Booster clubs are most closely associated with athletic departments. The booster club was formed to help with funding for a particular organization or group but has become most closely linked with sports. High school booster clubs support the school's athletic department using booster club fundraising techniques. These funds are used to buy equipment or supplies that are needed by the team and they also fund any travel that the teams are involved in while playing.
Booster club fundraising is often built around the sport that is in season and relies on school spirit to help get the community involved. The most common fundraising event that booster clubs are responsible for is the concession stand at the games. This is typically run by the booster club and is a reliable source of money to help the team.
Another way that booster clubs raise money is by selling raffle tickets at the games for prizes. The prizes are solicited from businesses in the community. T-shirts and other items with the school's name and mascot on them are also normally sold at the concession stand on game day. The school may also allow a storefront to be set up so that students can purchase these items during the day if they need them. If the booster club is allowed to do this they should also include pencils, notebooks, water bottles and any other item that might be used during the school day.
During the school year there is typically a school spirit week. Booster club fundraising during this week is highly profitable. The club should be prepared with as many different items as they can afford to purchase that have the school name and mascot on it. The community and the student body will all be hyped up about the upcoming homecoming game and these items will be immensely popular.
Booster clubs also work to engage school spirit and keep the community hyped about the athletic programs and their progress. When the school is doing well in a sport and reaching tournaments and playoffs the booster club will organize and plan a community event to raise funds for travel and at the same time spread the hype about the upcoming events. Cheerleaders are a vital part of making this happen and often attend the events to help spread the enthusiasm.
Booster club fundraising also includes the use of today's technology. Booster clubs often have their own website where they send out news about the teams events, keep scores posted and alert the community to upcoming booster club fundraisers. They can also add a page where donations can be made through the Internet using a credit card or PayPal. These are easy to design and more successful than many people might think.
Booster club fundraising carries over from high school to college level sports. However, once at the collegiate level the booster club has more regulations to follow concerning how they use their funds and the types of activities they are allowed to sponsor. This is strictly to keep the school from being involved in scandal and to prevent the athletic department from being tainted. Because most colleges rely heavily on the revenue generated by their athletic programs they keep a watchful eye over the booster club and its activities.
Booster club fundraising is an activity that occurs in both high school sports and college sports. Teams rely on the club to help them with the necessary funding they need for many different things throughout the season. Booster clubs also work to keep the school spirit and the community spirit up in order to keep the teams encouraged.