Your Best Audience: Parents of Incoming Freshmen

The Best Audience for Your Booster Club's Growth

Any parent is a potential booster club member/coordinator/volunteer, but the hottest prospects are the parents of incoming students. These families are eager to connect with their child’s new school, and they are often willing to invest both time and money. The key to attracting them? Hosting a well-structured event that offers real value while subtly introducing them to your club.

How We Created a Game-Changing Event

BoosterSpark's founder, Jim Connelly, said: "When I served as president of my high school’s booster club, I noticed a problem. The school’s existing parent events were administrative and overwhelmed families with information. They weren’t a great time to get people excited about our cause, nor were they effective in drawing attention to the booster club.

"So, I created a new event that put the booster club in the spotlight. But here’s the trick — I didn’t promote it as a booster club promotional event or meeting. Instead, I focused on what parents wanted: a warm welcome and useful insights into their child’s new school experience."

The Winning Strategy: 8th Grade Parent Welcome Night

The event is named "8th Grade Parent Welcome Night" and it is positioned as an exclusive opportunity for incoming families. The annual event offers:

• Guided tours of the school, featuring a predefined, diverse array of the best features the facility has to offer, led by National Honor Society students.
• One-on-one meet-and-greets with the principal and athletic director.
• Early access to shop the spirit wear store.
• An engaging presentation on the booster club’s impact.

Not every parent attended, but those who did were exactly the kind of parents a booster club wants — highly engaged and ready to support their child’s school experience as members, volunteers, and future board members.

Why This Approach Works

The night started in the auditorium where Jim had a captive, interested audience. He described a time when students earned the opportunity to compete in a national competition 1,200 miles away. The students were elated but their parents were suddenly faced with an unexpected $1,200 airfare and hotel bill. They didn't want to impede their children from the once-in-a-lifetime experience, but they didn't know how they were going to pay for it. The booster club donated funds to the team who then covered much of the expense. It's a story everyone in the room could picture happening to themselves in the next four years. They loved hearing that there was a group of parents who raised money to help in times of need and also funded opportunities for students.

Then Jim showed them a long list of diverse opportunities the club funded in the past 12 months. He told them the club donates over $40,000 to the school every year. And then he explained how the club raises the money.

"I told everyone that we will never ask their kid to go door-to-door. We avoid selling things you feel obligated to buy. Instead, we design fun events you WANT to be a part of and sell quality apparel you WANT to wear. And we offer memberships."

He showed samples of the bling that members receive, and then let everyone know they could become a member immediately by visiting the club's BoosterSpark-powered website on their phone or using one of the club's iPads in the lobby. Then he opened the school store and began student-led tours. The club sold $4,000 of memberships and spirit wear in one hour.

How You Can Replicate This Success

Want to transform your booster club’s recruitment and fundraising? Here’s how to do it:

• Identify your audience: Focus on parents of incoming students, as they are eager to engage.
• Provide real value: Offer school tours, key introductions, and exclusive insights.
• Use storytelling: Share impactful booster club success stories to create an emotional connection.
• Make action easy: Set up instant membership registration and on-site spirit wear sales.
• Promote strategically: Ask the principal to send an invitation to parents of incoming students via school communications and social media.

With the right approach, your booster club can grow exponentially, attracting dedicated volunteers and raising more funds than ever before.