Starting a booster club can seem intimidating. Heck, starting anything unfamiliar can seem intimidating. Here are Booostr we are working to ease your stress when it comes to creating your very own Pennsylvania booster club. We have created a guideline meant to help you through every step of the process. Throughout this article there are several information links to help you complete each step as well as why each step in the process is necessary. All of our links will provide you with the most up to date and reliable resources possible. That being said, let’s get started!
The Pennsylvania Department of State website has a lot of great informational literature regarding starting your own booster club. The first step in this process is to choose a name for your booster club. The name of your booster club should tell your audience what your club is all about. We suggest having a list of 10-15 potential names for your club in case they are not available. Check name availability at the Pennsylvania Department of State site. Once you have found a name for your booster club, you can then move on to creating a mission statement for your booster club.
The next step is to craft a mission statement for your booster club. This statement should communicate the overall purpose of the organization and should define who you are, why you exist and who benefits from the work of your organization. The mission statement is a great opportunity to partner with and/or use as a reference your affiliated Pennsylvania school’s mission. Any supporter, volunteer or student should clearly understand the basics reasons the club exists after reading this short succinct summary.
Your Pennsylvania booster club bylaws contain the rules and procedures that your booster club corporation will follow. Your bylaws do not need to be filed with the state of Pennsylvania, but they are important as they are the internal operating manual for your organization. Furthermore, in order to file your articles of incorporation, you’ll need to have bylaws that ensure your club is operating correctly under Pennsylvania law.
Selecting members for the board of directors of your new Pennsylvania booster club is a very important decision for your booster club. These individuals will determine how successful your booster will be. Different states have different requirement on how many board members there should be. Just to be safe, we suggest having a group of 3 board members. With such a small group it makes decision making much faster, which is very helpful with such a young club. Once you have established the board of directors, they will then vote to determine who will be the club officers.
Your club officers are the people that manage the day to day activities needed to run a booster club. Because of this responsibility, it is important to appoint club officers who are great communicators and ideally have management experience. Even more than experience, you want your booster club officers to be appointed based on their expertise, interaction with parents and kids and their focus on the development and growth of the club. You can easily set your club up for success by choosing excellent leaders for your club.
With your clubs first meeting approaching, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed. Don’t be! From here everything should start falling into place. The first task of the meeting should be to approve the bylaws that should contain information about the rules and procedures of your organization. Once the bylaws have been approved, the group needs to determine the best accounting period and tax year would be best for the club. Your club’s fiscal year should coincide with the club’s activity season and if possible, the school’s fiscal year. The club also needs to nominate club officers for board approval. Finally, if your organization is ready, your board can approve the opening of the booster club business bank account and approve any initial transactions.
Filing for an Employee Identification Number (EIN) is important after completing all of the paperwork for establishing your new Pennsylvania booster club. In order to open a bank account for your booster club, most states require an EIN. Filing for an EIN is done through the IRS. The steps for the application process are found on the IRS website.
In order for your Pennsylvania booster club to become a nonprofit organization, you need to jump through a few hoops with the IRS. Simply go to the IRS website and you will be shown all of the information needed in becoming a non-profit in the Federal Government’s eyes. It’s here that you will find all of the forms needed to fill out when establishing a new Pennsylvania booster club a nonprofit. The IRS also provides tax information for nonprofits, which will probably helpful if you decide to make your booster club a tax exempt organization.
To become a nonprofit organization your company will have to fill out some more paperwork through the IRS. On the IRS website you can access all of the required information to become a federally accepted non-profit. It’s here that you will find all of the forms needed to fill out when establishing a new Pennsylvania booster club, as a nonprofit. The basic step-by-step process listed on the site is as follows: Apply for EIN (Employee Identification Number), Complete and submit the IRS Form 1023, Once the IRS Form 1023 has been approved, you will be eligible for tax-exemption in Pennsylvania.
The final step in the building of your club’s foundation is opening a club bank account. With a bank account, tracking money coming in and going out becomes much easier. Having a bank account greatly reduces the risk of theft within the club, along with decreasing the potential for mismanagement of funds. In addition to having a safe place to store club funds, having a bank account makes it possible to hold online fundraisers. Opening a bank account for your Pennsylvania booster club allows you to more easily collect donations, manage finances and makes transferring to future management much easier.
You did it! You started Pennsylvania’s newest booster club! We hope that we were able provide the resources necessary along the way. Our work doesn’t stop here, be sure to register you club through Booostr.co and don’t be afraid to visit us for more helpful articles related to running and the management of your booster club. Happy fundraising!
One of the key aspects of managing a booster club is communicating and informing key booster club supporters. Supporters who give and help volunteer are vital for a club’s success. To have a strengthened and solid team of supporters, your booster club will need to be able to relay information to supporters in a quick,… View Article
Serving in a booster club is a unique and fantastic opportunity to help others and give back to a community. Despite this great opportunity, sometimes issues arise and cause a hiccup in the plans to serve well and efficiently. One of these hiccups occurs through booster club management pass-off problems that arise when leadership teams… View Article
As your leadership operates and manages your booster club, managing and tracking different files and documents is one of the worst parts. But what if you had a system and tool that could turn one of the worst parts of your club into one of its best? Booostr Document Storage advantages your club by providing… View Article
Managing a booster club is a fantastic opportunity to serve your community and make a difference in the lives of many people. Additionally, serving in a booster club allows you to be of great value and use for yourself as well as others. However, it is very easy to let this perspective and grand vision… View Article
Booostr is the first booster club software platform with a connected set of tools designed to help booster clubs and nonprofits better manage their organization. From Communication, to Management, to Fundraising, Booostr's connected software improves booster club efficiency and allow them to focus on surpassing their goals.
