Talk to school administrators about your desire to start a booster club. If you are going to start a new club, you should get permission from the school before you begin.
Gauge the interest of other parents about starting a club. Creating a booster club is hard work and you should ensure other parents would contribute before you start the process.
Incorporate your booster club by obtaining and submitting the correct paperwork for your state. Every state has an “Articles of Incorporation” form both for-profit and nonprofit organizations can complete. Incorporating allows the club to act as an independent entity.
Create a list of bylaws dictating how your booster club manages its spending, donations and membership. You should draft these bylaws in accordance with your state’s laws regarding nonprofit organizations. You also should have an attorney look over completed bylaws to ensure they match our state’s unique requirements.
Obtain an Employer Identification Number from the IRS. Every organization must have an EIN to be considered in compliance with tax law; you can acquire one of these for your club by applying with the IRS over the phone, online, by mail or via fax.
Earn 501(c) tax-exemption status. This accomplishes two things: it makes parent donations to your organization tax-deductible, and it prevents the booster club from having to pay taxes on the donations received. You can earn tax exemption by filling out IRS form 1023 and submitting it for review.
Start a bank account for your booster club. IRS law dictates a nonprofit organization keep its money in an FDIC-insured bank; an old coffee can just is not going to cut it if you want your booster club to operate legally.
Choose leadership for the booster club. You will need people to oversee business, track the club’s budget, manage donations and interact with school officials.
Review IRS tax laws regarding fundraising and nonprofit organizations. If you want to protect your booster club and ensure it operates within the law, you will need to be certain all of its activities fall well within the legal limits of operation.