Bear Grips Pro ShopsYouth Swim Team Booster Club Fundraiser
- A booster club apparel shop is the lowest-risk fundraiser available to a youth swim team.
- Built-in profit margin per item ($10-$15) accrues to the booster account without volunteer fulfillment work.
- No bulk-order risk; every piece prints only when ordered. No leftover stock to write off.
- Free US shipping to each family's home; booster club never handles fulfillment.
Youth swim booster clubs run on volunteer time and tight margins. The traditional apparel fundraiser (bulk-print 100 shirts and sell them through the parent email list) leaves 30-40% of inventory unsold and a treasurer chasing checks. Bear Grips Pro Shops turns the apparel fundraiser into a passive revenue line: every shirt sold returns a margin to the booster account, no inventory ever, and each family pays online and ships free to their door.
Why Booster Apparel Fundraisers Fail Traditionally
- Inventory risk: 100-tee bulk order eats $1,800+ upfront with no certainty on size sell-through
- Volunteer fulfillment burden: treasurer sorts and bags 100 tees in living room
- Check chasing: families forget to pay; treasurer follows up for weeks
- Storage: leftover stock sits in a tote in a basement until next season's board inherits it
- Limited design refresh: nobody wants to "test" a new design with bulk-order money
How A Pro Shops Booster Fundraiser Works
- Booster signs up free at shops.beargrips.com/for/youth-swim-team
- Upload the team logo; pick 4-6 starter pieces; set retail prices with fundraiser margin built in
- Share the shop link with the parent email list
- Each family orders online; ships free to their home
- Booster account receives the margin per item on the standard payout schedule
Fundraiser Pricing Math For The Booster Club
Booster club sets retail with built-in fundraiser margin:
- Youth practice tee: $19.88 base, $28 retail = $8.12 booster margin per tee
- Youth hoodie: $36.88 base, $50 retail = $13.12 booster margin per hoodie
- Parent tee: $19.88 base, $30 retail = $10.12 booster margin per tee
- Embroidered coach hat: $29.86 base, $42 retail = $12.14 booster margin per hat
For an 80-swimmer team where families order an average of 3 pieces per swimmer, the booster club clears roughly $2,500 a year on apparel alone.
Booster Fundraiser Revenue Math By Team Size
| Team size | Items per year | Avg booster margin | Annual fundraiser revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 swimmers | 90 | $10 | $900 |
| 80 swimmers | 320 | $12 | $3,840 |
| 150 swimmers | 600 | $12 | $7,200 |
| 300+ swimmers | 1,200 | $15 | $18,000 |
Combining Apparel Fundraiser With Other Booster Efforts
Apparel is best as a year-round passive layer alongside event-driven fundraisers:
- Pancake breakfast: drives one-time event revenue; mention apparel shop at the door
- Annual swim-a-thon: bundle a sponsor-tee for swim-a-thon participants
- Year-end banquet: launch a banquet-specific design 3-4 weeks out
- Holiday gift season: November push for grandparent shirts as gifts
Launch The Booster Club Fundraiser Shop
Free fundraiser shop for the booster club. Built-in margin per item, no inventory risk, ships free to each family.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Does the booster club need a separate account?
Yes. The booster club account receives the apparel margin payouts on the standard schedule. Booster treasurer sets up the account during signup.
How quickly does the booster receive payouts?
Payouts run on a standard schedule (typically every 2 weeks). The booster account dashboard shows pending and paid balances.
Can the booster club run a percentage-off promo around a specific event?
Yes. The shop supports discount codes; useful for swim-a-thon weekend or holiday push.
What happens when the booster board turns over?
The shop account transfers to the new treasurer; no inventory or stock handoff. Same brand, same payout setup.
