# Booster Club First-Year Checklist: A Month-by-Month Guide

> A month-by-month first-year checklist for a new booster club: formation, EIN, bank account, 501(c)(3), state filings, elections, and the first 990-N.

- URL: https://boosterclub.org/start/first-year-checklist/
- Section: Start
- Updated: 2026-10-06

This first-year checklist walks a new booster club through its first twelve months, from the founding meeting to the close of its first fiscal year and the first annual IRS filing. It is written for the founding president and treasurer, who carry most of the first year, and for the secretary, who keeps the records that the next board will need.

The first year sets habits. A club that reconciles its bank account monthly, files on time, and documents every decision in its first year usually keeps doing so. A club that improvises in year one often discovers the gaps when the founders leave.

## How to Use This Checklist

Month 1 is the month of the founding meeting. The months are a planning sequence, not legal deadlines; a club that moves faster or slower shifts the schedule. Real deadlines are listed separately in the deadline table below.

The example dates on this page assume a club that holds its founding meeting in August 2026, files its articles of incorporation on September 15, 2026, and uses a fiscal year ending June 30.

## Every Month, Starting With the Bank Account

These tasks repeat every month once the club has a bank account:

1. The treasurer records every deposit and payment and reconciles the bank statement.
2. A board member who is not a signer reviews the statement and the reconciliation and initials both.
3. The treasurer presents a written report at each board meeting. See [The Monthly Treasurer's Report](https://boosterclub.org/finance/treasurer-report/).
4. The secretary records minutes, including every financial approval. See [How to Take Minutes](https://boosterclub.org/meetings/minutes/).
5. Two people count and sign for all cash, and deposits are made promptly. See [Handling Cash at Events](https://boosterclub.org/finance/cash-handling/).

## Month 1: Organize

- Meet with the principal and program director; get the district's booster club policy.
- Confirm no existing or dormant club serves the program.
- Recruit at least a president, secretary, and treasurer from different households.
- Choose the legal name and confirm it is available with the state.
- Draft bylaws and articles of incorporation, including the IRS purpose and dissolution clauses.
- Agree that no money is collected until the club has its own bank account.

See [Before Starting a Booster Club](https://boosterclub.org/start/before-you-start/).

## Month 2: Incorporate and Get an EIN

- File the articles of incorporation and save the stamped copy. The filing date is the formation date.
- Hold the organizational meeting: adopt bylaws, elect officers, set the fiscal year, adopt a conflict of interest policy, authorize the EIN and bank account.
- Apply for the EIN online after the state approves the articles, and save the confirmation letter.
- Calendar the first state corporate report. In California, the Statement of Information is due within 90 days of initial registration (December 14, 2026 for articles filed September 15, 2026).

See [How to Incorporate](https://boosterclub.org/start/incorporate/) and [How to Get an EIN](https://boosterclub.org/start/ein/).

## Month 3: Bank Account, Controls, and Insurance

- Open the bank account with two signers from different households and a non-signer reviewer.
- Adopt a written financial policy: dual signatures, no debit cards, reimbursement rules, cash handling.
- Adopt the first-year budget. See [How to Build a Booster Club Budget](https://boosterclub.org/finance/budget/).
- Obtain insurance quotes for general liability and crime (fidelity) coverage, and confirm what the district requires. See [Booster Club Insurance](https://boosterclub.org/governance/insurance/).
- Set up a shared, board-owned location for records and logins, not a personal account.

See [Opening a Booster Club Bank Account](https://boosterclub.org/start/bank-account/).

## Month 4: Apply for 501(c)(3) and Register With the State

- Complete the Form 1023-EZ eligibility worksheet using gross receipts, not profit.
- File Form 1023-EZ ($275) or Form 1023 ($600) through Pay.gov and save the PDF.
- Identify every state filing that applies on the club's [state page](https://boosterclub.org/states/).
- Register as a charity where required before soliciting. In California, registration with the Attorney General is due within 30 days of first receiving charitable assets (November 4, 2026 for a first donation on October 5, 2026).
- Check raffle, sales tax, and event permit rules before the first fundraiser.

See [How to Get 501(c)(3) Status](https://boosterclub.org/start/501c3/) and [State Registration](https://boosterclub.org/start/state-registration/).

## Months 5 and 6: Determination Letter and State Exemptions

At the time of writing, the IRS reported issuing 80 percent of Form 1023-EZ determinations within 22 days, so many clubs receive the letter in this window. Form 1023 filers wait longer.

- Check the determination letter: name, EIN, effective date, public charity classification.
- Confirm the club appears in IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.
- File state income or franchise tax and sales tax exemption applications that require the letter.
- Give the district, the bank, and major donors a copy of the letter.
- Start sending written acknowledgments for every single gift of $250 or more. See [Donation Receipts and Acknowledgment Letters](https://boosterclub.org/taxes/donor-acknowledgments/).
- Hold a mid-year review of actual results against the budget.

## Months 7 to 9: Run the Program

- Run fundraisers under the club's approved plan, with an event budget and a post-event report for each. See [Running a Booster Club Fundraising Event](https://boosterclub.org/fundraising/events/).
- For any payment over $75 that is partly a gift and partly for something the donor receives (a quid pro quo contribution, such as a gala ticket), give the donor a written statement with a good faith estimate of the value received, explaining that only the amount above that value is deductible. IRS Publication 557 describes a penalty for failing to make this disclosure.
- Confirm sponsorships are documented and acknowledged correctly. See [Sponsorships vs Advertising](https://boosterclub.org/taxes/sponsorship-vs-advertising/).
- Keep purchases for the program within the budget and the district's approval process.
- Track volunteer hours and program results for the year-end report to families.

## Months 10 and 11: Elections and Next Year's Budget

- Appoint a nominating committee and give notice of elections as the bylaws require. See [Running Booster Club Elections](https://boosterclub.org/meetings/elections/).
- Draft next year's budget with the incoming treasurer.
- Have the outgoing officers write procedure notes for each position.
- Review the bylaws and policies after a year of use and propose amendments if needed.

## Month 12: Close the Year and Hand Off

- Close the fiscal year: final reconciliation, year-end report, list of unpaid bills and restricted funds. See [Closing the Fiscal Year](https://boosterclub.org/finance/fiscal-year-close/).
- Arrange a financial review by people who are not signers. See [Annual Financial Review](https://boosterclub.org/finance/financial-review/).
- Change bank signers the same day the new officers take office, and remove former officers' online access.
- File Form 8822-B within 60 days if the president (the IRS responsible party) changed.
- Transfer records, logins, checkbooks, keys, and the permanent file to the new board. See [Officer Transition](https://boosterclub.org/governance/officer-transition/).

## First-Year Deadlines

| Deadline | Rule | Example (articles filed September 15, 2026, June 30 year end) |
|---|---|---|
| California corporate report | Within 90 days of initial registration | December 14, 2026 |
| California charitable registration | Within 30 days of first receiving charitable assets | November 4, 2026, if the first donation arrives October 5, 2026 |
| 501(c)(3) application with retroactive effect | Within 27 months after the end of the formation month | December 31, 2028 |
| Form 990-N | 15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end | November 15, 2027 for the year ending June 30, 2027 |
| Form 8822-B | Within 60 days of a responsible party change | 60 days after the new president takes office |

The California rows are examples; other states differ. See the [state pages](https://boosterclub.org/states/).

**If the 501(c)(3) application is still pending when the first Form 990-N is due**, the IRS directs an officer to call Customer Account Services at 877-829-5500 and ask that the organization be set up to file Form 990-N, and to allow six weeks for records to update. The 990-N is still required. Missing three consecutive years of required filings automatically revokes exemption. See [How to File Form 990-N](https://boosterclub.org/taxes/form-990-n/).

## Common Mistakes

- **No monthly reconciliation in year one.** The founders are busy with formation, and by spring nobody can explain the balance.
- **Treating the determination letter as the finish line.** The club stops filing after approval and is revoked three years later for missed 990-N filings.
- **Missing the first 990-N because the application was pending.** The IRS system returns an error, no one calls to have the club set up, and the first missed year counts toward revocation.
- **Founders leaving with the records.** The bylaws, articles, EIN letter, and determination letter sit in a founder's email or garage when the founder's child graduates.
- **No election process.** The founding board serves indefinitely by default, and the club becomes a one-family operation.
- **Skipping insurance until an incident.** The district asks for a certificate of insurance before the first event, and the club cannot get coverage in time.

## Checklist

### Months 1 to 4: Formation

- [ ] Get principal and district approval and the district's booster club policy (founders)
- [ ] File articles of incorporation and hold the organizational meeting
- [ ] Get the EIN and open the bank account with two signers and a non-signer reviewer
- [ ] Adopt the financial policy, first-year budget, and conflict of interest policy
- [ ] File Form 1023-EZ or Form 1023 (within 27 months after the end of the formation month)
- [ ] Complete state corporate, charitable, and sales tax registrations that apply

### Months 5 to 9: Operating

- [ ] Reconcile the bank account monthly and have a non-signer review it (treasurer)
- [ ] File state tax exemption applications after the determination letter arrives
- [ ] Send written acknowledgments for every gift of $250 or more
- [ ] Obtain insurance and give the district a certificate if required

### Months 10 to 12: Closing and Handoff

- [ ] Hold elections as the bylaws require and adopt next year's budget
- [ ] Close the fiscal year and complete a financial review by non-signers
- [ ] Change bank signers and file Form 8822-B within 60 days if the president changed
- [ ] Transfer all records and logins to the new board (secretary)
- [ ] File Form 990-N by the 15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end (November 15 for June 30)

## Related Pages

- [Starting a Booster Club](https://boosterclub.org/start/) for the seven formation steps in summary
- [Booster Club Compliance Calendar](https://boosterclub.org/taxes/compliance-calendar/) for recurring deadlines after the first year
- [Booster Club Treasurer Duties](https://boosterclub.org/finance/treasurer/) for the treasurer's monthly and annual work
- [Booster Club Officer Transition](https://boosterclub.org/governance/officer-transition/) for the end-of-year handoff
- [Booster Club Records and Document Retention](https://boosterclub.org/governance/records/) for what goes in the permanent file

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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/publications/p557
2. IRS: https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1023ez
3. IRS: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/annual-electronic-filing-requirement-for-small-exempt-organizations-form-990-n-e-postcard
4. IRS: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/annual-electronic-notice-form-990-n-for-small-organizations-faqs-how-to-file
5. IRS: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8822-b
6. IRS: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/charitable-contributions-written-acknowledgments
7. IRS: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/wheres-my-application
8. California Secretary of State: https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/forms/corporations-statement-information
9. California Attorney General: https://oag.ca.gov/charities/initial-reg