Sharp Insights: State of Booster Club Fundraising Survey
Booster club fundraising runs on nights, weekends, and group texts. We surveyed 125 booster club leaders, coaches, and members nationwide to find out what the job actually looks like. 63% of them serve as a President, Vice President, or Treasurer, so these answers come from the people writing the checks and staffing the concession stand. In short: booster clubs are holding programs together, and most of that work lands on a small group of parents who are already stretched thin.
Key Findings:
In Cheddar Up’s 2026 State of Booster Club Fundraising survey of 125 booster club leaders:
- 59% said the programs they support are underfunded or have limited funding.
- Local business sponsorships were the most-cited successful fundraiser (50%) and the second most-cited challenge (60%).
- 66% of leaders spend six or more hours a week on booster club work during peak season.
- Fundraising was the biggest time drain, named by 71% as a top-three responsibility.
- 82% named limited family participation as a top fundraising challenge, and 43% cited volunteer burnout.
- 63% of respondents serve as a president, vice president, or treasurer.
Athletics and arts programs run on Booster Club funds
In Cheddar Up’s 2026 survey of 125 booster club leaders, 59% of booster clubs state their programs are severely underfunded or have limited funding and rely heavily on fundraising. Without the efforts of booster club fundraisers, many programs would be severely limited.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE OVERALL FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE PROGRAM(S) YOUR BOOSTER CLUB SUPPORTS?
Question: Which fundraising activities have been most successful for your booster club? Select all that apply. (n=125 booster club survey respondents)
Responses: 49.6% local business sponsorships, 46.4% concession stand sales, 36.0% product/merchandise sales, 33.6% online donation campaigns, 29.6% events, 13.6% peer-to-peer fundraising (athons)
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE OVERALL FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE PROGRAM(S) YOUR BOOSTER CLUB SUPPORTS?
Question: Which fundraising activities have been most successful for your booster club? Select all that apply. (n=125 booster club survey respondents)
Responses: 49.6% local business sponsorships, 46.4% concession stand sales, 36.0% product/merchandise sales, 33.6% online donation campaigns, 29.6% events, 13.6% peer-to-peer fundraising (athons)
2
out of
3
booster clubs fundraise multiple times a year
71%
rank fundraising a top-3 drain on their time
The best fundraiser is also the hardest one.
In the survey, local business sponsorships are cited as being the most successful for booster clubs, named by 50% of clubs. That success comes with a cost. Of the clubs that call sponsorships their top success, 60% call them a top challenge too. The channel that pays off best is the one that takes the most work to build, and it usually requires building relationships year over year.
WHICH FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN MOST SUCCESSFUL FOR YOUR BOOSTER CLUB?
Responses: 49.6% local business sponsorships, 46.4% concession stand sales, 36.0% product/merchandise sales, 33.6% online donation campaigns, 29.6% events, 13.6% peer-to-peer fundraising (athons)
Get started with proven fundraisers
84% of respondents say at least one of these fundraisers is their most successful.
Get started with proven fundraisers
84% of respondents say at least one of these fundraisers is their most successful.
The hours nobody sees
In the survey, 66% of leaders reported spending six or more hours on booster club activities each week, with the majority of time spent on fundraising activities.
ON AVERAGE, HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK DO YOU SPEND ON BOOSTER CLUB RESPONSIBILITIES DURING PEAK SEASON?
Question: On average, how many hours per week do you spend on booster club responsibilities during peak season?
Responses: 33.6% spend 0-5 hours/week, 36.8% spend 6-10 hours/week, 16% spend 11-15 hours/week, and 13.6% spend 16+ hours/week.
WHICH BOOSTER CLUB RESPONSIBILITIES TAKE UP THE MOST OF YOUR TIME?
Question: Which booster club responsibilities take up the most of your time? (Select up to three.)
Responses: 71.2% fundraising activities, 57.6% event planning, 48% collecting payments and tracking deposits, 40% volunteer coordination, 39.2% parent communication, 36% financial reporting and reconciliation, 25.6% sponsorship outreach, and 22.4% budget planning.
ON AVERAGE, HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK DO YOU SPEND ON BOOSTER CLUB RESPONSIBILITIES DURING PEAK SEASON?
Question: On average, how many hours per week do you spend on booster club responsibilities during peak season?
Responses: 33.6% spend 0-5 hours/week, 36.8% spend 6-10 hours/week, 16% spend 11-15 hours/week, and 13.6% spend 16+ hours/week.
WHICH BOOSTER CLUB RESPONSIBILITIES TAKE UP THE MOST OF YOUR TIME?
Question: Which booster club responsibilities take up the most of your time? (Select up to three.)
Responses: 71.2% fundraising activities, 57.6% event planning, 48% collecting payments and tracking deposits, 40% volunteer coordination, 39.2% parent communication, 36% financial reporting and reconciliation, 25.6% sponsorship outreach, and 22.4% budget planning.
The same few people do everything
In the survey, 81% of respondents name limited family participation as one of their biggest fundraising challenges. When there is limited participation, the work concentrates on a few volunteers, and 43% pointed to volunteer burnout as a challenge of its own.
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BOOSTER ORGANIZATIONS ARE REPRESENTED AT YOUR SCHOOL?
Responses: 81.6% limited family participation, 60% securing sponsors or business partners, 43.2% volunteer burnout, 40.8% competing with other groups for funds.
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BOOSTER ORGANIZATIONS ARE REPRESENTED AT YOUR SCHOOL?
Responses: 81.6% limited family participation, 60% securing sponsors or business partners, 43.2% volunteer burnout, 40.8% competing with other groups for funds.
You don’t have to figure this out alone
Recruiting volunteers is hard, and so is a lot of what comes after. These three resources cover the pieces booster leaders told us take the most time, from signing up members to running a fundraiser your community gets behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do booster clubs rely on fundraising?
A lot. In Cheddar Up’s 2026 survey of 125 booster club leaders, 59% said the programs they support are underfunded or have limited funding, and most fundraise more than once a year.
What is the most successful booster club fundraiser?
Local business sponsorships were the most-cited successful fundraiser in the survey (50%), followed by concession stand sales (46%) and product or merchandise sales (36%).
How many hours do booster club leaders spend per week?
During peak season, 66% of booster club leaders in the survey spend six or more hours a week on booster club responsibilities, with fundraising taking the most time.
What are the biggest challenges booster clubs face with fundraising?
The most-cited challenge was limited family participation (82%), followed by securing sponsors or business partners (60%) and volunteer burnout (43%).
Cheddar Up Methodology Statement
Cheddar Up designed and administered this survey taken by 125 respondents who were notified of the survey through Cheddar Up’s subscriber list, social media and partner channels. This report includes respondents representing booster club board members, committee members, general members, coaches, and athletic directors. Respondents came from over 20 different athletic and arts activities, ranging from single-activity clubs to multi-sport organizations. Three quarters support a single activity, while the remaining quarter support several.
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Cheddar Up Methodology Statement
Cheddar Up designed and administered this survey taken by 539 respondents who were notified of the survey through Cheddar Up’s subscriber list, social media and partner channels. This report focuses on the 461 respondents who have children currently enrolled in or who work in an elementary, middle, or high school.
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Greenview Upper Elementary PTA
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Venice High School PTSA
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