The athletic department approval process

Unlike most community groups, a booster club has to be given permission to fundraise by someone else. Treat that as the first task rather than the last, because the items worth the most to you are exactly the ones that need sign-off.

The order

Coach

First, informally, and quickly. The coach knows what the program actually needs, which may not be what the binder says, and will tell you immediately if a planned item is a problem. They are also the person who has to live with anything you sell involving the team.

Athletic director

The substantive approval. Bring one page and settle everything at once.

Principal, and the district if required

Depends on district policy and often on the size of the purchase or whether facilities are involved. The AD will tell you whether it is needed. This step has a meeting cadence attached and it is where timelines slip.

What to bring to the AD meeting

• What you are raising for, and the quoted cost
• The proposed dates for bidding
• The item list — specifically every access item: parking, seating, concessions, locker, banner position, coach-for-a-day, practice experiences
• Anything involving student athletes, their names, images or signatures
• How you plan to use the school name, mascot or facilities in promotion
• Whether the funds will be held by the club or need to pass through the district
• Confirmation that the school can accept the purchase in the form you intend

Getting all of that answered in one meeting is worth more than any other hour you will spend on the auction. Ask for the approval in writing, even if it is just a reply to your email listing what was agreed.

How much time to allow

Two to four weeks before you want to start promoting, longer if a district approval or a board meeting is involved. Build it into the timeline as a task with a date rather than assuming it happens alongside procurement.

If an item is refused

Do not argue it at the meeting and do not list it anyway. Ask what a workable version looks like — often the objection is to the specific form rather than the concept, and "the reserved spot for the season" becomes "the reserved spot for the four home games" and everyone is happy. Athletic directors deal with booster requests constantly and generally want the club to succeed.

The rules behind many of the refusals: rules, approvals and equity and signed memorabilia rules.