Parents Pros and Cons of a Booster Club

[cadybearsmommy]

Our first gym had a booster club and I wasn't a fan at all. It was mandatory to join, mandatory to help with all fundraisers, etc, very very disorganized, couldn't get a straight answer from anyone about anything...and really helped very little with fees at all! In our case it just isn't worth it. I really dislike fundraisers, trying to sell stuff to friends, family etc, most of our family just doesn't have the extra money to spend and I feel very uncomfortable asking them to buy things that they really don't need or want (b/c let's face it, so many fundraiser items are overpriced junk) when we can cover dd's costs ourselves with some good budgeting, payment plans, etc. Also I dislike the volunteer aspect, it's not that I mind helping out a couple of times a year, but with such a busy schedule (we have not only dd's gymnastics, but DS has activities as well, and DH of course works full time and is out of town a lot), we just really can't commit to volunteering for fundraisers all of the time without sacrificing a lot of already scarce precious family time, which I try desperately to hold onto as much as possible. I want our kids to have memories when they grow up of things other than events, competitions and fundraisers that pertained to their sports/activities, I want them to really remember what we did as a family, the fun we had, etc.
Our new gym has no booster club and the difference is night and day. Expenses are always laid out in advance, no surprises, and they are flexible with paying in installments and payment plans which helps a lot. There is an optional fundraiser every year that can help with fees, etc for those that want to participate, any money they raise goes into their own individual account, but we've never been pressured to participate in any way and they ask for volunteers once a year to help with the meet they host, which is no big deal since it's only once a year. I really prefer the no pressure way of doing things, the options are there for those that want them, but no one is forced into doing anything they don't want to commit to.

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

I have had the opposite experience. Yes, if there's a booster club there will be some responsibilities that go with that, but a well-run one can be hugely impactful on reducing expenses for all team members. It's hard to understand and/or see that when you're just starting out and are told you have to volunteer X number of hours but if your child sticks with the sport, it can have a big long term boost. Our BC spends about $1,800/per gymnast annually covering meet fees, coaching fees and apparel (Leo/warmup) expenses. Optional meet fees are more expensive, so the number is slightly higher for them, but overall the benefit for the class of gymnast (compulsory/optional) is equal across the board.

But not all programs run in that fashion....

We will be using they guidelines provided by USAG for our discussion. Basically, participation must be voluntary, and the disbursement of funds cannot be based on participation in the booster club. (At least in order to maintain tax exempt status). What types of fundraisers does your club utilize?

 

[skschlag]

I like that our booster club is not associated with the gym. They are totally separate entities. It makes it nicer, imo, as the gym sets their fees, and we go from there.......

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

Our booster club is well-run and everyone is encouraged to help out at our hosted meets. Our biggest money maker is the concession stand at meets and rec showcases. All of that $$ goes to the team and is for all kids despite parent involvement/volunteering. Last year they made enough to help with uniform expenses. It pays for the awards banquet and things for the kids (a new personalized gym bag this year) and never for the coaches or equipment.

We don't tend to do a lot of other fundraising.

Yes, some gyms don't comply with the legalities of having a non-profit booster club but thankfully our owners are very careful about that.

If I understand correctly, the gym runs the meet, but the booster club runs the concession stand? Is that correct?

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

I like that our booster club is not associated with the gym. They are totally separate entities. It makes it nicer, imo, as the gym sets their fees, and we go from there.......

That is definitely the plan for our club. It sounds like most people's negative experience is related to required participation and fundraising. Of course, it will be hard to raise funds unless people participate..so I am eager to hear how other voluntary clubs make it work.

 

[skschlag]

We have people join our club, and honestly, since it pays so much, it isn't too difficult.

 

[tooootsie]

My kids gym has basically no booster club, but they do some fundraisers and the are a 5013C as well. I would say that our club has significantly lower monthly tuition than other clubs with BIG boosters that cover meets fees etc. I donate probably 20 hours a year of time to our booster, I actually enjoy helping out honestly However some parents do not participate. It is my understanding that our booster covers the costs of the competition leos and a few other expenses. While YES I do pay meet fees, we pay much lower tuition and I think it is mostly a wash. JMO of course.

 

[GymMom4]

If I understand correctly, the gym runs the meet, but the booster club runs the concession stand? Is that correct?

Yes. The booster club has nothing to do with being in charge of the actual meet (except for helping with setup and being judges' assistants) but parents staff the concession stand and the booster club keeps the proceeds. It is all voluntary. A local
gym mandates hours or parents can pay a fee to not have to volunteer. We don't do that.

 

[duyetanh]

All the gyms around here have booster clubs. In talking with other parents from other teams (just out of curiosity over the season last year), it sounds like they are all run different hahaha....we like ours as they don't make things mandatory. Parents do what they can, and are not penalized for what they cant.

 

[B.Gold]

I've been vocal and unapologetic about my unwillingness to volunteer with the boosters at our gym. So I find it funny how the universe is getting back at me for my many years of "non-joining".

My older dd tried out for a competitive, exclusive, expensive!! skate team last month. I sat through the parent meeting prior to tryouts and learned just how involved each family was expected to be through boosters, which turns out, is quite a bit. I only half-listened and thought, No big deal.... DD isn't going to make the team anyway (plz don't judge).

She makes the team. So, I start mentally preparing for the role I'll have to take in the boosters, and I pay the $1,000 commitment fee for my dd. (Bye-bye new car)

last week, an email comes out from this team, that we just joined, with "great news"!! They won the bid to host Nationals this year (oh...of course they did)....a booster club run event, and expectations are every family will "volunteer" to make this event successful (of course they are). I've been dropped in booster club hell! Lol!

 

[raenndrops]

We don't have a booster club and our only fundraisers are the meets we host (1-2 a year, 200-400 gymnasts per meet). Since we started on team (in 2008), team fees have only gone up $15 a month … and that is because we went from needing 2-3 team coaches to needing 5-8 team coaches as team went from 10 girls to 50.
We have gotten (much needed) new equipment with the money as well as keeping team fees reasonable.

 

[blueredzone]

We have a booster club and I can understand the mandatory fundraising. As its not fair to the families who don't do anything to get any sort of fundraising dollars. We don't have mandatory fundraising involvement however I wish we did. No one wants to help out people who are to lazy to do anything. Don't preach to me about time either. We all have the time. We are on a gymnastics message board. We've got time.

We are going to offer assistance for families to make it cheaper if they need it. However to receive funds for that I feel you have to be involved in the fundraising. We are running into families breaking away and doing there own fundraising. I also feel that they should not benefit from the funds because they are purposely going out of there way to not do any fundraising for the gym.

Just my 2 cents

 

[bookworm]

We are going to offer assistance for families to make it cheaper if they need it. However to receive funds for that I feel you have to be involved in the fundraising. We are running into families breaking away and doing there own fundraising. I also feel that they should not benefit from the funds because they are purposely going out of there way to not do any fundraising for the gym.

Just my 2 cents

Do you mean like a GoFundMe page? Fundraisers such as that for your kid's leisure activities kinda rubs me the wrong way.....if you want me to buy a candy bar, ok but to want me to make a credit card donation to the page, no thanks. If we couldn't afford it, they didn't do it.

 

[skschlag]

We have a booster club and I can understand the mandatory fundraising. As its not fair to the families who don't do anything to get any sort of fundraising dollars. We don't have mandatory fundraising involvement however I wish we did. No one wants to help out people who are to lazy to do anything. Don't preach to me about time either. We all have the time. We are on a gymnastics message board. We've got time.

We are going to offer assistance for families to make it cheaper if they need it. However to receive funds for that I feel you have to be involved in the fundraising. We are running into families breaking away and doing there own fundraising. I also feel that they should not benefit from the funds because they are purposely going out of there way to not do any fundraising for the gym.

Just my 2 cents

What kind of assistance to families? If you are a 501c3 there are pretty specific rules on what you can and cannot do.

 

[suebee]

Can anyone link some of these rules for a 501(c)(3)?

Several of my non-gymmie's activities are run by 501(c)(3)s and they have different policies about different things, which I think are probably not allowed based on what I have read here. For example, one charges a fee to all kids participating and then has requirement that each kid sell at least one ad for an ad book. The kid can choose not to sell an ad, but then needs to pay the cost of what the ad costs. Kids can also sell more than one ad and get some type of refund from their already paid fees, depending on how many ads they sell.

This organization is different from a gymnastics booster club because the 501(c)(3) actually runs the activity, unlike the booster club. Does this matter in terms of whether this is allowed under the rules of a 501(c)(3)?

 

[Gymdad2]

google '501c3 rules' There is all kinds or information on the web

 

[B&M's mom]

When you google 501(c)(3) be careful to look at the most recent IRS documents. Things are evolving and the IRS is starting to crack down on booster clubs organized under 501(c)(3).

Many booster clubs are not in compliance due to old guidance information. More recently there have been some new documents and at least one court case that have explained where the IRS is going with booster clubs.

We belong to a booster club that worked with an attorney specializing in this type of law to clarify and rewrite our documents so we are now in compliance.

We found out that a booster club cannot require families to participate and you cannot have accounts or rewards for participation. We just went through our first year with the revised rules and after a massive education process to show the families the benefits of volunteering, had a really good participation rate. As a result we pay very little for meet costs and comp leos. So for us, the booster club is very valuable.

 

[B.Gold]

@blueredzone... it's offensive to call someone "lazy" who chooses not to participate. I work a job to support my children's activities. That's 30 hours a week I devote specifically to them, and subsidizing their passion. That is what I am willing to give. On-the-flip-side I will never look to someone else, such as a booster club, neighbor, or co-worker to help subsidize my children.

Giving parents tools to help defray the costs is commendable, but don't make judgements about those who choose not to join in. And don't resent me if you feel I benefit from your work, I didn't ask for the handout.

If the difference between me standing at a carwash on a beautiful Sunday afternoon or not standing at a carwash is $50 off a meet fee, hand me a bill for $50. I'll happily pay the meet fee.

 

[cassafrass]

When DD's gym hosts meets, the proceeds are divided between booster club and gym. The gym offers incentives such as free camps and reduced fees. Participation is not mandatory, but many of us volunteered for the incentives and I am grateful for the opportunity to offset some costs.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

@blueredzone... it's offensive to call someone "lazy" who chooses not to participate. I work a job to support my children's activities. That's 30 hours a week I devote specifically to them, and subsidizing their passion. That is what I am willing to give. On-the-flip-side I will never look to someone else, such as a booster club, neighbor, or co-worker to help subsidize my children.

Giving parents tools to help defray the costs is commendable, but don't make judgements about those who choose not to join in. And don't resent me if you feel I benefit from your work, I didn't ask for the handout.

If the difference between me standing at a carwash on a beautiful Sunday afternoon or not standing at a carwash is $50 off a meet fee, hand me a bill for $50. I'll happily pay the meet fee.

Amen 100%%% YES to this! I'm all for fundraisers for those that want to participate, but don't agree with mandatory at all. I like the way our gym does it, one fundraiser a year, (a pancake breakfast) and whatever you sell goes directly towards YOUR gymnast's account. If you want to raise a lot of money, then by all means go ahead. If you prefer not to participate, that's fine too! No booster club, so it's whatever each individual person is willing to make of it. I certainly don't expect to benefit from anyone else's hard work, and that's the downside of mandatory booster clubs, everyone "has" to join and then the ones who aren't able/willing to put the time in get the same amount of $$ as the ones who do and the ones who do complain. Make joining the booster club optional (but mandatory to help out if you decide to join) and parents who don't want to participate will more than likely be happy to pay full price. I know I am! As I stated before, family time is precious, and when you have two or more kids doing demanding activities, $50 off of a meet is nice, but an Sunday afternoon as a family making memories is priceless. Or just don't have a booster club at all and do more optional fundraisers with individualized accounts. I don't mind helping out when I can, but I won't feel guilty about saying no either if it just doesn't work for us as a family.