BOOSTER 101: Booster Club Basics Best Practices February 9, 2015 6:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
WHAT IS A BOOSTER CLUB? Parents or community members who support a school activity Primary role is to raise funds to provide additional support above District expenditures Has no authority regarding personnel decisions and cannot influence team selection or decisions made by coaches
WHAT BOOSTER CLUBS EXIST IN SUSD? In the SUSD, more than 60 organizations currently exist that fit the definition of a Booster Club Most have small operating budgets (less than $10,000 annually) Most support either sports, arts or music programs ARCADIA CHAPARRAL CORONADO DESERT MT. SAGUARO PTO UMBRELLA Baseball Boys Basketball Cross Country Girls Basketball Softball Spiritline Track Volleyball Arcadia Instrumental INDEPENDENT Football INDEPENDENT Badminton Band Baseball Boys Basketball Boys Golf Choir Cross Country Football Girls Basketball Girls Golf Orchestra Science Softball Speech & Debate Swim (Dive) Theatre Track Volleyball Wrestling INDEPENDENT Band Baseball Boys Basketball Cheer Chorus Football DM BOOSTERS, INC. Baseball Boys Basketball Cheer-Varsity Cheer-JV Cross Country Girls Basketball IBPA Pom-Varsity Pom-JV Science Softball Swim (Dive) Visual Arts Volleyball INDEPENDENT Band Choir Football PTO UMBRELLA Baseball Boys Basketball Cross Country Girls Basketball Softball Spiritline Track Volleyball Arcadia Instrumental
ATHLETIC SEASON 14/15 Season/Sport Practice Start Dates (vary) Regular Season Competition Start Dates (vary) Regular Season Competition End Dates (vary) FALL Badminton Swim/Dive Cross Country Girls Volleyball Football Golf Freshman Tennis Soccer Basketball Soccer Wrestling Baseball Softball Varsity Tennis WINTER SPRING Boys Volleyball Golf Track August 4 August 25 November 2 November 3 November 24 February 7 February 9 February 25 April 30 Sport Season of Activity Begins Season of Competition Begins Season of Competition Begins Spiritline August 4 August 4 February
WHAT ARE THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF A BOOSTER CLUB? IRS determination letter- identifies the organization as a non-profit, 501(c) (3) Registration and annual filing with the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) Initial filing, officer information, bylaws, annual budget, fees associated with filing Paperwork filed with the Arizona Secretary of State Statutory agent- must have before filing with ACC Would recommend bonding for treasurer (?)
TYPES OF BOOSTER CLUBS Stand-alone Umbrella
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A STAND-ALONE ORGANIZATION? Focus on a single activity or sport Autonomy
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AN UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION? Support for activities Covers all state and federal filing requirements Covers insurance for liability purposes and compliance with SUSD policies Ability to network with other booster organizations
HOW DO YOU START A BOOSTER CLUB THAT MEETS SUSD REQUIREMENTS? Determine 501(c)(3) stand-alone or umbrella organization Follow District policies and procedures regarding policies in place for rentals (must have liability insurance), community use of facilities, gifts, conflict of interest, ethics, conduct, technology use, etc. Avoid placing SUSD employees at risk with abovementioned policies Goal: Good Standing designation
WHERE CAN YOU FIND MORE INFORMATION? Booster Council Members William Dippel CHAIR Erin Toth VICE CHAIR ARCADIA Kevin Mooney Amy DeMichele Shonna James CHAPARRAL Tommy Eubanks Michael Nelson Rich Paulsen CORONADO Erin Toth Vacant DESERT TM. Nikki Wilfert William Dippel Marceyle Ziemba SAGUARO Todd Gilbreath Vacant SUSD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ATHLETICS Clif McKenzie SUSD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SECONDARY Dr. Mitch von Gnechten Two parents from Each School Athletic Directors and SUSD Administration
WHERE CAN YOU FIND MORE INFORMATION? SUSD Website- Booster Web Page Booster Council Guidelines Booster Council Bylaws Minutes Training Documents Facility Usage Information Tax Credit Information Arizona Secretary of State Links Arizona Corporation Commission Links School AD or STUGO
Booster Council Site http://www.susd.schoolfusion.us/
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE ORGANIZED? Create a master calendar coordinate fundraising calendars with others at the school level. Know when filings are due and check status. http://starpas.azcc.gov/scripts/cgiip.exe/wservice= wsbroker1/main.p Have transition information for the next group.
THE MOST ASKED QUESTIONS: THE 3 F S Finance Fundraising Food
FINANCES What Filings Must We Do Annually? IRS Form 990 AZ Corp Commission Annual Report Site Administration: May require Booster Board Contact Information Will require proof of insurance if working students or use of site facilities.
FINANCES What Filings Might We Do Annually? Officers- Staggered Terms, Annual List to School Bylaws Books, Banking, Bond
FUNDRAISING What Are Some Effective Fund Raising Strategies? Know how much you need to raise before starting. Don t raise money without knowing what you want to do with it. Engage students and parents. Know the rules of joint ventures. Should we try for one big fundraiser or several smaller ones?
FUNDRAISING What Are Some Effective Fund Raising Strategies? Work with other sports in your season- Fall, Winter, and Spring Refreshment Sales Apparel Sales Drawings Auctions Market Sales at Various Events
FUNDRAISING Anyone Care to Share Their Success? What fundraisers have you done? What was successful? Why? Did you make mistakes? What did you learn? Who was involved? How did you go about publicizing? Did you set a goal? How did you measure progress along the way?
What About Students? Students can and should be able to participate in fund raisers (Joint Ventures). Students should not, however, be expected to spend too much time on fundraising. Determine a measured amount of time.
FOOD What Do You Need to Know About Food Handling? No Permit Required: Shelf-stable or given by caterer Class 2 Permit: Serving Pre-packaged Food Class 3 Permit: Serving Non Pre-packaged Food Serve Safe Certified Manager Annual Renewals Usually Sent to Schools QUESTIONS? Call Patti Bilbrey or the AD s
How Do You Get People to Help? Getting volunteers to help is a challenge Start small: do work for 1 2 hours Invite personally: connect with those you know Pair people up: more likely to volunteer with a buddy Show appreciation: food works! And having fun helps too! Keep your word: Ask for an hour or two and stick to your time window.
Can I Buy My Volunteers Gifts? Yes, but it should be of nominal value. Boosters should spend their funds on students and the program. Volunteers may be recognized by tokens of appreciation such as a certificate. If I pay my volunteers they are no longer volunteers.
Can I Buy My Coaches Gifts? Yes, but it should be of nominal value. Boosters should spend their funds on students and the program.
What Else Can You Do? Tax Credit What can tax credit be used for? How much can I donate? How is the money spent? How is a School Site Council involved?
Transition and Succession Do your bylaws identify terms of office to account for a smooth transition? Staggered terms? Successor language? Do you have written procedures? Do your documents clearly describe how new officers are to run the organization? Or, is the organization in the trunk of a car?
Transition and Succession Do your officers have working binders or notebooks? Are you attending trainings offered by SUSD or others? Are you accessing resources available on the Booster website?
Questions? Thank you!
Exit Ticket Please complete the exit ticket!