Booster clubs are formed by passionate parents who want their kids to access the best resources to enhance their educational journey. They can help raise funds for extracurricular programs in sports, academics, or arts.
Booster clubs need money to provide these resources. We’ve compiled the top 18 booster club fundraising ideas. Add your creative touch to these ideas to raise money and attract more members to your club.
18 Ideas for Booster Club Fundraisers
- Fashion Show
- School Carnival
- Movie Night
- Game Night
- Barbeque Festival
- Create and Sell T-shirts
- Christmas Tree Fundraising
- Coupon Book Fundraiser
- Gift Wrap Fundraiser
- Sports Events
- Walkathon
- Dance Marathon
- Eating Competition
- Reading Marathon
- Restaurant Night
- Car Wash
- Trivia Night
- Yard Sale
How Do Booster Clubs Raise Money?
Booster clubs organize fundraisers to pay for uniforms, equipment, tournament participation, and more.
Booster clubs registered as 501(c) nonprofits with the IRS are eligible to use several methods for fundraising like:
- Membership fees
- Fundraising events
- Merchandise sales
Community partnerships also secure local sponsors by collaborating with businesses that align with their cause. They help foster long-term community relationships and increase collaboration, gratitude, and generosity.
Booster Club Fundraising Ideas: Community Events
1. Fashion Show
This entertaining booster club fundraiser is sure to engage kids and adults alike. Encourage young fashion enthusiasts from your community to walk the ramp and support your initiatives.
Supporters can pay an entry fee to participate in the fashion show and compete for an exciting prize. Sell event tickets to raise funds and ask participants to promote the fundraiser.
Partner with local businesses to lend clothes and sponsor the event, and you can promote their business in exchange. Appoint a judges’ panel consisting of booster club members, sponsors, and local representatives to choose the winning look.
2. School Carnival
This booster club fundraiser requires more advanced planning than others. A school carnival is an entertaining event for the kids, and you get ample opportunities to raise money for your cause.
Partner with local businesses to organize a carnival. Secure corporate donations for decor, games, activities, and prizes.
School carnivals help diversify your revenue stream. Apart from fundraising through ticket sales, you can collect donations by:
- Selling food and merchandise.
- Charging for tickets to different games.
- Registration for raffles and contests.
Here are a few things you can include in your carnival:
- Popcorn and ice cream stand.
- Games like balloon pop, sack race, etc.
- Different rides if the budget permits.
- A haunted house.
Encourage students to promote the event and volunteer to prepare for the carnival day.
3. Movie Night
Host a drive-in movie night in the school’s parking lot or football field and charge a small entry fee.
Rent a projector and screen from a local vendor at discounted pricing, and pick a breezy evening to organize the setup. You can get more creative and let attendees enjoy the movie by setting up a camp with foldable chairs and blankets.
Ensure you pick a popular, family-friendly movie to maximize the number of attendees. Offer candies, snacks, popcorn, and soda to boost donations.
A movie night also creates an opportunity for booster club members to get to know each other and promotes community building.
If an outdoor event is not feasible, you can organize one in the school’s auditorium. Use Zeffy’s free event ticketing software to keep track of ticket sales.
4. Game Night
Sell tickets to the event and create teams to compete over popular fun games. Turn it into a gala night by offering concessions or dinner.
Raise funds through a game night by:
- Selling tickets to cover venue and food costs.
- Host an auction for free with attractive auction items.
- Selling raffle tickets to increase donations.
5. Barbecue Festival
You can set up a barbecue selling chicken sausages or grilled potatoes during the school sports week.
Secure more funds by preparing a comprehensive menu, choosing a crowded location, and ensuring adequate supplies. You can also set up a lemonade stand or any other drink that would complement your barbecue menu for an additional revenue source.
Offer a secure and easy payment option to the attendees to encourage more transactions. Zeffy’s payment gateway lets you offer multiple payment options to your supporters with zero transaction fees. Use the tap-to-pay feature for hassle-free in-person payments.
Product-Based Booster Club Fundraising Ideas
6. Create and Sell T-shirts
If you have a limited budget, T-shirt sales can be your go-to option for booster club fundraisers.
Create t-shirts for the school team you support and sell them online or in person. You can also order customized t-shirts online in bulk through t-shirt fundraising providers like Bonfire or CustomInk.
You can connect with local businesses to purchase custom t-shirts at discounted prices. Spread the school spirit and raise money for your programs.
7. Christmas Tree Fundraising
The search for the best Christmas trees begins every year after Thanksgiving Day. Use this opportunity to partner with a local farm to sell Christmas trees and raise funds.
All you need are freshly cut trees and a large area to stock them.
Unlike other fundraisers, it doesn’t require much planning or execution and can be organized within a limited period.
The best part is that your customer base is ready to buy your trees, and donations should pour in when people know why you’re selling trees.
You can charge based on the height of the trees and ask for additional donations if people are willing to give more.
8. Coupon Book Fundraiser
Connect with local businesses and request them to collaborate with your booster club to support your initiatives.
Ask them to offer discounts to customers and help you create a book of exclusive coupons. You can sell these coupons to raise money for your mission.
This booster club fundraiser may take some time but is well-anticipated among community members. It is a win-win situation for everyone because:
- You can raise money.
- Companies get more business.
- Community members save money with offers.
9. Gift Wrap Fundraiser
This is one of the easiest booster club fundraising ideas, especially around the holiday season.
To raise funds, buy good-quality gift-wrapping papers in bulk and sell them at a higher cost to parents and community members.
You can also organize a gift-wrapping event where you wrap presents for a donation. Take permission from a mall or local business to set up a gift-wrapping booth.
Choose a day when people are likely to buy gifts, such as weekends or special occasions like Friendship Day. Recruit team members to man the booth and wrap gifts throughout the day. All you need are scissors, wrapping paper, and tape.
You can offer some cookies to attract customers and ensure that you explain your initiative in detail.
Competitive Booster Club Fundraising Ideas
10. Sports Events
Organizing sports events is an engaging way to raise funds for your booster club. Partner with local sports facilities or clubs to host tournaments, golf outings, or friendly matches. Sell tickets, secure sponsorships, and offer concessions to generate revenue.
For example, Chico High Sports Boosters raised $20,200 through their 3rd Annual Roger Williams Memorial Golf Tournament, saving $1,010 in fees using Zeffy. Similarly, the Wolfpack Football Booster Club raised $48,500 with their Topgolf Par-Tee Tournament, saving $2,425 in fees.
By leveraging online ticketing platforms like Zeffy, you can streamline event management and maximize your fundraising potential.
11. Walkathon
Walkathons are the perfect booster club fundraising event if you are supporting an athletic club.
Walkathons are popular peer-to-peer campaigns. Participants can ask their friends and family members to donate for every mile they cover.
Create a peer-to-peer fundraising page for your event 100% free with Zeffy. Encourage participants to share the page link within their network to collect donations.
You can raise more funds on your walkathon by:
- Adding live music along the walking route.
- Including fun challenges, games, and photo booths for supporters.
- Setting up food trucks and refreshment stands to collect more money.
- Offer an attractive prize to the participant who raises the highest donation amount.
12. Dance Marathon
Most people love dancing and if it is to support a good cause then a dance marathon can effectively help raise funds for your booster club.
You’ll need music, a suitable venue like your school’s auditorium, and participants willing to dance their hearts out. Unlike typical dance competitions, a dance marathon is more about stamina than dancing skills. Participants must keep dancing until they are the last person on stage.
Form a panel consisting of a booster club member and a few people from the team you are supporting. They can monitor all participants and eliminate the ones who stop moving.
Supporters can pledge donations and pay a specific amount for every hour a participant spends dancing. Incentivize the participants who dance the longest without stopping and raise the highest donations.
Serve refreshments and appoint a DJ for the event to make it more engaging.
13. Eating Competition
Eating competitions can be a popular option for booster clubs - you can put participants against each other to raise money. Here are some ways to organize an eating competition fundraiser focusing on food and restaurants:
- Partner with a local restaurant to supply food for the competition, including hot dogs, pies, burgers, etc.
- Sell tickets to spectators who want to enjoy the exciting competition.
- Raise additional funds through registrations from participants eager to showcase their eating prowess.
- Participants can devour delicious dishes within a set time.
- Establish clear rules, time limits, and quantity goals for the contest.
- Offer prizes like gift cards or trophies to motivate participants and create excitement.
14. Reading Marathon
Reading competition allows you to raise money for your program while fostering a love for reading in students.
Like any other marathon fundraiser, supporters pledge to donate a certain amount per page or book read by participants.
Organizing a read-a-thon doesn’t require a huge space and can be hosted with minimal effort and volunteer support. You can also diversify your revenue sources by combining a reading marathon with other events.
Pro tip: You can host a peer-to-peer fundraising event to encourage students to read as many pages as possible in a specific time while raising more funds for your nonprofit.
Simple Fundraising Ideas for Booster Club
15. Restaurant Night
Many restaurant chains already have programs to support charitable causes, making it easy to organize booster club fundraisers. Also called dine-to-donate, a restaurant night fundraiser encourages supporters to dine at your partner restaurant.
The restaurant then donates a portion of the proceeds to your booster club’s goals. Promote the event to gather as many attendees as you can.
Ensure that the restaurant you collaborate with is popular in the local community and serves delectable food. Raising money will be easier if people are willing to come to the restaurant.
16. Car Wash
A car wash is one of the simplest ideas for booster club fundraising, and it’s a fun social event for students.
With careful planning and execution, a car wash can cost-effectively help secure sizable donations. You can also contact your school, church, or gas station to provide space.
Offer add-on services like towel drying or vacuuming for additional donations. Form teams to make the competition interesting. The team washing the most cars wins. This will engage both volunteers and donors.
You can create an online donation page for free with Zeffy and share it with every customer. Encourage them to donate more if they can by completing the form.
17. Trivia Night
Participants can show off their talent and knowledge as they help you raise funds for your cause. Book a venue by partnering with a local restaurant or game shop. You can also save some bucks by hosting it in the school gym or cafeteria.
Prepare fun trivia questions that will challenge the participants and offer light-hearted entertainment. Some questions may include:
- Fun facts about the coaches or faculty members.
- Historical information about popular spots in the neighborhood.
- Interesting facts about the sport played by the team you support.
Collect donations through participant registrations and add food and drink options to boost revenue.
18. Yard Sale
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A community yard sale is simple to organize. With minimal investment, you can generate huge funds for your organization.
Ask club members to do spring cleaning and remove a few items from their garages they no longer require. You can increase participation by offering a variety of items for sale. Add food options and drinks to make the event fun for everyone.
Host the event in a large area to accommodate more people. Ask students to volunteer as sales assistants and cashiers to collect the proceeds while getting crucial experience.
Case Study: How PARTS, a Booster Club of the Renaissance Community, Raised $5,800 Using Zeffy
PARTS, the booster club supporting Long Beach Renaissance High School, wanted to maximize proceeds from their annual Battle of the Bands event in 2024. They partnered with Zeffy to streamline ticket sales and minimize costs for their event.
Using Zeffy's user-friendly ticketing platform, PARTS easily set up tiered ticket options to cater to different attendees. The booster club raised an impressive $5,800 in ticket sales.
By hosting their ticketing on Zeffy, PARTS eliminated platform and transaction fees, saving over $290. This meant more funds could directly support the school's initiatives and programs.
The Battle of the Bands 2024 campaign showcases how booster clubs can leverage Zeffy to optimize fundraising efforts. With Zeffy's powerful tools and fee-free model, organizations can focus on what matters most—making a difference in their communities.
Final Thoughts on Booster Club Fundraising Ideas
With these easy fundraising ideas, your booster club doesn’t need to rely on membership dues to support your kids’ team. Hosting booster fundraisers helps you establish long-term relationships with local businesses and supporters to facilitate recurring donations.
If raising money through booster club fundraisers seems overwhelming, a comprehensive fundraising platform like Zeffy can help you achieve success.
Zeffy offers a fundraising platform that is 100% free - no hidden charges! You get $100 for a $100 donation.
FAQs on Booster Club Fundraisers
