser.
- Crowdfund for your team: By crowdfunding on platforms like GoFundMe, you can easily share your fundraiser on social media with your friends and family to increase reach and maximize online donations. Be clear on your donation page about where the money is going and share more about your story to encourage others to connect and donate.
Community event fundraiser ideas for booster clubs
Bring the whole community together with some simple event planning that can turn into a night of fun. These ideas are quick and easy for a booster club to set up that everyone can join in with:
- Bingo tournament: Everyone can get involved in an event like this. Buy or make the bingo cards, ask parents or local community members to provide prizes, and use the money from ticket sales as donations towards your fundraising goal. You could use the same method to set up a game night.
- Car wash: Students in the booster club can wash the community’s cars for a small fee. Get the materials donated and set up in the school parking lot. Spread the word about where the money is needed and how the community can help.
- Gift wrap fundraiser: During the holiday season, booster club members can offer to wrap presents at the school and promote the event around the community for a suggested donation. Grab the wrapping paper and bows in bulk to save some money.
- Drive-in movie night: Pick a movie, provide snacks and popcorn, and ask moviegoers to pay a small entry fee when they arrive. To get everyone excited for it you can do polls on social media to decide what movie you should pick and announce the winner.
Sales fundraisers for booster clubs
Nothing beats an old fashioned bake sale for raising funds. The types of fundraisers where members of the community get to take home a delicious treat or a new lamp from a yard sale can be really effective ways of raising money and awareness of your local cause at the same time. They can also be a great way to showcase people’s creative endeavors. Try one of these creative fundraising ideas for your booster club:
- Bake sale: Invite parents and students to bake cookie dough together and sell their creations during a sports game at the school, in the morning at the cafeteria, or on the weekend to boost school spirit. Use a spreadsheet for sign ups so there are no duplicates. If you want to branch out from baking you could also host a bbq fundraiser on game days or during a school carnival, too.
- Yard sale: Encourage everyone to clear out their junk for a good cause and have them bring it to the school. Share the yard sale with the community so you get tons of support. The total tally can go toward any cause your booster club wants.
- Art sale: Get a few local artists to donate a painting or two and do a silent auction at the school. Invite everyone to participate and any proceeds from the art sale can go toward school supplies or other booster club needs.
- Book sale: Collect books that are no longer needed and sell them during football games or other high school events. Partner up with the Girl Scouts for a cookie and book twofer.
Fun ways to raise money for booster clubs
If you’re looking for more unique fundraising ideas for events that isn’t a traditional event like a gala or movie night, try one of these:
- Wear your pajamas to school: Every student that wants to wear their pajamas to school for a day can give a donation to the booster club (or their parents can). Announce it a few weeks before the official day so you have time to record names and receive donations.
- Scavenger hunt: Print a short scavenger hunt (think 5-6 stops) at the school and promote it on social media with fun clues for people to decipher. Ask for suggested donations from individuals and teams, and have those from the local community donate prizes for the first three winners.
- Dance marathon: Did someone say “dance-a-thon”? Host a dance marathon and see which members of the community can dance and stay on their feet for the longest. Make people give donations based on how many hours they think they will last. Get local businesses to donate prizes for the winners and accompanying events like a raffle and use the money from raffle tickets to boost donations. If a marathon event seems too long, try a talent show.
Crowdfunding for booster clubs
Crowdfunding is a popular way for booster clubs to help support school grants and scholarships, or raise money for classroom supplies and equipment for sports teams. It helps clubs to share their story with parent, teacher and student networks online, and empowers people to invest in their students’ education and activities.
When launching a fundraiser, determine your budget to plan a successful fundraiser, set a fundraising goal, and then launch it online. GoFundMe offers dedicated customer support and the security of the GoFundMe Guarantee, with funds usually accessible within 2-5 business days.
Raise money for your booster club today
The members of booster clubs dedicate a lot of time and effort to make sure a school and its programs can do their best work. Through online fundraising, booster clubs can raise the funds they need to support their specific teams or programs.
After you’ve picked one of the booster club fundraisers ideas, take a look at these GoFundMe success stories to inspire you to start a fundraiser of your own today.
