Even though high school football season is months away, it’s time to start now when it comes to planning for fundraisers.

High school football boosters are some of the most dedicated volunteers. Many parents have been supporting their children in sports activities since elementary school youth sports. They are often excited for their kids to be playing sports at the high school level and are dedicated football booster club members.

Concession stands are one of the most popular ways that football booster clubs raise funds. Most spectators want to purchase food and drinks at the games anyway, so this is a matter of giving people what they really want. Often the lines at the football game concession stand can be very long indeed!

If another organization is in charge of the concession stand, football boosters can work with them to man the booth and split the profits. Otherwise, with the support of the other organizations, they can host their own small booth once or twice during the season.

Another popular fundraising idea for football boosters is the sale of spirit items. These are items that school team fans can buy, wear or use to show their support. T-shirts, stadium seats, noisemakers and buttons are just a few of the popular spirit items. These items are sold at pep rallies, through fliers sent home with students and at the games.

These are just two of the many fundraising options that school athletic booster clubs can choose. Groups should evaluate all of the options to find the most effective and profitable fundraiser for their school.

Every year many school groups such as PTO, booster clubs, and other groups need to plan fundraisers to keep providing excellent learning and extra curricular opportunities for students.

When your group is looking at different fundraising options, consider the following questions to evaluate whether it will be a good fundraiser for you or not.

1. Is the fundraiser a good match for our school?

The type of fundraising program your school group chooses should be consistent with a positive learning environment.  It should also be a good match for the interests and background of people in your community. Consider what type of event or fundraising program will generate the most excitement in your students and their families.

2. What are the costs associated with this fundraiser?

Fundraising programs such as sales and events can have significant costs associated with them.  Before committing to a particular fundraiser, create a rough projection of expenses and income.  Are there expenses that can be underwritten by sponsors or donated?

3. Do we have the volunteer power needed for this fundraiser?

Consider how many staff and volunteer hours it will take to organize and hold the fundraising program you are considering.  Is there a core group of volunteers that you can count on to make this work?  Can you reach out to a broader network of people who could each contribute for just an hour or so?

4. Will the costs and work involved produce significant revenue?

Based on your answers to questions 2 and 3, will the fundraising program produce significant revenue compared to the cost and work required?  Will this fundraising drive produce a significant portion of the funds needed for your year?  If not, consider how many other fundraisers will be needed in order to reach your goal.

5. How will this fundraiser impact our future fundraising programs?

A negative fundraising experience can decrease your audience desire to participate in future fund drives.  On the other hand a fundraising program that goes well can build momentum with increased results the following year.  Always consider what is best for your students, parents and community and how the fundraiser fits into the schools long term objectives.

There are a variety of independent fundraisers going on in a given community at any one time. If your fundraiser overlaps with another’s, your group’s fundraising success could be in jeaporady. You definitely don’t want to try to do a candy fundraiser during Girl Scout Cookie Time!

This is espcially true for schools. Getting your school group’s plans onto a central calendar will help make sure that there are no overlaps. It also helps publicize your fundraiser in advance.

An Illinois school recently decided to go one step further and put its fundraising calendar online:

Last week, the school board approved an online fundraising calendar. Superintendent Marvin Warner said the calendar will be open to the public, so businesses can check to make sure it is supported and sanctioned by the school.

“We’ve had a little trouble in the past, not a big problem, but it happens occasionally,” Warner said. “More importantly, the calendar allows people to know what’s coming. You can’t support everything, but you’ll know what to expect.”

The calendar will include any fundraiser sanctioned by Highland schools, parent-teacher organizations and booster clubs. There will be procedures for getting fundraisers approved and put on the calendar, which will include documentation of the cost and profit for the event. Warner said that will be a “better tracking mechanism” to monitor school fundraisers.

Source: Belleville News-Democrat

When raising funds for any group, finding a good match between the organization and the type of fundraiser is crucial. A program that is in harmony with the mission of the organization and preferences of supporters will result in higher fundraising success.

A recent gala held to support the School for the Creative and Performing Arts is a great example. Items up for bid at the auction included items related to the arts, a clear link between the fundraiser and the mission of the organization.

The Les Paul Studio guitar was donated by Gibson Guitars and was signed by rock artist Peter Frampton, who served as honorary chairman of the event along with his wife, Tina.

The Les Paul guitar was a symbol of what the famous guitarist contributed to American jazz, not only as a performer but through the development of modern electric instruments and recording techniques.

The guitar sold for $8,000, said Judy Recker, chairwoman of the Fur Ball.

Source: Cincinnati Enquirer

Of course many people who attended the event were likely musicians or other people who are strong supporters of arts education.  This is a good example of matching the group with an appropriate fundraising strategy.

1. Make your school fundraising event fun or unique.  Even if it’s a carnival or other event that you’ve been doing for years think of twists that will get more students and parents excited about participating.
2. Events take volunteers. Usually a lot of them! Carefully consider how much manpower it will take to pull off the school fundraising event you are considering.
3. After deciding on the event type, organize into committees for each aspect of the event.  For example: publicity, decorations, food, event set-up, clean up, etc.
4. Better safe than sorry. When planning your event date be aware of conflicting events.  Make sure your event does not fall on the same day as other important events in the area.  If you are having an outdoor event, have a contingency plan for bad weather.
5. Keep the costs of your school fundraising event low! Your costs should be 25% or less of the gross receipts from the event. Try to get as much donated as possible! If your costs are zero, ALL the money goes toward your school..
6. Paying for advertising such as TV and billboards can be a waste of resources. Only a very small percentage of the people who see the advertisement will actually come. Many times the best advertisement is word of mouth.  Use free media such as press releases, flyers sent home to parents, email and phone calls.
7. Involve as many pockets of your school and community as possible.  For example, let each grade, school club and even community organizations hold their own booth.  If you are having a ticketed event, let other community groups sell tickets and keep a percentage of the revenue from tickets they sell.