5 Ways Booster Clubs Can Help Students Stay Safe in the Summer Heat

Fall is right around the corner and football teams and bands will soon be taking the practice fields. They’ll hone the fundamentals, learn the play book, and put the halftime show on the field. Along with the fun and excitement of beginning the new season comes hot weather outdoor practices.

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Booster clubs play a vital role keeping everyone safe during summer practices. Here are five ways booster clubs can help instructors – coaches, band directors, and staff – keep students and volunteers safe in the summer heat.

The Partnership That Can Prevent Embezzlement in Your Booster Club

Many booster clubs’ budgets are comparable to those of small businesses. Therefore, banks often competitively pursue booster clubs’ business. A strong partnership with your local bank will prevent many opportunities for theft and fraud in your booster club.

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Photo by Katelyn Caldwell

Carefully select a bank that understands the needs of a nonprofit – preferably booster – organization and is willing to stand beside you as a partner. Select a bank with a branch manager who is willing to be your central point of contact. In the spirit of transparency, each authorized officer should establish a professional relationship with the bank’s branch manager.

The Silent – and Potentially Devastating – Risk Facing All Booster Clubs

Nearly every booster club leader will tell you their club’s greatest priorities are fundraising and recruiting volunteer labor – and they’re right. Booster clubs cannot function without financial support and volunteer leadership.

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Although these are a booster club’s most urgent needs, there is another, silent risk that threatens every club – embezzlement by a volunteer.

Just this week, a former treasurer was sentenced to five years of probation, 120 days in jail, and restitution of $74,400 for embezzling from the high school band booster club she served.

Three Proven Ways to Achieve Your Booster Club’s Annual Goals

Recently, I shared Five Essentials to Create Your Booster Club’s Midterm Plan.  These five proven steps help a leader develop a vision for the organization’s future.

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Once you’ve developed a vision for the future, it is time to refine that vision into actionable goals. Dave Ramsey says that, “Goals are visions and dreams with work clothes on.”⁠1 Well-defined goals give the booster club leader a platform and a call to action to rally the troops.

Here are three best practices when converting your vision into goals for your organization: