Volleyball booster club bylaws: what to include and why

Last updated 2026-07-25

What should volleyball booster club bylaws actually cover?

Good bylaws for a volleyball booster club cover eight things at minimum: purpose, membership, officer roles and terms, meetings and quorum, committees, finances and controls, amendment procedure, and dissolution. Skip any of these and you'll end up making it up on the fly during a conflict, which is the worst time to write rules. Most booster clubs start from a template found online or borrowed from another team's parent group. That's fine as a starting point, but generic templates rarely address the specific stuff that trips up volleyball boosters: uniform and travel fund handling, concession stand cash counts, tournament fee collection, and who signs off before the club buys $3,000 worth of new nets or pays for a hotel block. If your club has applied for or received 501(c)(3) status, your bylaws need to line up with what you told the IRS on Form 1023 or Form 1023-EZ. The IRS doesn't require a specific bylaws format, but examiners do look for consistency between your governing documents and your stated purpose. A mismatch (bylaws that let officers profit personally, for instance, when your exemption application said no private benefit) is a real problem, not a paperwork nitpick. A one-page bylaws summary sheet, stapled to the front of your binder, saves new officers hours during handoff. List officer terms, quorum number, and check-signing rules on it. That single page answers most of the questions a new treasurer asks in their first month.

What does a treasurer do in a booster club?

A booster club treasurer tracks all money in and out, keeps the books current, prepares financial reports for meetings, and makes sure the club files whatever it owes the IRS and the state each year. In a volleyball booster club specifically, that usually means concession revenue, tournament entry fees, spirit wear sales, sponsorship checks, and disbursements for uniforms, travel, officials, and equipment. What does a treasurer of a club do day to day? Reconcile the bank statement against the ledger every month, more than at year end. Keep receipts for every purchase over whatever threshold your bylaws set (many clubs use $25 or $50). Present a written income and expense report at every general meeting, not a verbal summary. Deposit cash within 48 to 72 hours of a fundraiser. Never let it sit in someone's car or kitchen drawer over a weekend. What do treasurers do that a president or secretary doesn't? The treasurer is the only officer with day-to-day authority over the bank account, which is exactly why bylaws should require two signatures on checks above a set dollar amount and a second person reviewing bank statements. A treasurer who is also the sole signer on the account, with nobody else reviewing statements, is a setup that has led to real embezzlement cases in small nonprofits and booster groups covered by local news over the years. Your bylaws are the tool that prevents this, not trust in any one person. See our guide on form 990 filing requirements for how treasurer duties connect to annual IRS reporting.

What officer positions do volleyball booster clubs typically need?

President	1-2 years	Runs meetings, signs contracts
Vice President	1-2 years	Backs up president, often runs fundraising
Secretary	1-2 years	Minutes, records, correspondence
Treasurer	1-2 years	Books, deposits, reports, filings

Most volleyball booster clubs use four core officers: president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. Larger clubs add a fundraising chair, concessions coordinator, or team liaison per grade level (varsity, JV, freshman) as separate committee chairs rather than voting officers. Bylaws should spell out for each position: how they're elected (usually annual vote at a spring meeting), term length (one or two years is typical), whether there's a term limit, and what happens if someone resigns mid-year. A common gap: bylaws that describe the election process but say nothing about vacancies. Add a line like "a vacancy in any office shall be filled by board appointment until the next election" and you've closed that gap. Define signing authority explicitly. Example language: "Checks and withdrawals exceeding $500 require two officer signatures, one of whom must be the treasurer or president." Put a real number in, not "a significant amount," because vague thresholds get argued about exactly when you need clarity most. | Officer | Typical term | Core duty |

How do quorum and voting rules work in booster club bylaws?

Quorum is the minimum number of members or officers who must be present for a vote to count. Booster club bylaws should state quorum as either a fixed number or a percentage of active membership, and most youth sports booster clubs set it low (5 to 10 members, or a simple majority of the board) because attendance is inconsistent. Without a quorum rule, a decision made by three people at a poorly attended meeting can be challenged later as invalid. That's happened in real disputes, usually when a big purchase or a controversial fundraiser gets approved by whoever showed up that night. Specify voting method too: voice vote, show of hands, or written ballot, and when each applies. Many clubs require written ballots for officer elections and budget approvals over a set dollar amount, but allow voice votes for routine motions like approving prior meeting minutes. Include a proxy voting clause if your members travel a lot for tournaments (common in volleyball club families). Without one, a parent who's out of town for a qualifier can't have their vote counted, which shrinks your effective quorum right when attendance is already thin.

What financial controls belong in booster club bylaws?

Financial controls are the section that actually protects your club's money, and it's the section most templates handle worst. At minimum, include: dual signatures above a stated dollar threshold, a monthly bank reconciliation requirement, an annual budget approval process, and a rule requiring an outgoing treasurer to hand over full records within a set number of days (30 is common). Add a receipt and documentation rule: no reimbursement without an original receipt, and a cap on cash reimbursements without prior approval. Add a fundraiser cash-handling rule: two unrelated people count concession or gate cash together, both sign the count sheet, and cash gets deposited within a few business days, never held at someone's house over a long weekend. Consider requiring an annual review of the books, even if it's just a walkthrough by a non-officer parent rather than a formal audit. Many state charity offices and umbrella nonprofit guidance recommend some form of independent review annually as a matter of practice, separate from any IRS filing requirement. Our 990-N guide covers the annual filing side of this once your books are clean enough to report from.

What is Form 990, and does our booster club need to file it?

Form 990 is the annual information return the IRS requires most tax-exempt organizations to file, reporting revenue, expenses, and activities for the year. What is the 990 used for beyond compliance? It's public. Anyone, including parents, donors, or a reporter, can pull your club's 990 through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool ^[1]. What is a 990 tax form exactly, in practical terms for a booster club? It's not an income tax return like your personal 1040. It's a disclosure document. Most small booster clubs with gross receipts normally at or below $50,000 file the simplest version, Form 990-N, an eight-question electronic postcard, rather than the full Form 990 or the mid-size Form 990-EZ ^[2]. The IRS states that "most small tax-exempt organizations whose annual gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less" are eligible to file the 990-N e-Postcard ^[2]. Organizations with gross receipts above that threshold but below $200,000, and total assets under $500,000, generally use Form 990-EZ instead ^[3]. Larger clubs file the full Form 990. Miss three consecutive years of required 990 filings and the IRS automatically revokes your tax-exempt status, no warning letter required beyond the standard reminder notices ^[4]. Reinstatement means refiling for exemption, sometimes back-paying fees, and it can take months. Bylaws don't file your 990 for you, but a good bylaws section on treasurer duties ("the treasurer shall ensure the annual IRS information return is filed by the statutory deadline") puts the responsibility on paper instead of leaving it to whoever remembers. See our guides on 990 tax form, IRS Form 990, and Form 990-N for the filing mechanics.

How do bylaws handle membership and dues in a booster club?

Membership sections should define who counts as a member (usually any parent or guardian of a rostered player, sometimes open to any donor), whether dues are required, and what voting rights membership carries. Some clubs charge a flat annual due ($20 to $50 is common for youth sports boosters) and some rely entirely on fundraising, with no mandatory dues at all. Be specific about whether non-paying members can vote. A common structure: anyone can attend meetings, but only dues-paying or registered members in good standing get a vote on officer elections and budget items. Write the exact cutoff date for membership eligibility before an annual meeting, so there's no argument about a parent who joined the week before elections trying to swing a vote. If your club supports multiple teams or levels (varsity, JV, club feeder teams), decide whether each team gets separate representation or funds pool together under one general fund. This single decision drives a lot of later fundraising disputes, so get it in writing early rather than assuming everyone agrees.

How do bylaws handle amendments and dissolution?

The amendment clause should state who can propose a change, what vote threshold passes it (two-thirds is standard for bylaws changes, more restrictive than the simple majority used for routine votes), and how much advance notice members get before a vote. Thirty days' written notice before an amendment vote is common and reasonable. The dissolution clause matters more than most new officers realize, especially for 501(c)(3) clubs. IRS guidance on exempt purposes explains that an organization's assets must be permanently dedicated to an exempt purpose, and the IRS states that upon dissolution, "its assets must be distributed for an exempt purpose" rather than to members, officers, or private individuals ^[5]. Your bylaws should state this directly: "upon dissolution, remaining assets shall be distributed to one or more organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as designated by the board." This language typically needs to match what was represented on your original exemption application. Without a dissolution clause matching IRS requirements, a club that folds (teams graduate out, program gets cut, interest fades) can run into real trouble distributing leftover funds legally. Confirm the exact language with the IRS and your state charity office before finalizing, since acceptable phrasing can vary a bit by state nonprofit corporation law.

How often should a booster club review or update its bylaws?

Review bylaws at minimum every two to three years, and always after any officer transition scandal, funding dispute, or state law change affecting nonprofits. Most clubs never revisit bylaws until a fight forces the issue, which is backwards. The best time to fix a bylaws gap is during a calm year with no active conflict. Build a standing review into the bylaws themselves: "The board shall review these bylaws no less than once every three years and report any recommended changes to the general membership." That single sentence turns review from a maybe into a task someone owns. When your state raises or changes nonprofit filing thresholds, or your state's charity registration office updates its rules, check whether your bylaws reference specific dollar figures or statute numbers that changed. Confirm current thresholds with your state charity office or attorney general's charity division rather than trusting an old copy of your own bylaws.

What is a treasurer, and how does the bylaws section on that role usually read?

A treasurer is the officer responsible for a club's money: tracking income and expenses, maintaining bank accounts, reporting financial status to the board and membership, and handling required tax filings. What is a treasurer supposed to look like on paper in your bylaws? Something like this, adapted to your club: "The Treasurer shall: (1) maintain accurate financial records for all club transactions; (2) reconcile bank statements monthly; (3) present a written financial report at each general meeting; (4) prepare or coordinate preparation of required annual IRS filings; (5) maintain records of all receipts and disbursements for a minimum of seven years; (6) transfer all financial records to the incoming Treasurer within 30 days of a change in office." What does a club treasurer do that this list misses? Real life. Coordinating with concession vendors, tracking sponsorship invoices, managing a Venmo or Square account for spirit wear sales, and fielding parent questions about where fundraising money actually went. Bylaws can't capture every task, but a clear duties list gives a new treasurer a starting checklist instead of a blank page. If you're stepping into a treasurer role for the first time and want a structure built around your specific state's filing and raffle rules, a State-Personalized Treasurer Kit ($99, one-time) bundles bylaws language, a handoff checklist, and state-specific filing notes so you're not assembling this from six different forum threads at 11pm before a board meeting.

What should a new treasurer check first when reviewing existing bylaws?

Pull the current bylaws before touching the books. Check five things immediately: who has signing authority on the bank account, what the check-signature threshold is, whether an annual budget approval is required, what the 990 filing responsibility language says (if any exists at all), and what the record-handoff timeline requires from the outgoing treasurer. If the bylaws are silent on any of these, that's not automatically a crisis, but flag it for the board and propose an amendment at the next meeting. A treasurer who inherits vague bylaws and just keeps doing things the old way inherits the old way's risks too. Check the last filed 990 or 990-N against the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool ^[1] to confirm the club's exempt status is actually active, not auto-revoked. This takes five minutes and it's one of the most consequential five minutes a new treasurer spends, because discovering a lapsed exemption eight months into your term is a much worse conversation than discovering it in week one.

Frequently asked questions

What does a treasurer do in a volleyball booster club?

A treasurer tracks income and expenses, reconciles bank statements monthly, prepares financial reports for meetings, and handles required IRS filings like Form 990-N. In volleyball boosters specifically, that includes tournament fees, concession cash, spirit wear sales, and uniform/travel disbursements, all documented with receipts and reviewed by a second officer.

What is a treasurer supposed to do that other officers don't?

A treasurer has day-to-day authority over the bank account and books, which no other officer has. Bylaws should require a second signature above a set dollar threshold and independent review of bank statements, since sole control by one person is the setup behind most booster club embezzlement cases reported over the years.

What is Form 990 and do small booster clubs have to file it?

Form 990 is the IRS's annual information return for tax-exempt organizations. Most small booster clubs with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less file the simpler Form 990-N e-Postcard instead of the full Form 990, per IRS guidance on filing thresholds ^[2].

What is the 990-N and how is it different from the full 990?

The 990-N is an eight-question electronic form for small tax-exempt organizations, while the full Form 990 requires detailed financial statements, program descriptions, and compensation disclosures. Organizations between $50,000 and $200,000 in gross receipts generally use the mid-size Form 990-EZ instead of either extreme ^[3].

What happens if our booster club misses filing its 990 or 990-N?

Missing three consecutive years of required annual filings triggers automatic revocation of tax-exempt status under IRS rules, with no case-by-case warning beyond standard reminders ^[4]. Reinstatement requires refiling for exemption and can take months, so bylaws should assign this filing duty explicitly to the treasurer.

What should our bylaws say about check-signing authority?

State a specific dollar threshold requiring two signatures, for example "checks over $500 require two officer signatures." Vague language like "significant purchases" causes disputes exactly when clarity matters most. Also specify who the second signer can be (often president or vice president) if the treasurer isn't available.

How many officers does a typical volleyball booster club need?

Most clubs use four core officers: president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, with additional non-voting committee chairs (fundraising, concessions, team liaisons) added as needed. Bylaws should define terms (1-2 years is typical) and a vacancy-filling procedure for each position.

What is quorum and why does our booster club need a rule for it?

Quorum is the minimum number of members required present for a vote to count, and without a stated number, decisions made at poorly attended meetings can later be challenged as invalid. Most youth sports booster clubs set quorum low, often 5-10 members or a board majority, given inconsistent parent attendance.

What does the dissolution clause in booster club bylaws need to say?

For 501(c)(3) clubs, IRS guidance requires that remaining assets upon dissolution be permanently dedicated to an exempt purpose, not distributed to members or officers ^[5]. Bylaws should state this directly and match the language used on the original tax-exemption application. Confirm exact wording with the IRS and your state charity office.

How often should we update our booster club's bylaws?

Review bylaws at least every two to three years, and immediately after any officer dispute, funding scandal, or change in state nonprofit law. Build a standing review requirement into the bylaws themselves so it happens on schedule rather than only after a conflict forces the issue.

Do booster club bylaws need to match our IRS tax-exempt application?

Yes, if you hold 501(c)(3) status, your bylaws should be consistent with what you represented on Form 1023 or Form 1023-EZ, especially around private benefit and dissolution of assets. A mismatch can create real problems during an IRS review, more than a paperwork inconsistency.

What records should the outgoing treasurer hand over to the new one?

A full handoff should include bank statements, the ledger or accounting software access, receipts and documentation for the current and prior fiscal year, copies of the last filed 990 or 990-N, and any outstanding invoices or reimbursement requests. Bylaws should set a deadline, commonly 30 days, for this transfer.

Sources

1. IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search: Form 990 filings are public and searchable through the IRS's Tax Exempt Organization Search tool
2. IRS, Annual Electronic Filing Requirement for Small Exempt Organizations (Form 990-N): Most small tax-exempt organizations with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less are eligible to file Form 990-N
3. IRS, About Form 990-EZ: Organizations with gross receipts under $200,000 and total assets under $500,000 generally file Form 990-EZ
4. IRS, Automatic Revocation of Exemption: Failure to file required 990 series returns for three consecutive years results in automatic revocation of tax-exempt status
5. IRS, Exempt Purposes - Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3): 501(c)(3) organizations must dedicate assets to exempt purposes, including upon dissolution
6. IRS, Form 1023 (Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3)): Organizations seeking 501(c)(3) status describe their governance and dissolution provisions on Form 1023, which bylaws should match