Dear Band Parents:
We are excited to announce the first year of the Hyde Band Boosters! The Hyde Band Boosters is a parent-led fundraising organization not connected to the school or school district, and a registered non-profit 501(c)(3). Our mission is to increase funding beyond what the district and school provide so our students have a more educational, varied and rewarding experience.
If you decide to donate to the Hyde Band Boosters, the money will go directly to the Hyde Bands. Band is the most expensive of the elective classes.
The instruments range from $500 to $6,000.
There are recurring costs for repairs and maintenance—between $50 and $2,000 per instrument.
We spend three to four thousand dollars purchasing band books for every student.
There are costs to register for band events.
Supplies for class, performances and field trips.
This is a different donation from the elective donation, and we are not discouraging you from making the elective donation. In fact, if you wanted to make only one donation, it is more important that you donate to the elective department as a whole (the Hyde elective donation). The Hyde elective donation funds all of the electives at Hyde, including the Band, and a donation to the Hyde Band Boosters is intended to supplement this.
In the past, the band was allowed to accept direct donations through the school, and many of you donated more than the suggested amount which helped our program flourish. The Band Booster donation is the current option for those who want to give “a little extra” to the band. It will help ensure that we can continue to pay for band expenses, and maintain a comparable program to our peers in the district that also have booster programs.
You are not required to make a Band Booster donation, however, we hope you will consider it. The suggested donation amount is $50, but we accept donations no matter how small or large. If you donate by check, please make checks out to “Hyde Band Boosters” and your child can bring it to band class. You can also donate online through our website: www.hydebandboosters.org. Your donation is tax-deductible and we encourage you to check if your employer offers a matching program for charitable donations. There is usually a little bit of paperwork involved, but it is worth it because our program will get twice the amount! If you need a receipt for your donation or have other questions, please email us at: hydebandboosters@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Hyde Band Booster Board
Joel Bethea, President
Rachel Wei, Vice President
Vineet Agarwal, Secretary/Treasurer