Managing a booster club can sometimes feel like an arduous project that takes a good deal of time and resources to master. Between planning for the next school event, rallying support from the community and coordinating volunteer efforts, little time can be left for raising money to fund the actual sport or activity. Here are 10 booster club online fundraising options meant to save you time.
10 Booster Club Online Fundraising Tools That Make an Impact
Since the early 2000s, online fundraiser platforms have revolutionized how people raise money and awareness for a good cause. Influencers like Indiegogo and Kickstarter help many artistic creators and technology innovators bring ideas and products to market, while GoFundMe is widely used by thousands of people to campaign digitally. With the number of online funding projects continuously growing, it can be a bit of a challenge for a booster club to be succinct and have an impact within their community. One of the best places to start doesn’t require the organization to have its own website.
Put social media to work
1. Facebook – 1 of 10 Booster Club Online Fundraising Options
With the advent of social media, gaining support for club events and student activities has never been easier. One of the largest platforms to utilize for online fundraising is Facebook. With more than 2 billion active users across the Facebook family of services, which include Messenger and Instagram, it’s no wonder the social media giant has helped an estimated 20 million people raise more than $1 billion US through Facebook Fundraisers.
Setting up a Facebook funding page is fairly easy and there are no fees for 501c3 organizations, meaning all of the funds raised benefit the booster club. The funds generated are securely handled by Network for Good, a leader in charitable platform corporations.
Own and utilize your booster club website
2. Hello, my name is _____
State your case for the needs of a student body or service organization using the club’s official website. The next in our 10 Booster club online fundraising options is utilizing the group’s site is a great way to meet quarterly or annual monetary goals while sharing success stories directly with those who donate. Visitors and regular users of the site will feel more at ease donating this way, as they can see for themselves the facts and figures of how much money is raised and how those funds are to be used.
Get started by promoting the booster club online fundraising idea with call-to-action widgets on the website and be sure to email club members and subscribers. Direct them to an online donation form customized for the team, band or other student activity with clear and concise information about goal totals that encourage donators to share their efforts via social media. When donors forward the booster club email or tweet about their gift with friends and family, it causes others to get excited, spurring further growth for club funding.
There are a couple of straightforward concepts to follow when establishing a funding option directly on the club site. First, make sure the call-to-action buttons and links are spread throughout the site, making it easy and compelling for visitors to follow along and donate. Then, keep the donation form simple and mobile friendly so anyone can easily enter the pertinent info (name, billing address, card number or payment account and email address) and submit their gift. Top Nonprofits, a leading resource for nonprofits, further illustrates some best practices for setting up a booster club online donation page on their site.
Crowdfunding, 4 of 10 Booster Club Online Fundraising Ideas
Not everyone is tech-savvy when it comes to creating donation portals on a website. Fortunately, there are several platform hosting businesses that raise awareness for an online fundraiser and take care of those behind the scenes details.
3. Chuffed
Chuffed is an online fundraiser platform created for the nonprofits of the world. Easy website integration and customizable designs highlight the club’s campaigns across social media. Donors cover all the processing fees so the club retains 100% of the money raised.
4. Donate Kindly
Companies like Habitat for Humanity trust Donate Kindly because they make it easy to integrate call-to-action buttons directly into the booster club website. There are no fees for the basic version, but organizations can upgrade to their full-feature set for $99 annually. Donate Kindly securely captures donor contact info and lets them establish recurring donations to drive booster club fundraising all year long.
5. Fundly
The feature that makes Fundly stand out is their use of visuals on the donation page. High-Res images and videos get the message out and social sharing is a cinch, where guests can choose how much to donate or just show support and spread the word. The fees for use are a flat 4.9% platform fee and credit card processing fees of 2.9% and $0.30 per transaction.
6. Mightycause
Not all online fundraisers serve the same purpose, so the team at Mightycause (formerly Razoo) created a site to handle four different fundraiser types – personal, charitable, team and organization. Set up multiple booster club online fundraisers and utilize their free fundraiser tools to generate traffic and stay connected to donors. Platform fees are 6.9% and $0.30 per transaction.
3 of 10 booster club online fundraising options revolve around partners
7. Sell merchandise
Raise money online and bolster club support by selling branded merchandise. There’s no need to store pre-made items, just create a customized campaign with Bonfire or Custom Ink Fundraisers and sell tee shirts direct to donors. Once the group’s design or logo is uploaded, they handle shipping, collect the money and deposit it to a designated account. Prices and fees vary, so contact them to discuss available fundraising options.
8. Auction online
Charity auctions are great for amplifying the impact and money raised during a charity event, so it’s important to leverage this as an online fundraiser tool. Onecause is an online charity auction platform that offers resources to inform and promote the booster club initiative in a flexible, cost-effective format. They offer different pricing tiers based on the level of professional support provided, from the do-it-yourselfers to a full-service suite of products.
9. Corporate giving
Garner high-dollar funding through corporate sponsors that will match donations. Local companies often gift items for raffles or auctions, but booster clubs can create an online fundraiser with Double the Donation and access powerful, well-known sponsors like Apple, Coca-Cola and Disney. The gift match is typically 1:1 but could as much as 4:1 and the site tracks donor stats through a registry, making it easy to keep in contact.
Power of the smartphone
10. Text-giving
Text-to-give campaigns are a smart and effective way for groups to take advantage of mobile devices. Snowball breaks down how this yet untapped fundraising tool can be leveraged to receive gifts from people on the go. Snowball walks leadership through the setup process and offers three pricing plans to choose from that provide an online donation page geared toward recurring gifts.
Points to remember
On-site and event campaigning are integral components of any fundraising, but unleashing the power of social media and smartphone technology is equally important in connecting to those around the corner and around the world. Smaller organizations or schools can easily create any one or more of these 10 booster club online fundraising systems, thus extending their ability to reach new donors.
Leverage the power of recurring donations by connecting with patrons throughout the year via text, email, and online communications. And whether the booster club creates it’s own donation form or partners with the professionals listed above, be sure to ask questions of the provider and stay informed throughout the process to ensure goals are met, donors receive praise and thanks, and that their information remains secure.
