It depends on how they set it up. I like the idea if each group can still have some independence. each being sort of a chapter of the larger org.
Here, all the athletic programs are under one booster club. But that club is pretty much just a properly organized umbrella group for accounting purposes. Each group has its own fundraisers and expenditures. All the finances go through the athletic booster treasurer, but no one co-mingles funds. Your group only has what it earned.
Band is a huge booster club of its own and the amount of fundraising they do is enormous. I can't imagine them willing to throw their money into a common pot. It might be okay if it were just an umbrella org and they could still have separate operations.
I know there have been some concerns with proper operations, even with the large groups that supposedly know how things work. One of the big things here was that the band has been doing fundraisers for years where each student gets credit towards trip costs based on how much they earn/sell. That's totally against they way a non-profit can work so I'm surprised they all seemed so shocked when someone finally called a halt to it based on IRS rulings. If you are set up as a non-profit, you have to follow the rules.
It would be nice to know all the organizations (large and small) have some structure and fiscal guidelines, so that would be a plus. Key leaders from each group could meet periodically and there might be some common goals, such as teacher appreciation activities if you don't also have a parent group.
Greetings from the high school level of parent involvement!
Our district is strongly suggesting that our high school booster clubs (music, football, soccer, poms, swim, theatre, and I'm sure I'm missing more) UNITE and create one booster club for the entire high school.
I'm head of the music boosters - I personally have no desire to donate my time and efforts for the money raised to benefit *all* these groups, when my kid is only in one of them.
