How to Start a Club in 7 Easy Steps

Have you recently picked up a new hobby or interest?

Do you want to connect with others who share your same passion?

Well, you can do this by starting a club!

Think of all the clubs that could be in your community that may not exist yet: a motorcycle club, a pickleball club, a writer’s club or maybe even a Taylor Swift fan club.

In this blog, we’ll cover the main steps you need to follow to start a club, some tips for niche clubs, and the value of club management software in helping you stay organized.

We’ve also included quotes from real clubs about how they got started and additional advice.

Why Should You Start a Club?

A club is a powerful way for anyone, from local groups, students, hobbyists, athletes and working professionals, to organize and combine resources. When you start a club in your community, you can create connections and meet the needs of those around you, whether that’s in your school, social group or even profession.

Ask yourself questions like these to know if starting a club is right for you:

Are you looking to make new friends at your school who share your interests?
Is a condo developer looking to build on your block and not considering the additional traffic?
Are you hooked on pickleball, but can’t find anyone to practice your cross-court dink shot?
Are you looking to network and share tricks of the trade with colleagues in your industry?

The best part is, your club can be focused on anything your heart desires! It can range from:

A social club where you engage in your favorite activity
A service club where you connect with others in your community to help out a particular cause
A sports club where you join with others to play

No matter what your values, hobbies, or interests are, if you start a club, you’ll be able to connect with like-minded people who share the same passion.

How to Form a Club

If you’re committed to starting a membership club, you first need to determine your club’s purpose, then figure out its structure, start recruiting members, set up your financial structure and any needed registration, create a club website and then hold your first meeting.

We go into more detail on each step below, plus some extra tips and information to get it started right.

(And if you want to turn your club into a full-fledged nonprofit, check out our comprehensive guide on how to start a nonprofit, too!)

Step 1: Determine Your Club’s Purpose

The first step in forming your own club is to gather the founding members, clarify your club’s purpose and identify any long-term goals you want to achieve.

Here are some questions for founders to ask to identify a club’s purpose:

Why Are We Forming A Club?

What’s the primary objective or mission you want your group to achieve? Are you looking to start a social club that meets regularly?

Maybe you have a strong passion for a sport or hobby and are looking for others who share those feelings. For example, if you’re a huge baking aficionado, you might want to start a club focused on trying and sharing new dessert recipes.

Crafting a mission statement is a great way to clarify and articulate the purpose of your social club, association or sports organization. Brainstorm with your co-founders and try to phrase your mission statement the way you’d tell a friend — make it engaging and simple enough to remember. To go back to our baking example, a potential mission statement might be “To improve our baking skills by trying new recipes and sharing cooking tips and tricks.”

What Are Our Club’s Long-Term Goals?

Even though you’re just getting started, it’s important to consider the long-term goal(s) for the organization right from the very beginning. These goals will impact the next step of starting a club or organization: your club’s structure.

Here are a couple of questions for founders to ask to identify your club’s long-term goals:

Do we want to hold events?
Will we need to fundraise?
Do we want to organize to lobby for a particular cause?
Will we offer services or resources to members?
Do we need to charge membership fees?
How often do we want to meet?
Where will we meet?
What will take place during meetings?

Answering these questions before you begin to recruit other members will ensure that you and your co-founders are all on the same page. This will also make those first meetings run smoothly and feel more cohesive. Consider our baking example: if one member of your baking club thinks you’ll be baking during the meetings, and another thinks you’re supposed to bake beforehand and bring desserts to share, you might run into some frustrated (or hungry) members!

Step 2: Structure Your Club & Governance

Once you’ve answered the questions above, you’ll have a better idea of the ideal structure for your club.

Do You Need A Loose or Formal Club Structure?

The goal of a social club is to gather members for regular or semi-regular social activities. Typically, there will be very little overhead, loose structure and you’ll self-organize. Our baking club is a great example of this type of club.

If your club requires a steady cash flow in order to operate, you’ll need a formal organizational structure. This type of club has various moving parts that need management, such as:

Hosting larger events
Renting venues or equipment
Paying volunteers or staff
Create and distribute materials
Utilizing PR and marketing
Lobbying government

A great example of this type of club would be a sports club. A sports club will need to rent field space and manage volunteers or staff to handle the referee, coaching and equipment duties.

As soon as expenses and overhead costs are involved in achieving your club’s mission, you will need to consider ways to do the following:

Offering paid memberships
Raise funds
Collect recurring dues or donations
Offer tax receipts

In fact, for many clubs in this position, it makes sense to register as a nonprofit or not-for-profit organization.

Clubs that intend to raise funds will also need to determine whether they meet the administrative criteria in their region to qualify for tax-exempt status. These criteria may vary depending on your location. Make sure you check the regulations in your country, state, and/or province.

The type of nonprofit organization determines whether your club is eligible for tax-exempt status. In the U.S., the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has rules governing social clubs that are entitled to tax exemption under Section 501(c)(7).

Figure Out Your Leadership Structure

Any club will need some sort of leadership or governing structure. You and your co-founders will determine whether the structure should be formal or relaxed. In other words, will you operate through an elected Board of Directors, or create a less formal club management arrangement?

Whatever direction you decide to take, here are some of the key leadership roles to consider:

Leader: This role is a key representative who leads the club and serves as a spokesperson. Example titles: President, Board Chair, Revolving meeting leader, etc.
Deputy Leader: This role is a supportive one that provides backup for the Leader. Example titles: Vice President, Vice Chair, etc.
Treasurer: This role is responsible for keeping track of club funds, fees and expenses, paying bills, taxes, etc.
Communications Manager or Secretary: This role is responsible for internal communications, including meeting minutes, drafting objectives, tracking goals for activities and gatherings, sending meeting reminders and invitations, etc.
Membership Manager or Officer: This role is responsible for maintaining member records and developing member recruitment strategies.

Make sure to develop and document clearly defined job descriptions for each role. Everyone involved should understand and agree to the expectations and responsibilities of their role.

Once your club’s roles are defined, you can open up nominations and hold elections to fill roles in a well-documented, democratic manner (though this likely won’t be necessary at first). As your club grows, you might need to consider adding new roles or even an executive committee to help manage your operations.

Develop a Charter or Bylaws

Once you’ve established your organizational and leadership structure, as founders, you can help finalize the club’s mission statement. You’ll do this by establishing a charter and/or set of bylaws that govern the club and its members.

A formalized document — whether that’s a constitution, charter, terms of reference, or set of bylaws — helps create a standard set of practices that are shared by club members, and creates a sense of order for your organization.

Step 3: Recruit Club Members

Now that you and your fellow founding members have created your club’s mission and objectives, it’s time to start growing your membership.

But first, you need to understand who to target for recruitment. Here are some great questions for founders to ask when identifying potential club members:

What criteria do new members need to have?
Are there any restrictions for new membership?
Are there ideal demographics or psychographics for new members?

For example, our baking club might only require an interest in baking and sweet treats. However, to start a club for dental hygienists, new members will obviously have to work in that field or study it.

As well as understanding the profile of your ideal membership, you need to clarify what you will offer new members — essentially, what are the benefits they receive from joining your club?

Questions to ask to determine your membership levels and benefits:

What are your operating costs, and how can membership fees offset them?
What membership benefits can your club offer to new members?
Will there be different types of members or membership levels?
If you charge dues, will your membership be monthly or yearly?

PS: Managing these levels can also be done much more easily with the help of club management software!

How to do Club Member Marketing and Recruitment

Once you’ve identified your ideal member profile and defined your membership benefits, now it’s time to develop a strategy for recruiting new members.

Your strategy and the specific tactics you use will depend on the type of club you are creating, but here are a few ideas to get you started:

Invite your family and friends: The easiest way to get started is to ask the people you already know, and ask them to ask their friends too!
Create a membership committee: Brainstorm a recruitment strategy with your founding members and assign responsibility for recruiting and orienting new members.
Use an online membership application form: Ensure your membership benefits are clearly outlined on your website, and include a membership application form for potential members to apply.
Invite the general public: charge a general admission fee or offer a ‘trial membership’ to help recruit new members to a members-only event.
Start a membership referral program: Ask your existing members to recruit new individuals. Consider offering recruitment incentives if membership fees are involved.
Host a club open house: Showcase what your club has to offer at an open house. This allows existing members to learn about their benefits firsthand and attracts new members.
Use professional networks to recruit new members: Ask your members to promote the club within their existing networks.
Put together a new member welcome packet: Having a document that outlines the benefits of joining your organization and its general structure makes it easier to entice new members at events.

Step 4: Outline Your Financial Structure

Developing and maintaining effective financial records is key to the success of any club or organization. As your membership grows, financial record-keeping will become increasingly important. Get your financial records off on the right foot with these quick tips:

Identify any and all sources of income (membership fees, fundraisers, donations)
Itemize all potential club expenses – think meetings or events for this year, as well as plans for the next year (meeting room costs, food, equipment, bank fees, promotional costs, member service costs)
Develop a draft budget for your activities (meetings, events, social gatherings, retreats, etc.)
Draft financial policies for the club (member fees, meeting fees, sponsorship levels)
Have your leadership team review and finalize the budget and financial processes together.

Remember, most activities have some associated costs, so be sure to carefully map out your club’s yearly budget and pay attention to potential costs and sources of income. For example, our baking club might host a monthly bake sale to raise money for specialized baking supplies.

Step 5: Create a Club Website

Setting up a website is key to making sure prospective members can find your club. A great club website outlines the benefits of membership and includes a membership application form for potential members to apply, connect, and ask questions.

In addition to an easy-to-complete membership application form, here are a few website features every club website should include:

A membership directory where members can see images and quick blurbs about other members, so they can easily connect with each other
A clear “Donate” or “Pay your membership fee” option that gives members a straightforward way to financially support your club
An event calendar that’s updated regularly, to showcase all the ways new and existing members can get involved
A “Subscribe” button that will sign website users up for regular emails or newsletters

PS: If you’d like to see some great examples of club websites to inspire you, check out our list of club website examples!

There are many individual tools for building and maintaining a club website, but if you want an all-in-one solution, consider club management software. This will include other tools to help you manage your membership, including finances, communication, website, events and more!

Step 6: Hold Your First Club Meeting

Once your club website is ready to go and you’ve started recruitment, it’s time to host your first meeting!

Although this may seem intimidating, don’t worry: all your new members are just as nervous as you.

We’d also recommend not trying to do too much in the first meeting. It’s best to keep it simple and follow a structure such as:

Introducing the club and its mission
Introducing founding members
Describing the general meeting structure
Asking members why they joined and what they’re hoping to get from the club
Opening nominations for open positions, such as secretary and treasurer

And don’t forget to provide some time to mingle — the faster new members get to know each other, the easier it’ll be to keep them coming back to your next meetings.

As you wrap up the meeting, you should also let members know what they can expect from the club in the future. For example, will you hold weekly meetings, or limit it to once a month? Will the meeting location change? Setting out clear expectations will ensure members can feel comfortable coming back.

Step 7: Keep Running Your Club

Congratulations — your club is all set up!

However, it’s not time to rest on your laurels just yet. There are a number of other things you’ll need to set up going forward in order to effectively engage with your club members for the long haul.

Here are a few ideas we’ve seen successful clubs use to keep their members happy and their numbers growing.

1. Send Regular Email Newsletters

Want to make sure all your members know when they can come to meetings? An online newsletter is a cost-effective way to:

Keep members informed
Promote your organization to external audiences
Drive traffic to your website
Updating members on upcoming events and activities
Offering status updates on issues or other club news

Keep in mind, it’s worth checking in with your members to see what kind of content they’d like to see from it. For example, if our baking club has been sending out weekly recipes but no one is opening their emails, it might be worth trying out a weekly “What our Members Baked This Week” feature instead.

Check out this example of Charlotte Football Club’s newlsetter. This is a pretty big organization, so if your first newsletters aren’t this elaborate – don’t worry! Just make sure you’re providing the most up to date info for members.

2. Create Exclusive Members-Only Spaces

Once you have created your club website, consider having members-only pages or sections. The best way to get started is with a forum, where your members or supporters can post messages and others can view and reply. It can help you build your online community by providing a place for your members to congregate, collaborate, discuss, and share their ideas outside regular meetings.

You can also set up discussion threads for particular topics that matter to your members. For example, our baking club could have one board focused on a “Recipe of the Week,” where members try to make one variant of the same recipe. Another focused on “Baking Tips,” where members can ask each other questions and advise on particularly tricky recipes.

Have you considered how you’ll use social media to engage existing members and recruit new members?

While there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for launching into social media, most experts suggest that organizations new to social media take it slow and…

Start by listening (following and monitoring).
- What accounts are your potential club members already following?
- What kind of content are they creating?
- Which social media platform are they most active on?
Then, create connections and partnerships by participating in online conversations.
Establish your social media goals and develop a realistic plan.
Begin to build a presence on social media channels — we’d recommend starting with one or two so that you don’t get overwhelmed.
Choose the right social platform for your club – depending on your club goals and demographic, you’ll want to look at different channels
- Professional clubs focused on networking work best on LinkedIn
- Social or sports clubs with a diverse membership thrive on Facebook
- Clubs with younger members may prefer Instagram or TikTok

This example from the OMB run club in Charlotte posts after every run, highlighting members and activities. They also make a fun yearly recap to share with their members and followers on Instagram:

Read more: The Best Social Media Tools for Nonprofits

4. Create A Membership Database

Your membership data is the heart of your club. With proper care and maintenance, your database can be used to engage your membership and grow a successful club or organization. A membership database allows you to learn which members stick around the longest and what they’re most interested in.

An up-to-date membership list is an invaluable tool for mailing or emailing meet-up invitations, promoting events, advertising fundraising initiatives, and requesting and collecting member fees.

There are many ways to maintain a membership database, but if you want to ensure it is easily updated in real time (and available to the board members, staff and volunteers that need it), consider managing your database with club management software.

5. Check In With Your Members

As your club continues to grow and evolve, you’ll want to make sure you keep serving your members’ needs — and the easiest way to do that is to ask them what they want!

Some ways you can do this are:

Sending out a periodic membership survey (or a post-event survey)
Asking members to reply to your email newsletter with new ideas
Assigning your membership officer to check in with lapsed members and ask them why they left

PS: For a longer list with even more ideas, check out our full guide to member engagement.

Why Club Management Software is a Must-Have for Running A Club

Once you’ve started your club, you may find all of the administrative work becomes overwhelming without the right tools.

Enter club management software, which can assist you with everything your club needs, from building your club website to sending out meeting invites, so that you can get back to focusing on the fun parts of your club!

Some of the features of club management software are:

Automated contact database updates
Online event registration and payments pages
A way to accept online donations
An email system to communicate with your members
Professionally designed newsletter templates
Instant financial reports

“As our club grew from about 60 to in excess of 150 members and the need to collect dues and establish membership categories arose, it became very hard to manage everything with the paper system we had been using. WildApricot solved all that perfectly,” says Fred Finney of the Vistoso Cyclists.

WildApricot is a powerful cloud software that can help you automate and simplify everything when it comes to your new club. Check out our 60-day free trial to see what WildApricot can do for you!

Different clubs will have different needs. We’ve touched on hobby clubs with our baking example, but we wanted to give you a couple more tips for social, special-interest, and school clubs before sending you on your way!

A social club’s purpose is to connect with others over a common interest or activity. Ranging from sports to arts and crafts, there is always a need for a social club in your community. To start a social club, you’ll need to follow these quick steps:

Set regular times with others to participate in your activity (for example, meeting with your pickleball group every Wednesday for a couple of matches)
Create an official name for your club (for example, The Pickleball Pals)
Recruit others when you and your club members are out and about (for example, inviting other pickleball lovers while at the court)
Remain consistent and involved — maintain communication with the others in your group to ensure everyone knows when and where the next pickleball match is, whether that’s through a mass text message, group chat or an email newsletter

With those four basic steps, anyone can start a social club! The bigger your club becomes, the more assistance you’ll need managing your membership. So, keep our earlier tips in mind once the Pickleball Pals take off!

How to Start a Book Club

A book club is one of the tried-and-true clubs that everyone loves. The beauty of a book club is that it can have its own theme, per club or per book. For example, you and your friends may love exclusively reading mysteries; therefore, starting a mystery book club will be your go-to route. This ensures that all club members will enjoy every selected book.

On the flip side, if you enjoy reading in general, the standard book club may be what’s best for you. Each month, you can change genres (month 1 could be romance, month 2 could be sci-fi, month 3 could be historical fiction and so on).

Here are some quick tips on starting a book club:

Reach out to various people in various circles. Consider co-workers, friends, family members, neighbors and more. The more the merrier when it comes to starting an enthusiastic book club.
Come prepared! When starting your group, have a selection of books you’re ready to read – this way, you and your founding members will have plenty to choose from.
Decide on a location early. The majority of your reading will be on your own time, but you’ll need a quiet place to discuss your reading as a group. Consider whether someone in the club will host or whether you’ll need to find a coffee shop, restaurant, or community space.

How to Start a Motorcycle Club

As its name implies, a motorcycle club is for those passionate about motorcycles. Frequently, these clubs are for motorcycle riders, but it can vary depending on the exact type of cycle. For example, the Oakland Motorcycle Club membership includes street riders, adventure riders, dual-sport riders, dirt bike riders, and even scooters.

When starting a motorcycle club, consider how exclusive you would like it to be. Will your motorcycle club be specific to location, type of vehicle, frequency of riding, or even whether you own a motorcycle? Your motorcycle club could meet solely for the appreciation of motorcycles and not just for those who ride them!

How to Start a Club at School

If you find yourself in middle school, high school, or college, chances are there is always a new club popping up to join. In addition to our earlier tips on starting a club, there are other steps to take when starting one at school.

Depending on your school’s structure, you will need to:

Register your club with the school
- Check with your high school or college to understand the application process, and come prepared with items such as a list of members, a mission statement, and maybe even a budget. This may be as simple as filling out a form to be properly registered, or it may include drafting formal bylaws.
- Check with your administration on the correct way to become “school-approved”. Though a club registration process might seem like an extra step, it can actually help you get your club off the ground.
- A faculty member can give you more guidance as a sponsor (sometimes, that’s even a requirement for registration!). This will give you the chance to promote your club freely at school events.
- Depending on your school, this may not be required. But many schools, especially middle and high schools, will require an adult to be your club supervisor.
Gain approval for meeting space
- Since your club will likely meet on school grounds before or after class, you’ll need to find a classroom to meet in. Typically, this will be your club supervisor’s room, but if you cannot use their space, check with administrators to see which rooms are available that fit your club’s size and purpose.
Recruit other students
- Advertise your new club in the school newspaper, during morning announcements, with flyers in the hallways, and verbally to your peers.
- You may have a school newspaper or bulletin board you can use to share your new club!

How to Run a Club and Keep the Momentum Going

Starting a club is such a big accomplishment… but it’s also only half the battle!

While you should definitely find ways to celebrate starting your very own club, it’s also good to start thinking of ways to keep your club healthy and thriving.

Keeping your members engaged and happy (and attracting new ones) doesn’t have to mean big, expensive strategies. Here are a few ways you can capture the magic of your unique club and keep the fun going:

Send automated messages. This would be “Welcome” emails to new members and “Thank you” messages for donations or other contributions. A warm note goes a long way!
Send member surveys. To ensure your club is on the right track, send these out once a quarter or twice a year. You’ll ask members what they like about your club, whether they want to continue, what doesn’t resonate with them, and what new things they’d like to see the club offer or do together.
1. Pro tip: Surveys should be short, easy to distribute, and simple to collect member responses. The club leaders should plan to take action on some of the feedback.
Give members opportunities to meet face-to-face and online. Most people join clubs to attend events and network in person. For many, you can’t beat the feeling of gathering in a room full of people who care about what you do. But at the same time, the world has embraced the convenience and ease of virtual calls and meet-ups. Consider offering virtual attendance for your official meetings, especially when updating members on events and important reminders. Regular in-person gatherings and online communities are popular ways clubs stay connected with their members and grow over time.
If your club collects member dues, set up member renewals and dues reminders for your team and your members. As your club grows, it can be hard to keep track of when members are due for renewal, their dues amounts, etc. For your members, life gets busy, and even the most engaged members can forget to make payments.
1. Pro tip: Choose a membership database to make membership dues a breeze for everyone involved. This can track all your members’ data and automatically send email reminders for dues, events, volunteer opportunities, and more.

Get Ready to Start a Club Today!

We hope these seven steps and quick tips are useful in helping you understand what’s involved in starting a club. While it might seem like there is a lot to think about in getting started, if you keep your initial shared passion alive as you build your club, all of the effort will be worthwhile.

And if you’re looking for a way to make the administrative work much easier, don’t forget to consider club management software like WildApricot to help you manage your website, members and administrative tasks! You can try a free 60-day trial now to empower you and your club members.

Good luck with starting your club!