Effective Management of Booster Clubs (2014)

1. Effective Management of Booster Clubs 2014 NYSAAA Conference March 13, 2014 Saratoga, New York Presenter: Jim Simmons – Athletic Director Canandaigua City Schools

2. Athletic Booster Clubs Our Biggest Supporters OR Our Biggest Headaches

3. Growth of Athletic Booster Clubs • Many districts have seen significant cuts in athletic budgets. • As we face budgetary reductions many coaches and athletic administrators have turned to clubs for assistance with supplies, equipment travel costs, etc. • There are many potential issues that can arise if their activities are not monitored properly and controlled.

4. How Can Clubs Help Us? • We need to reach out and ask for their help. • Provide Financial Support • Budget Time – Rally Support • Capital Project – Rally Support • Sponsor School/Community Activities • Helps District Develop Partnerships with Businesses • Promote Sportsmanship

5. Challenges/Questions • Who monitors their activities? AD, Building Principal, BOE? • What district policies do you have in place? • Should they be able to compensate coaches? • Should they be able to buy uniforms? • We need to be careful what we wish for in some instances. • Liability Issues at Events? • Department of Health Issues - Concessions. • Financial Improprieties

6. Challenges/Questions • Poor Coach/Club Relationship • Frequent Leadership Changes – Institutional Knowledge is lost. • Power Struggles – Chain of Command Issues • Personality Conflicts Among Club Members • Non-Compliance with District Policies – Financial, Facility Use, Fundraising Guidelines. • Limited Membership – Equity among programs (Title IX)

7. Challenges/Questions • Donations of Equipment – Ownership and Use. • Concessions – DOH Regulations • Fundraisers – Safety and Compliance with District Policies. • Club vs. Club Issues – Turf Wars • Tax Implications?

8. Goals for our Booster Clubs • Support the Overall School Program and Athletic Department Goals. • Understand their role as informal “agents of the school district”. • Ensure that projects are approved by the head coach and Athletic Director prior to final planning by the booster club. • Generate community support for athletics. • Foster teamwork within their club. • Develop fair, professional, ethical and lawful operations.

9. Role of the Head Coach • Front line eyes and ears for the athletic administrator. • Should attend all Booster Club meetings. If he/she can’t make it the meeting should be re-scheduled. • Serves as liaison between club and AD. • Club exists to support program needs identified by head coach. • Head coach should be in communication with AD if issues arise. • Most sports camps are run through booster clubs. Small donations to club. 1099’s are issued by clubs to coaches when necessary ($600.00 yearly). • I recommend coaches assist with fundraisers like car washes or pancake breakfasts but do not touch money.

10. Role of the Athletic Administrator • Ensure compliance with BOE policies and that all activities are appropriate for an organization representing your district. • Educate your head coach on his role within the club. • Don’t be afraid to occasionally attend meetings to answer questions and clarify policies and procedures. • A little time spent mentoring new club officers can help avoid major problems later. • Support or donations cannot have “conditions”. • Approve all fundraisers and Building Use requests.

11. Canandaigua Booster Clubs Prior to 2004… • 15 individual booster clubs • Little or no organization – “Wild Wild West” • Fundraising happened randomly. • Sales taxes were not being paid. Regular requests for school’s tax id#. Compliance w/ BOE Policy was hit and miss. • Financials were done many different ways, if at all. • Some exemplars had by laws. • Clubs set up and ran concessions many different ways. • DOH certificate was never completed. • District required liability insurance from each club. It was very costly to them.

12. Where to Start …... Establish structure and communicate roles • Work w/ Superintendent and review current BOE Policies. • Create By Laws, Constitution, Operating Procedures for clubs • Purchase liability insurance & look at how you use tax exemptions, consider a 501C3. • Define role and expectations for head coach, AD and Club officers. Make communication between school, club, and membership a priority • Agendas • Meeting Minutes • Follow Roberts Rules at meetings • Financial reports • BOE Acceptance of Donations

13. Canandaigua All Sports Boosters Inc. • In 2004… • Formed a 501c3 umbrella organization w/ help of Harris Beach LLC. • Canandaigua All Sports Boosters, Inc. • Clubs still kept their individuality (and their $$) but enjoyed numerous benefits and were now in compliance with NYS and federal law. • Officers elected for CASB, Inc. (President, VP, Secretary, Treasurer)

14. Canandaigua All Sports Boosters, Inc. • President of each Individual booster club serves as a member of the CASB, Inc. Board of Directors. • Commitment to CASB, Inc. is very minimal in terms of time. • Officers help ensure that individual clubs make liability insurance payments and submit appropriate paperwork to CASB accountant for yearly IRS tax filing.

15. CASB, Inc. Requirements for Clubs • Attend 2 meetings per year for Umbrella Organization. • Provide accurate listing of Officers. • Pay group liability insurance payment (shared among 17 clubs). Approximately $200.00 per club per year. • Provide an annual Income and Expense report to CASB Inc. • Pay tax filing fee (shared among 17 clubs). Approximately $75.00 per club per year. • AD approves all fundraisers and building use requests to ensure compliance with District Policies and Guidelines. • Develop by-laws for individual club to ensure protocols are followed.

16. Benefits to individual clubs • Tax Exempt status when purchasing items for concessions, cloth sales, etc. • Personal liability protection ($1,000,000) for officers at a lower group rate. • Compliance with appropriate tax laws using 501c3 tax exemption. • Clubs are able to issue legal receipts to donors who can “write off” donations on their personal income taxes. • CASB, Inc.

17. Important Controls • AD/District approval of all fundraisers using district fundraising guidelines. • AD/ District approves all building use by clubs to hold fundraisers, tournaments, meetings, etc. • Create a culture in which club membership understands and embraces their role within your district’s program.

18. Questions?

19. Jim Simmons Athletic Director Canandaigua City School District 435 East Street Canandaigua, New York, 14424 simmonsj@canandaiguaschools.org