Booster Club Fundraisers: Ideas & Tips for Success

Booster clubs are great ways to support athletic clubs, academic groups, and other worthwhile student endeavors. And well-run booster club fundraisers can keep these organizations running for years to come.

14 Fun Booster Club Fundraising Ideas

The following types of fundraisers are great for engaging community members (both individuals and local businesses) and raking in donations for your school programs.

1. Scavenger Hunt

Why it’s great:

Engage students of all ages
In-person event that encourages booster club member cooperation

What you’ll need:

Large location
Small places to hide clues/hints
Registration materials
Prizes

2. Brick Fundraiser

Why it’s great:

Lasting testament to donors’ generosity
Fun and unique community event
Engages the larger community outside the booster club

What you’ll need:

Online donation portal*
Marketing strategy meetings*
A place to display your memorial bricks or tiles

*Fundraising Brick provides these items for FREE.

3. Car Wash

Why it’s great:

Larger community engagement
Low-cost, high-reward event

What you’ll need:

Location
Soap, buckets, water source, towels

4. Golf Tournament

Why it’s great:

Engages larger community
Opportunity for many participants

What you’ll need:

Golf course
Food and beverages
Prizes
Registration materials

5. 50/50 Raffle

Why it’s great:

Low-cost event
Easy to host

What you’ll need:

Raffle tickets

6. Movie Night

Why it’s great:

Fun event
Can choose themes based on your club

What you’ll need:

Approval to screen movie
Location
Concessions
Seating

7. Silent Auction

Why it’s great:

Easy to host
Can accept donated items

What you’ll need:

Items to donate
Location
Bidding/payment system

8. Game Night

Why it’s great:

Family-friendly event
Easy to host

What you’ll need:

Games
Location
Registration materials
Concessions

9. Gift Wrap Event

Why it’s great:

Unique seasonal event
Larger community engagement

What you’ll need:

Wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons
Tape and scissors

Lots of volunteers

10. Trivia Night

Why it’s great:

Can choose theme based on club
Low-cost event
Easy fundraising event

What you’ll need:

Tables and chairs
Microphone
Registration materials
Paper and pens

11. Walk-a-Thon

Why it’s great:

Wider community engagement
Encourages physical engagement

What you’ll need:

Local sponsorships
Volunteer walkers
Route (with applicable permits)
Road barriers and traffic cones
Registration materials
Water stations

12. Bake Sale

Why it’s great:

Delicious
Encourages community engagement
Low-cost event

What you’ll need:

Baked goods

13. Talent Show

Why it’s great:

Wider community engagement
Can view in person or stream online
Viewer participation with voting

What you’ll need:

Stage and seating
Tickets
Microphone
Voting system
Registration materials

14. Yard Sale

Why it’s great:

Low cost
Low-hassle event
Can accept donated items
Wider community engagement

What you’ll need:

Donated items
Secure no-cash payment system
Cash for change

Making Your Booster Club Fundraiser a Success: 4 Tips & Tricks

Ways to increase the amount of donations you receive this year (and next!) include the following:

Set up a secure, 24/7 online donation portal
Partner with local businesses for financial support and public endorsements
Send thank you messages to donors after the event
Plan ahead and advertise the event early

Booster Club Fundraising FAQs

What are the most profitable fundraisers?

Profitable types of fundraisers include galas, cookie dough sales, raffles, auctions, fun runs, and yard sales.

What are the IRS rules for booster clubs?

Social clubs in the United States may be eligible for federal income tax exemption if they meet the Internal Revenue Code’s section 501(c)(7).

How do I ask for donations for a booster club?

You can ask for donations for a booster club through several ways, including:

In person, through handing out flyers, selling club t-shirts, putting posters on bulletin boards, or creating mail campaigns
Online, through dedicated online fundraising donation pages or email campaigns

No matter which method you choose (or a combination of both), it’s important to be sincere and help your potential donors visualize the direct impact their donations will have. It’s one thing to say that their donations will help. It’s another to include images of past events with a message saying that donors’ support can directly help kids continue to play the sports that get them scholarships.

How do we start a booster club fundraiser?

The following 12 basic steps can help you host a successful booster club fundraiser.

Create your fundraising team. Choose the people who will support your fundraising efforts and will help you succeed.
Set your fundraising goal and align it with your booster club needs. For example, if you need more sports equipment for your high school sports team, calculate how much that equipment would cost and set that as your new goal.
Establish a time and place for your fundraising event.
Get all necessary permits, licenses, and permissions.
Gather all necessary materials and establish a secure way to collect payments for entry fees, tickets, sponsorships, and/or donations.
Create an event page online with a secure donation portal.
Promote the event on social media, in person, in email campaigns, in mail campaigns, and more.
Sell tickets and event merchandise, if applicable.
Set up the event the night before, if possible.
Host the event.
Calculate total profits from ticket sales, items sold, etc.
Analyze how you can optimize the fundraising campaign to do even better next year.

If you’re still nervous about starting your first booster club fundraiser, turn to the experts at Fundraising Brick. We have years of experience helping all sorts of organizations run successful fundraising events, and we’d love the opportunity to help you create a fundraising brick campaign that will transform your community.