Booster club fundraising plays a critical role in helping schools and organizations raise the money they need to purchase supplies or to make costly events a reality. Since funds are often among the top needs of programs and organizations supported by booster clubs, it comes as no surprise that good booster club fundraising ideas can make a serious difference in determining the success of booster clubs and the programs and organizations they support. Figuring out how to raise booster club donations is an important task for booster clubs, but it is not a task that is always easy. We have compiled different ways to raise booster club donations for programs and organizations below.
Promote Booster Club Fundraising Events on Social Media
One of the easiest ways to increase booster club fundraising success is to promote booster club fundraising events on social media platforms. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will allow booster clubs to reach a wider audience than they would have otherwise, especially since many people spend quite a bit of time online every day. Furthermore, these social media platforms will allow interested viewers to share your fundraising promotion posts with other individuals on the platform. The fact that social media posts can so easily be shared by other users could potentially increase your audience, even if you do not have many followers when you first create your account, and can increase the ways to raise money for your booster club’s cause as a result. If your booster club posts on these social media platforms regularly, the number of people who follow your booster club social media accounts will steadily grow and posts regarding fundraising events will reach a larger and larger audience with time. The more your audience grows, the more you will be able to grow booster club fundraising profits.
Create a Booster Club Website that Allows for Online Donations
Booster club websites, like booster club social media accounts, provide more opportunities to grow booster club fundraising profits. Creating website for your booster club is generally a good idea simply to promote the booster club itself, since it will allow individuals interested in your booster club to find information about your organization quickly during an internet search. However, booster club websites do not only allow individuals to learn about your organization. They also add to the ways to raise money for your booster club. Many website builder platforms also allow you to include an online donation option on your website. Squarespace, for example, will allow you to place a donation button directly on one of your web pages. When viewers click this button, they will be directed to a page in which they can enter their credit card information and give your booster club a donation digitally. One important detail to note about this digital donation option is that you will need to have set up your booster club bank account beforehand. Read our blog on how to Create Your Booster Club Online Fundraising System to learn more about how to raise booster club donations online.
Links to your booster club website can also be included in social media posts, which will increase the number of people who visit your website and can potentially increase booster club fundraising on your booster club website.
Engage Your Booster Club Audience Directly
Many people underestimate word of mouth when thinking of ways to increase booster club fundraising success. However, while fliers and internet advertisement might reach your audience, there is also the possibility they may not. On the other hand, you can guarantee that your audience will hear about your fundraising event if you tell them about it directly. This is not as difficult as it sounds.
Members of athletic booster clubs can simply strike up conversation with the parents of athletes when they come to the game. When individuals come to buy tickets for a play, members of drama booster clubs helping out at the ticket stand could briefly mention other ways to support the drama program. The individuals who come to events for the program or organization your booster club supports may already have an interest in giving more support to that program or organization. What they may not know, however, is how to go about making a donation. Meeting a friendly, helpful booster club member will increase the likelihood that they will make a donation and help you grow booster club fundraising profits.
When implementing fundraising strategies, it is important account for the number of people who rely heavily on their smartphones. How many people have you watched walk down hallways or sidewalks while texting, so completely engrossed in their touchscreens that they risk running into desks and telephone poles? These individuals may miss the fliers you’ve taken the time to hang throughout schools or in other settings. When trying to reach out to an audience that is becoming increasingly dependent on digital media, booster club fundraising ideas utilizing the internet are viable options. However, keep this in mind: in a world where people are used to simply looking at their phones rather than paying attention to their surroundings, a face to face conversation about booster club fundraising may end up being the most memorable part of a person’s day.’
Fundraising is a critical role that booster clubs play for the organization and activities they represent. It is key to understand the best ways to raise the money needed to not only operate efficiently but provide the support for the students and extra-curricular activities that the booster club was created to help. A basic understanding of ways you can raise money, will allow you to develop more and more creative fundraising ideas in the future!
