• Executive Directors Column
• Full Court Press Kicking Off
• Dear Booster
• Personalized Pillowcases
• Vendor of the Month
• Seeking Nationwide Support
• Do-It Yourself Fundraiser
• Spotlight of the Month
• The One Minute Shopper
• Funding Opportunities
• Fundraising with Flowers
• 10 Million Children Need Programs
• Fast Facts

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Spring is a great time to focus on areas of improvement and expansion and on behalf of our members the NBCA is taking this opportunity to kick off a nationwide promotional campaign (Full Court Press) to help expand our current porfolio of club building tools and resources as well as enhancing our member base.

Starting April 1st the NBCA is launching a Full Court Press promotion that will provide booster clubs, teams and extra-curricular programs with additional incentives, opportunities, benefits and resources.

If you are associated with, or know of a group that has not become a member of the association, Full Court Press is the ideal opportunity and the perfect time to become a member. The access to resources that every member receives will now include enhanced resources and support tools that every club and team must have.

Special Announcement: All clubs and teams joining during the Full Court Press promotion will have the opportunity of enrolling at a special discount rate and receive $100's of dollars in club building resources.

If you know of a club or team that is not an active member of the association then send us an email with their contact information and we will be sure to include them when the Full Court Press announcements go out first of April.

I wish each of you the best of success.
Happy Boostering!

Steve M. Beden
Executive Director

Attention all clubs, teams and extra-curricular programs
Full Court Press is kicking off April 1st and your organization has the opportunity to win prizes, awards and gain new club building tools. Announcements start April 1st and run throughout the month.

Enroll Your Club

Dear Booster........

Dear Booster,
Can you help us determine how to define our booster club's purpose? We are not sure what a booster club should do or really what it's suppose to be. Thanks for helping us with this problem?

Jennie P
Granite Boosters

Dear Jennie,
Sounds like your club is in the initial steps of forming. There are many steps you will want to take to insure you establish a solid organization. I suggest you visit Club Central and pull down a copy of the document "Building a Thriving Booster Club". This will guide you through the initial steps of setting up your booster club as well as helping you to define your clubs purpose.

Here is an excerpt from Building a Thriving Booster Club that relates to defining the clubs purpose or establishing a mission statement:

"...we are looking to establish “why you should have a booster club” and “what it will try to accomplish”. This step is important as we are building the sales tool to gain the involvement of the parents. Many people will not commit until they can see what the organization will focus on or what it will accomplish. Here are a few startup mission statements that can be applied to just about any club. “We are parents and volunteers dedicated to the continuous improvement of activities associated with the (school or group name) (sport or activity).”

I also recommend you download the Club Questionnaire and fill it out then send to your coordinator or the NBCA. You will receive the attention you need in the areas of most importance.

Send us your Dear Booster.... article and we will select one each month to share with the readers of Booster Trends. To submit your email send to: dearbooster@boosterclubs.org.

FUNDRAISING PROGRAM
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PERSONALIZATION IS FREE!

Because we are the manufacturer of these personalized pillowcases, you are guaranteed to have a new and exciting product to show your customers that they have not been offered before. These items don't expire or get thrown in a drawer ... they become a treasured keepsake!

Full size Personalized Pillowcases are an everyday use item, and they last for a long, long time. They also make great gifts for birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions, which make them easy to sell at any time of the year. The pillowcase itself can even be used as a gift bag or a party invitation. Deal directly with the manufacturer! Call me, Debbie Sharp, owner of Sharp Creations, toll-free at 888-530-0787 now!

EZFUND

EZFund was founded by Juan Franco in 1994 Houston, Texas. With a background in business and the idea that good service is what separates top-notch fundraising companies from average ones, he developed EZFund’s successful kick-off-to-delivery-day, customer-oriented fundraising programs that have raised millions of dollars for booster clubs and other groups nationwide.

As the population and the need for educational funding grows, that burden falls increasingly on booster clubs and other school level support groups. Our goal is to establish and maintain mutually-beneficial relationships with schools and their support networks. We aim to help our customers reach their fundraising goals with a winning combination of time-tested methods, fresh ideas and programs that reward all who are involved with them. We are dedicated to providing the best of ourselves to our customers, and this makes all the difference.

With over 10 years experience in the competitive fundraising industry, EZFund has risen above our competition by offering only the highest quality products, the best customer service, and the most lucrative fundraising programs to our customers. Our customer satisfaction and retention rate is so high because we listen and respond to our customers' needs, offering them the wealth of our knowledge and ideas and making campaign after campaign huge successes.

Frozen foods, brochures items, direct sale items - we have them all. Prize programs, rebate offers, and other great incentive programs will boost your sales and increase your profit. No group or fund-raising goal is too large or too small. Please visit our website at: www.ezfund.com, or call (800) 991-8779 for more information on the fund-raising program that is right for your group.

NBCA Advocate - This is an ideal opportunity for anyone with contacts to local booster clubs, teams and businesses. The NBCA Advocate position does not require you to make any commitment other than your interest to periodically refer the NBCA to local booster clubs, teams and businesses. NBCA Advocates receive a commission or override for simply referring the association’s services to booster clubs, teams and businesses. This is an outstanding opportunity for any person who understands the role that extra-curricular activities play in shaping our society. If you would like to register and become an NBCA Advocate, please email your contact information or visit BoosterWorld and register today.

Area Coordinators - The NBCA is now seeking individuals who would like to assist local clubs, teams and businesses. This is an ideal opportunity for anyone looking for an opportunity to work part-time, or looking to help make a difference in your community. Coordinators will receive high commissions for introducing the association’s services to businesses, schools and parent organizations. This is an outstanding opportunity for any person who understands the role that extra-curricular activities play in shaping our society. If you would like to register and become an NBCA Advocate, please email your contact information or visit BoosterWorld and register today.

Club Coordinators - The NBCA is seeking individuals who are currently working with or involved with a booster club or extra-curricular program. This is an ideal opportunity for anyone currently involved with a club, team or extra-curricular program and who would like to turn the time you are spending into an opportunity to receive prizes, awards, recognition and compensation. Club Coordinators simply do what they are currently doing, nothing more. If you would like to register for the position of Club Coordinator, please email your name, club affiliation, city and state. Email us today at marketing@boosterclubs.org

eFUNDRAISING

Established as the Universal Fundraising Group in 1991, eFundraising is now a leading figure in the North American fundraising industry. eFundraising was created for the purpose of providing non-profit groups with a large selection of quality fundraising products at competitive prices, helping them to raise money quickly and easily. In May 2001, eFundraising was acquired by QSP Reader’s Digest, and together they have helped thousands of groups raise over $3 billion.

eFundraising caters to a broad range of fundraising participants that may need help raising extra funds. Clients consist mostly of school groups, sports teams and other youth groups. However, booster clubs have recently become one of eFundraising’s fastest growing segments, thanks in part to associations such as NBCA.

eFundraising’s goal is to offer booster clubs a variety of customizable fundraising programs at up to 90% profit, including World’s Finest Chocolate, Scratchcards, Gift Brochures, Cookie Dough, Online Magazines and more. In addition, customer service is a number one concern, so a team of experienced field representatives, fundraising consultants and customer service representatives is available to help clubs define their needs and find the ideal fundraising program.

Unlike any other fundraising company, eFundraising now offers a new fundraising program that is completely online! Invite friends and family from coast to coast to purchase or renew their favorite magazine subscriptions online in order to support your club. Supporters save up to 85% off newsstand prices while 40% of each purchase goes back to your club.

As long as booster clubs need help raising funds for their causes, eFundraising will continue to be one of the best options in terms of fundraising companies on the national level. Call 1-800-561-8388 or visit www.nbca.efundraising.com to receive a free fundraising info kit.

Now for the best part. Ten percent (10%) of the delivered cost goes to your school through National Booster Club Association or fundraiser, whatever you designate. Ordering is simple and easy. This is a fundraiser that continues week after week, month after month and year after year. You can also place an order online at www.tomsnbca.com . Try a meat order now. Once you’re familiar with ordering, you can do it in about a minute…hence the name “The One Minute Shopper”. Please remember, this fundraiser will not increase your meat budget.

The Milagro Foundation
The Milagro Foundation, started by Deborah and Carlos Santana to support underprivileged youth in the areas of the arts, education and health, seeks grant applications from community-based, grassroots organizations working with children at-risk due to poor health, illiteracy, or insufficient educational and cultural opportunities. Grant awards range from $2,500 to $5,000. The Foundation accepts request for funding throughout the year. For more information and application guidelines, please visit www.milagrofoundation.org.

NEARLY TEN MILLION CHILDREN IN WORKING FAMILIES NEED AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS

The Afterschool Alliance released new data from its groundbreaking 2004 household survey, America After 3 PM, last week. The study was funded by J.C. Penney Co., Inc. and is the most comprehensive survey on afterschool to date. Working Families and Afterschool examines how children in working families - those in which both parents or the single parent holds a job - spend their afternoons, with figures on children in self-care and sibling care and a look at rural families.

"These data provide further evidence that millions of children are without the afterschool care they need, and children in working families are especially vulnerable to being in self-care or the care of a young sibling in the afternoons," said Afterschool Alliance Interim Executive Director Jen Rinehart. Findings include:

§ Nearly one in three children in working families (31 percent) are unsupervised in the afternoons, compared to one in four of all K-12 children (25 percent).

§ Two in five middle school children in working families (40 percent) are unsupervised in the afternoons. The study defines middle school as grades six to eight.

§ Fully 9.7 million children in working families who do not participate in afterschool programs would be likely to participate if a program were available, their parents say.

§ Fourteen percent of K-12 children in working families attend afterschool programs, compared to eleven percent of all K-12 children. Nineteen percent of the children of single working mothers participate in afterschool programs.

§ Just seven percent of children in rural working families attend afterschool programs. Parents of these children are more likely than parents of urban or suburban children to say the program their child attends is the only one available.

§ Thirty-one percent of Caucasian, 25 percent of African American and Hispanic, and 21 percent of Asian Pacific Islander children in working families are in self-care in the afternoons.

§ More than 90 percent of working parents say they are satisfied with the afterschool program their child attends.

§ Children in single-parent households who do not participate in afterschool programs are more likely than other children to be without supervision or in the care of a sibling under age 13 in the afternoons.

"Millions of children in the U.S. are as yet unable to reap the profound, life-changing benefits of quality afterschool programming because of limited access and awareness," said JCPenney Afterschool Fund Executive Vice President Ed Solczak. "We must continue working together to ensure that all our children are safe and supervised after the school day ends."