Great leadership can make or break a booster club. As dedicated as your volunteers and staff may be, every booster club needs a solid leadership team to achieve goals, manage funds, and guide the organization throughout the year.
You need a reliable, dedicated leadership team at the helm of your booster club. But what if you don’t know where to find the leaders you need? Building a great booster club leadership team starts with identifying great leaders.
What Is a Booster Club Leadership Team?
The structure of a booster club leadership team is similar to the executive hierarchy of most nonprofit organizations. Leaders are elected by active members of the club and usually serve for the duration of an academic year. Leadership roles are often similar across different organizations, but responsibilities may vary depending on the duties of the position defined in a particular booster club’s bylaws.
Typically, booster club leadership positions consist of four major roles:
- The President, who sets the agenda for meetings, leads meetings, meets with campus administration, and performs any other duties as outlined by the booster club’s bylaws.
- The Vice President, who performs the duties of the president in the event of the president’s absence, carries out duties delegated by the president, and other duties defined by the club’s bylaws.
- The Treasurer, who oversees all financial activities of the organization, including maintaining financial records, filing taxes, preparing budgets, creating and sharing financial reports, and other duties as specified by the booster club bylaws.
- And finally, the Secretary, who is responsible for keeping records including meeting attendance and minutes, maintaining accurate membership lists, correspondence with members, and performing other duties expected by the bylaws.
Other positions for booster club management, such as historian, parliamentarian, or marketing officer may be created as need arises.
What to Look for in a Booster Club Leader
So, what makes a good leader? What sort of person should you be looking for when filling out your booster club leadership team? Most great leaders have a few qualities in common.
- Great leaders have a vision. Vision is especially important when selecting the president of your booster club, but also for leaders in every position. A leader who has goals or plans for the organization is more likely to achieve success.
- Great leaders are knowledgeable. Whoever you elect or appoint to the leadership positions of your booster club, they should understand your organization and be able to accurately assess its current situation.
- Great leaders energize their team. The leaders of your booster club should be the most enthusiastic about its success. They should inspire booster club staff and volunteers to perform at their best and create excitement about the team or club your organization supports.
If you’re looking for leaders for your booster club, it’s likely that you already know someone in the community with these qualities. Parents, business owners, and even alumni could be fantastic leaders for your organization.
Who Makes Up a Great Booster Club Leadership Team?
You may be able to tell a great leader when you see one, but who exactly should you consider when assembling your booster club leadership team? The good news is that usually, you won’t have to look far.
Parents
The best booster club leaders are those most invested in the success of the team or club that your booster club supports, and quite often, those are the parents. Do you see the same fans in the bleachers at every game, proudly cheering for their son or daughter? You may be able to recruit them for your booster club.
And if one parent is unable to join the booster club, it might be worthwhile to ask their spouse or partner to join instead. If it’s for the success and happiness of their children, many parents are willing to lead booster clubs.
Community Leaders
Consider reaching out to the community. Many business owners are eager to flex their philanthropy muscles and join the management team of local nonprofit organizations. Learn if there are any vendors or suppliers who already support your school or team and ask if they’re interested.
Alumni
Reach out to alumni. They have familiarity with your school and may have firsthand experience with your sport or activity. For example, if your high school football team is in need of leaders for its booster club, alumni who are former players could be a great choice.
Build A Booster Club Leadership Team for a New Club
In an established booster club, leaders are usually appointed by process of election unless otherwise specified in their bylaws. But what if you’re just starting out? How do you find your booster club leadership team?
Decisions regarding leadership positions should be top priority when forming your booster club. First, meet with school administrators and coaches who can direct you to the best candidates. Consider attending a PTA meeting to announce the formation of your new booster club and inform parents about leadership opportunities. You can also utilize social media or job listings to appeal for candidates.
Since your new booster club won’t have members to elect its leaders, the roles of your first booster club leadership team will be decided by you. Deliberate with your team and appoint your leadership based on qualifications and experience.
How to Find Leaders for an Established Booster Club
If you are part of an established booster club, finding leaders can still be a challenge. Leadership turnover is frequent due to yearly graduations and filling vacant positions can be a challenge. But as we’ve seen, it’s likely that you have several worthy candidates on the periphery of your organization.
Appeal to parents, local business owners, and alumni to run for leadership positions in your booster club. Use your booster club’s social media or email list to advertise open leadership positions or get in touch with your school’s administration to get the word out on the school’s social media or newsletter. And don’t forget about posting on online job boards.
Hold elections as outlined in your bylaws, ask candidates to share their vision, and have members vote to elect your new leaders.
Building a booster club leadership team is a fundamental step in the success of your organization. Whether you’re starting a booster club for the first time or if you’re electing new leaders once again, knowing how to find the right leaders can be difficult. But by enlisting the help of parents, community leaders, and alumni, you can find quality leaders with the vision to help your booster club succeed.
