The School Business Official’s Guide to Manage Booster Clubs

Introduction

When you oversee your school’s booster clubs as an athletic director or a part of school leadership, you get to make sure the parents and volunteers who manage the group do so according to your school requirements. This gives you the ability to make sure they’re in compliance with your rules and has a range of benefits that extend to the school itself and the community. However, this role is very involved, comes with its own challenges and typically does not include any guide to manage booster clubs associated with your school… until now! From basic club set up and organization, to knowing how often to oversee club meetings and what events the club will need to plan, to making sure the booster club is operating legally, there is alot to Manage. All of this makes having a guide to manage booster clubs for school leadership so much more important!

Having this information under your belt beforehand can make a huge difference in how smoothly and how well you’re able to oversee your school’s booster clubs! Plus, it’s important to know how often you’ll need to review this information each year.  Booostr has just about everything you need to know about booster clubs and now with this guide to manage booster clubs, we can help schools work together with the parents and volunteers who manage the club to help the school year go smoothly.

If you’re in charge of overseeing a booster club as a school business official, then bookmark this guide to manage booster clubs for everything you need to know!

 

An Initial Guide to Manage Booster Clubs Organization and Set Up

One of the first aspects you’ll need to oversee as a school official is the original organization and set up of the booster club. Sure, the details, finances, and taxes are of utmost importance. However, without regular meetings, cooperation from parents and booster club members, and proper procedures and scheduling, the booster club you oversee may feel chaotic and unorganized. This is where our guide to manage booster clubs comes in handy!

Before your club gets the ball rolling, they will need to set themselves up as a business with proper legal documentation. This might include an articles of incorporation and any bylaws. Your club will need to be file these documents with the Secretary of State where you wish to operate.

Next, they’ll need to determine who is in charge. If you’re overseeing the club as the athletic director, school official, or school leader, you’ll have a lot of say in this process. Your club will mostly likely elect a president or have someone appoint themselves to be the main booster club manager.  After this, the members of the booster club can appoint a vice president, a secretary, and treasurer so the club can run smoothly.

Because you allow the booster club to operate in your school, you will likely have a lot of say and need to be present during these decisions. You will be there in the preliminary meetings to make sure the booster club runs according to your rules. This can help save you a lot of frustration and difficulty in the future! You’ll likely also be involved in the first few meetings that establish how to run the booster club, whether to use a voting method or have a board of the club to make decisions, and how to delegate responsibilities throughout the group, and more. Depending on your school’s rules and what the club decides, you’ll have a better idea of how you can oversee the booster club and the school’s relationship.

 

School Leadership Guide to Manage Booster Clubs Operating Procedures

Once the club has established how it will be run and you’ve approved their organization, it’s time to review the guide to manage booster clubs for a few important operating procedures. While this step may seem basic, it’s vital to the structure and health of the club and will benefit you as the school official understand how to better promote your relationship with the club. Below are a few of the operations you’ll be able to oversee.

How Often Should the Booster Club Meet?

First, the booster club will have to determine how often they should meet. It’s important that you’re present to oversee these decisions so you can make sure the meetings line up with your school’s availability, the athletic schedule, and the academic schedule. The general rule of thumb is to hold booster club meetings at least monthly or bi-monthly. Consistency is key, so even if the club needs to meet every other month, keep it on the same day of the month, and at the same time. The members will be able to block it off on their schedules and remember the meetings more easily.

Another part of your job as the overseer is to make sure the members of the booster club are happy. You’ll have a lot of say in the manager’s decisions, so you can speak up if the members seem unhappy. For instance, you can make sure the meetings aren’t so close together that there isn’t enough new material to discuss. Let’s be honest, not many of the parents, athletes, and club members involved will enjoy these meetings, so keeping them fresh with new information and making sure the manager is prepared for the meeting will help keep smiles on everyone’s faces too!

 

What Should the Booster Club Discuss in Meetings?

You should also be aware of what your school’s booster club is discussing in their meetings and their plans for keeping discussions efficient. Make sure the booster club manager keeps the members happy and is as brief as possible during the meeting. For instance, they could start with a one to two-minute brief on what they discussed in last month’s meeting. Be sure they have someone to take notes on every meeting or have some form of note taking they prefer themselves.

After they’ve caught everyone up, they’ll talk about a few important topics. What events are coming up? What events have happened since the last meeting? They can also use this time to discuss finances and any updates in this area, as well as anything that still needs to be done before the next athletic or school event.

It’s important that you be involved in this process as you’ll be able to fill them in on the school schedule and make sure nothing clashes with other events. It’s also important to make sure they’re running things the way you’d like them too, so you’ll need to oversee these aspects of the club as well. Another way you can oversee the booster club as a school official is to be added to the email list. The club will likely have communication going before and after meetings via email, or whatever mode of communication the group agrees upon, so you’ll be able to be read about any announcements and oversee club and school relations this way!

If the manager of the booster club needs help learning how to run a successful meeting, this resource breaks down everything they need to know!

What Events Will They Have to Plan?

The booster club parents and volunteers will have to plan many events as a club, and you’ll be overseeing this planning and making sure the big picture is accounted for. Some potential events can include actual tournaments for the school’s athletic team, events for the theater or academic teams, or fundraising events such as auctions and parties. They can also organize other events such as an awards program at the end of the competing season, pre-game or post-game dinners, social events and more.

It’s vital that you play a role in overseeing the planning so you can make sure they run according to school guidelines and the school schedule. Consider having one on one meetings with the booster club manager or  being active in booster club meetings and emails to give input and stay informed!

 

Booster Clubs and Taxes

If your booster club isn’t run legally, this can reflect poorly on the school, community, and members. So, as a school official or athletic director, your job is to oversee that the club is run according to proper requirements. According to the IRS Tax Exempt and Government Entities Publication 4573, booster clubs must be tax exempt in order to participate in grant and scrip programs. This is also necessary for the organization to be able to accept donations or corporate grants, fundraisers, and for all earnings to be tax deductible.

How can the booster club get tax exempt? Most booster clubs are nonprofits and thus automatically qualify for tax-exemption. However, the manager or financial overseer will have to fill out the 501(c)(3) paperwork and submit this to the IRS. Once they legally make sure the booster club is tax exempt, they will have to take certain measures to stay tax exempt. This includes meeting all of the rules a nonprofit must abide by. This process can be complex, but we’ve broken down everything you need to know about the IRS and Booster Clubs here.

 

Does the Club Meet State Requirements?

Depending on which state you live in and oversee a booster club in, the club be required to follow certain state requirements. Many of these requirements are the same, but your club manager will need to review the IRS website to make sure they follow all rules of nonprofits in your state, have a bank account for the booster club in whatever state you’re in, and have regular meetings in the state.

However, for the aspects of operating a booster club that are different in each state, we’ve compiled a list of each state and their unique rules. Explore this resource here.

 

Financial Management 101

Part of our guide to manage booster clubs has to touch on revenue management. Here are a few ways you can oversee the finances of your school’s booster clubs and make sure they are safe, in regulation, and run properly!

The booster club’s finances are a responsibility the manager will have to take on when they’re elected. However, in addition to opening a bank account for the booster club so they can accept grants, money from fundraisers, and more, there are a few other steps they will need to take. And, you will need to oversee this process to make sure everything runs smoothly. Let’s take a closer look below.

Overseeing the Election of a Treasurer

Having a booster club treasurer who will handle the majority of the club’s finances is an excellent way to delegate responsibilities when you oversee a booster club as a school official. They’ll keep track of the club’s financial situations, be able to evenly distribute money around, and update the club during the monthly meetings. Simply discuss having a treasurer with the club manager and oversee the election process if you feel the need!

Making Sure they Avoid Embezzlement

Booster club theft and embezzlement from fundraising is a more common problem than you might think going into overseeing a booster club as a school official. Here are a few tips for your club manager and financial team to keep in mind so they can avoid embezzlement, even if accidental.

• Appoint a treasurer and a financial assistant to help count all money that comes in. Whether with electronic records of money or with cash from a fundraiser, have two people count the club’s earnings so they can avoid theft and mistakes.
• Never sign a check before the amount of money is written on it. Only sign checks that are already filled out.
• Have the club’s treasurer and assistant look over bank statements and keep meticulous records of everything related to finances.

 

Safety First: Overseeing Booster Club Insurance Plans

Having insurance not only protects the students, athletes, and scholars that the booster clubs support from injury and theft, but it protects you as an organization. While it’s not legally required, it’s always a good idea. If your school’s booster clubs don’t have insurance, they may face a lawsuit where they have to cough up hundreds of thousands in expenses. Consider liability insurance, property insurance, bonding insurance, and director’s and officer’s insurance. These will protect every aspect of they booster clubs!

 

Recapping Our Guide to Manage Booster Clubs Associated With Your School

As a school official or athletic director, the best way you can ensure the health of your school’s booster clubs is to stay involved, have clear communication with the club managers, and make sure they are continually meeting the necessary requirements for insurance, taxes, and regulations. The more often your school’s clubs hold these meetings, the more prepared the club will be and the better they’ll run!  Make note of our handy guide to manage booster clubs and you will be off to a great start!