# Opening a Booster Club Bank Account: Documents and Signers

> How to open a booster club bank account: the documents banks ask for, choosing signers, a sample board resolution, and dual control from the first day.

- URL: https://boosterclub.org/start/bank-account/
- Section: Start
- Updated: 2026-10-08

A booster club opens its bank account after it receives its Employer Identification Number (EIN) and before it collects any money. The account is in the club's legal name, under the club's EIN, with at least two unrelated signers approved by the board. The president and treasurer usually open it together.

The bank account is where most booster club financial problems start or are prevented. The controls set up on opening day (who can sign, who can see statements, whether there is a debit card) are much easier to establish than to impose later on a volunteer who is used to working alone.

## Why the Club Needs Its Own Account

A booster club's money belongs to the club, not to the parents who raise it or the school it supports.

- **Not a personal account.** Money in a parent's account looks like that parent's money to the bank, the IRS, and creditors. If the parent dies, divorces, or is sued, the club's funds can be caught up in it, and the parent has to prove which dollars belong to the club.
- **Not a school account.** The FCMAT student body accounting manual, written for California districts, states that booster clubs and other school-connected organizations are separate legal entities whose funds should be deposited into the organization's own bank account, not commingled with student body or district accounts.
- **Not a personal payment app.** A personal payment app account is a personal account. See [Accepting Online Payments](https://boosterclub.org/finance/payment-processing/).

## What the Bank Will Ask For

Requirements differ by bank, so the treasurer calls ahead and asks for the bank's list for nonprofit business accounts. Most banks ask for some or all of these:

| Document | Where it comes from | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EIN confirmation letter | IRS, at the end of the online EIN application | Banks often want the letter itself, not only the number |
| Filed articles of incorporation | State filing office | The stamped or certified copy; unincorporated clubs bring signed articles of association |
| Bylaws | Adopted at the organizational meeting | Shows who has authority |
| Board resolution or minutes | Secretary | Authorizes the account and names the signers |
| Photo identification | Each signer | Every signer usually appears in person or completes identity verification |
| Control person information | President or treasurer | Federal rules require the bank to identify one individual who controls the club |
| IRS determination letter | IRS | Often not required to open the account, but some banks ask; provide it when it arrives |

The control person requirement comes from the federal customer due diligence rule (31 CFR 1010.230). A nonprofit corporation that has filed its organizational documents with the state is subject only to the "control prong," which means the bank identifies a single individual with significant responsibility to manage the club, such as the president or treasurer. Nonprofits do not have owners, so the ownership questions on the bank's form do not apply.

## Choosing a Bank

The treasurer compares two or three local banks or credit unions using the same questions:

1. What are the monthly fees and minimum balance for a nonprofit account, and are any waived for nonprofits?
2. Are there fees or limits on cash and coin deposits? (Important for concession stands and gate receipts.)
3. Can online banking give a board member view-only access without signing authority?
4. Can online transfers and bill payments require approval by a second user?
5. Can the account be opened without a debit card?
6. Will statements go to two people, or to an address other than the treasurer's?
7. Is there a branch or night deposit box near the school?

Deposit insurance also matters for clubs with large balances. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures $250,000 per depositor, per FDIC-insured bank, for each account ownership category, and treats corporation, partnership, and unincorporated association accounts as their own ownership category.

## Signers and Dual Control

The board names the signers by resolution. Practical rules:

- **At least two signers, preferably three.** Typically the president and treasurer, with the vice president as a backup so a signer is always available.
- **No two signers from the same household.** Spouses, partners, or relatives cannot meaningfully check each other.
- **Dual signatures on checks.** The bylaws or financial policy requires two signatures on every check, or on every check above a set amount. A bank may process a check with one signature even when the club's policy requires two, so the club enforces the rule through its own review, not only through the bank.
- **No debit cards, or tight limits.** A debit card lets one person spend without a second approval. If a card is unavoidable, the board sets a low limit and requires receipts for every charge.
- **A non-signer reviews every statement.** Each month, someone who cannot sign (often the secretary or a board member) receives the statement directly or has view-only online access, and reviews it against the treasurer's report.
- **The treasurer does not reconcile alone.** The treasurer reconciles; the reviewer initials. See [Internal Controls for Booster Clubs](https://boosterclub.org/finance/internal-controls/).

## Sample Board Resolution

The secretary records a resolution like this in the minutes and gives a signed copy to the bank. Banks often have their own resolution form, which the club completes instead.

> RESOLVED, that the [legal name of club] open a checking account at [bank name] under Employer Identification Number [EIN]; that the following officers are authorized signers on the account: [president name], [treasurer name], and [vice president name]; that two authorized signatures are required on all checks [or: on all checks over $___]; that no debit cards shall be issued on the account; that [secretary name], who is not a signer, shall receive monthly statements and view-only online access; and that the secretary is authorized to certify this resolution to the bank.

## Opening Day Step by Step

1. Hold a board meeting that approves the bank, the signers, and the resolution, and record it in the minutes.
2. Call the bank to confirm its document list and whether all signers must attend.
3. Bring the EIN letter, filed articles, bylaws, certified resolution, and each signer's photo ID.
4. Open the account in the club's exact legal name and EIN.
5. Decline a debit card, or set the limit the board approved.
6. Set up online banking: transaction rights for signers, view-only for the reviewer, and dual approval for transfers where available.
7. Order checks that print "two signatures required" if the bank offers it, as a visible reminder.
8. Make the first deposit with two people present and keep the deposit slip.
9. File copies of all account documents in the club's permanent records.

## When Signers Change

Signers change with every election, and the transition is a common point of failure. The new board adopts a resolution naming the new signers, and the outgoing and incoming officers visit the bank together to remove former officers and add new ones the same day. The departing treasurer returns checkbooks, deposit bags, keys, and any cards, and online access for former officers is removed. If the president was the IRS "responsible party," the club files Form 8822-B within 60 days of the change. See [Booster Club Officer Transition](https://boosterclub.org/governance/officer-transition/).

## Common Mistakes

- **Collecting money before the account exists.** The first fundraiser's cash sits in a volunteer's home or personal account, with no record and no second person.
- **Spouses as the two signers.** The household controls the account, and no one outside it reviews the money.
- **One signer with a debit card.** The most direct path from a club account to personal spending, with no second approval.
- **Statements only to the treasurer.** No one else sees the transactions, so an error or theft can continue for years.
- **Former officers left on the account.** A parent who left the board two years ago can still write checks or log in.
- **An account under the school's EIN.** It misrepresents the club and can put the money under district control.

## Checklist

- [ ] Ask two or three banks for their nonprofit account requirements and fees (treasurer)
- [ ] Choose the bank and confirm it allows view-only access and no debit card
- [ ] Choose at least two signers from different households
- [ ] Adopt and record the bank resolution at a board meeting (secretary)
- [ ] Gather the EIN letter, filed articles, bylaws, resolution, and signers' IDs
- [ ] Open the account in the club's exact legal name and EIN
- [ ] Set up dual approval for transfers and view-only access for a non-signer
- [ ] Make the first deposit with two people present
- [ ] File all account documents in the permanent records
- [ ] Schedule the monthly statement review by a non-signer
- [ ] Update signers at the bank the same day officers change

## Related Pages

- [Booster Club Banking](https://boosterclub.org/finance/banking/) for ongoing account management, online banking, and payment apps
- [Internal Controls for Booster Clubs](https://boosterclub.org/finance/internal-controls/) for the full set of controls that protect the account
- [Handling Cash at Booster Club Events](https://boosterclub.org/finance/cash-handling/) for counting and depositing event cash
- [Booster Club Treasurer Duties](https://boosterclub.org/finance/treasurer/) for the treasurer's monthly routine
- [Booster Club Officer Transition](https://boosterclub.org/governance/officer-transition/) for changing signers each year

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*This page is general information for volunteer-run booster clubs. It is not legal,
tax, or accounting advice, and BoosterClub.org is not a law firm, accounting firm, or
government agency. Rules change and vary by state and district. Confirm current
requirements with the IRS, the relevant state agency, the school district, and a
qualified professional before acting. If a fact on this page is out of date, we want
to know.*

## Sources

1. IRS: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number
2. Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (California): https://www.fcmat.org/publicationsreports/fcmat-K-12-asb-manual.pdf
3. IRS: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8822-b