An arts booster club is created with the purpose of supporting the goals and activities pursued by school fine arts programs. These kinds of organizations are extremely beneficial for students through allowing them to expand their social and world view while also developing a sense of appreciation for world cultures. Art booster clubs, while usually managed by parents, should also encourage the students to volunteer as a way to help support school arts programs from a financial perspective. Below, we at Booostr have compiled a number of ways in which you can use your booster club as a means of supporting school arts programs!
Target the Needs of the Arts Department
The purpose of most arts booster clubs is to act as the bridge between parents and administration, determine the needs of the program, and to help fulfill the needs and goals set by the arts department, through acting as a representative for the entire fine arts program.
Usually, the needs of arts departments revolve around necessities such as raising funds for supplies and exhibition locations within the local community. However, depending on your area, there may be a number of other fundamentals that require the financial assistance of the arts booster club. It’s become common for school districts to cut funding for arts programs as a way of conserving their already tight budgets. While it may benefit other programs, it usually leaves the arts program without the necessary funds it needs to thrive as a department. Be sure to organize a meeting with the school administration to have an honest discussion about what the art program is struggling with so your booster club can target specific needs while fundraising.
Ensure Your Booster Club is Registered as a Nonprofit Organization
In order for your booster club to be able to support school art programs, there are a number of steps you need to take in order to make sure your organization is recognized as a legitimate organization. Booostr.co has a variety of articles that can help you establish your art booster club as a legal and legitimate organization, such as Keeping Your Booster Club Legal. Additionally, there are a number of resources on Booostr that give an outline of what procedures you need to follow depending on the state you’re operating out of. Establishing your arts booster club as a legitimate organization is integral to it operating legally, as well as building trusting relationships between the booster club and community.
Encourage Students and Parents To Participate In Your Arts Booster Club
One of the most important aspects of creating and maintaining an arts booster club is engaging members of the community. Before you can begin advertising your organization, you need to be sure you have all of your ducks in a row, so to speak. Have a clear outline of what your arts booster clubs purpose is, how you are going to achieve the goals you’ve set, and what kind of responsibilities volunteers will be taking on.
No booster club can run without participants and volunteers, which means that it’s integral that you get the word of your new arts booster club out to students and parents alike. This means that a good amount of effort needs to be put towards promoting your booster club in order for your organization to be able to support your school’s art programs. Booostr.co has compiled a number of articles that cover a number of different advertising strategies for booster clubs, such as how you might utilize different social media platforms to the advantage of your organization. It’s also good to keep in mind some of the more traditional approaches (advertising, sponsorships and more) to getting word about your organization out to the community!
Finally you should consider setting up booths at other school activities, such as sporting events or drama productions as it is a fantastic way of reaching out to the entire school community. This kind of marketing also puts your arts booster club into contact with individuals who may already be involved in other kinds of booster clubs, giving your organization another great resource for advice on how you can fund school art programs.
Develop Ideas For Soliciting Funds to Support School Art Programs
In order to fund your school’s art programs, it is necessary for an arts booster club to develop ways to solicit donations and raise money for the program. There are, of course, the traditional ways of fundraising for school programs, such as bake sales and car washes. However, if your booster club is specifically looking to fund school art programs, it might be a good idea to organize fundraisers that not only help your booster club fund art programs, but that also showcase the artwork created within the department.
Try promoting events that already pertain to the activities of the art department, such as art shows and contests. Setting up a booth in these environments will allow you to reach an audience already interested or involved in the program. Additionally, you could organize an “art sale” in place of something more traditional, like a bake sale. Sell or auction students pieces to the community as a way to solicit donations from interested parties. Not only will this involve potential volunteers or donors, but it will also showcase the hard work of the students within the program, encouraging them to keep working at their craft.
In order to fully support your school’s art programs, it’s important to understand and encourage every aspect of the program. Not only are funds necessary to maintain a successful art department, but your booster club should be able to provide emotional support as well. Working as an advocate for the art department in large, administrative conversations is extremely important towards reaching the art department’s goals. Your booster club should be able to vocalize the concerns of the department about funding and events when necessary.
Art booster clubs are an invaluable resource for schools who have a difficult time traditionally funding their art programs. By creating an arts booster club you will send a message to your school and school system letting them know that art is, and should be, an important part of every child’s well rounded educational experience.
