Looking to found your own Utah booster club? Booostr is here to help you along in the process! We have created this helpful guideline for you to reference as you go through the process of founding your Utah booster club. As in most states, Utah booster clubs are required to register as a formal organization, keep reading to learn the basic steps to make sure your booster club is legal in the state of Utah!
When you are ready to begin the process, you should start by visiting the Utah Division of Consumer Protection website. Here you will find tons of helpful information around starting a Utah booster club. The site also has a great FAQ section that you can visit should you run into some more common problems others have had. It is important to become familiar with the different fees and forms associated with starting a booster club, to ensure you are financially ready to begin. If everything is in order, then you can proceed to the first step – thinking of a unique name for your Utah booster club!
Choosing a name is one of the hardest steps in creating your Utah booster club. You want something unique, but it cannot be a business name that is already in use. To avoid this, we suggest putting together a list of at least 8-10 creative potential names for your club. With your list in hand, you can check to be sure that you have an original name through the Utah Division of Consumer Protection search engine. We cannot stress how important this step is, as the rest of this process involves registering your club under your selected name.
The next important step in building your Utah booster club is crafting a meaningful and concise mission statement. One hint to consider: align your club’s mission statement with that of the school your club is affiliated with to keep both in line. Keep in mind that a properly written mission statement communicates the overall purpose of the organization, defines who the club is, why it exists, and who the work of the organization benefits. Next up – writing your Utah booster club bylaws!
Before you file your articles of incorporation, you’ll need to have bylaws that comply with Utah law. Your bylaws simply contain the rules and procedures your corporation will follow for holding meetings, electing officers and directors, and taking care of other corporate formalities required in Utah. Your bylaws do not need to be filed with the state — they are your internal operating manual. Don’t worry about getting everything perfect the first round, you can always amend the bylaws at a later date!
Now it’s time for your Utah booster club to select its initial board members. It is important to note when choosing board members, states differ in the number of directors they require on the club’s board of directors. We suggest keeping the board small initially, typically 3 members. Having a small board makes it easier to make quicker decisions, ESPECIALLY important at this early stage. Once you have established the board of directors, you can hold your first meeting to vote on the club officers.
The first meeting of your Utah booster club is very important with a lot of information to cover. There will be a lot of voting involved, so make sure a majority of your club members are in attendance for this meeting. The first meeting should cover:
Once the first meeting is complete there are only a few more steps to complete the creation of your Utah booster club!
It is important to vote or appoint booster club officers that will manage your booster club professionally. These officers should be nominated based on their expertise, ability to interact with other members, and their focus on the development and growth of the club. With a solid group of leaders, you will rest easy having ensured the success of your Utah booster club.
Filing for an Employee Identification Number (EIN) with the IRS is the one of the last steps for establishing your new Utah booster club. What is the point of an EIN? Quite simply, they are required to open a business bank account, many business transactions require them and certain fundraising will also require an EIN. All the information and forms related to obtaining your EIN are available on the IRS website. Before you start though, make sure that you have all of your state documents handy as much of the information submitted and approved by the state of Utah will be needed by the IRS.
Becoming a Utah nonprofit organization will involve jumping through a few more hoops with the IRS. Again, the IRS website provides everything your organization needs to become a non-profit including the necessary forms and any tax information that may need to be referenced.
Filling for tax-exemption is not necessary, but we highly suggest it! This is a great way for both your Utah booster club and your club supporters save money. Tax-exemption means that your booster club is excluded from most sales tax and any donations or purchases made through your tax-exempt organization can be written off on personal and business taxes!
There are two basic steps listed on the IRS site:
Once the IRS Form 1023 has been approved, you will are now eligible as a tax-exempt business in Utah.
The final step in creating your new Utah booster club is opening your club’s business bank account. Without a bank account handling the money coming in and going out of the club can get very disorganized and confusing and lead to potential theft. Opening a bank account decreases potential for financial mismanagement while increasing the trust of donors and supporters. Last, having a business bank account allows you to hold online fundraisers, easily collect donations, track finances and it will be easier for future management to take over.
At this point you should have now started Utah’s newest booster club! With your new booster club up and running, remember to keep up with current Utah booster club / corporate law and stay on top of annual state fees and dues to maintain your Utah booster club’s good legal standing. As you move forward with your club, keep checking back on Booostr for further help managing, marketing or fundraising for your booster club.
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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.
