Last month, Tomahawk Nation reported that Seminole Boosters’ donor base had shrunk 17% since 2023, even as the organization recorded its most successful monetary fundraising year.
In a follow-up interview with Tomahawk Nation, Seminole Boosters CEO Stephen Ponder and Chris Wilson outlined the organization’s plans to bring those donors and more back into the fold.
How does Florida State turn someone who attends a few watch parties each year into a supporter who regularly contributes to the athletic
department? And how does it reach fans who care about the Seminoles but don’t have the ability to commit to football season tickets?
Those are some of the questions driving changes in how Seminole Boosters approaches fundraising.
The goal is to give supporters more options for contributing to FSU athletics while reaching people who have historically fallen outside the traditional booster model.
Ponder believes the traditional approach has limited its ability to reach the broader FSU fan base.
The challenge is giving those fans a reason and an opportunity to participate.
Bringing Seminole fans together
On a typical football Saturday, thousands of Seminole fans participate in watch parties hundreds of miles from Tallahassee, but their interest in FSU hasn’t diminished with the distance.
For Seminole Boosters, those fans represent an opportunity.
Seminoles United is the centerpiece of that effort.
The program costs $14.99 per month, with a $4.99 monthly option for students. Membership includes access to original video content and a network of Seminole Clubs across the country.
“This will become our front door that we will ask everyone to walk through,” Ponder said. “Because it removes geographical boundaries. It removes financial boundaries.”
Seminole Clubs, previously part of the FSU Alumni Association, are now connected directly with Seminole Boosters through Seminoles United.
Ponder said approximately 70 clubs are currently operating, with plans to expand their reach.
Wilson pointed to the Denver Seminole Club as an example of the opportunity. Its six watch-party locations attract roughly 1,500 people each weekend during football season.
“How do we engage the people that aren’t making it back to Tallahassee?” Wilson asked. “They’re invested in what’s happening on the field. How do we get them connected?”
Wilson cited how English Premier League fan clubs operate as an inspiration for the idea.
The idea is to provide a national membership structure while allowing local clubs to maintain their own communities and events.
For example, Wilson discussed the San Francisco Seminole Club’s annual Napa wine tour. Historically, the event has been promoted primarily to members of that local club. Under Seminoles United, similar events could be made available to members across the country.
The organization also plans to produce original video programming exclusively for members.
Wilson described the content as episodic, documentary-style programming. Projects involving former defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews and former quarterback Jordan Travis are among the examples he cited.
Several episodes have already been completed, with additional seasons planned.
Wilson acknowledged that video programming alone is unlikely to convince supporters to pay for another subscription.
“We’ve seen around the country that the content piece isn’t enough,” Wilson said. “It’s not enough to just take what you’re already doing and then putting it behind a paywall.”
The local clubs, events and opportunities to connect with other Florida State supporters are intended to provide the additional value.
Seminole Boosters hopes to turn that engagement into a recurring revenue source, drawing on a fan base that extends well beyond those who regularly attend games in Tallahassee.
Giving fans a way to support individual programs
While Seminoles United focuses on expanding the organization’s reach, the Coaches Clubs give donors the ability to direct contributions toward individual athletic programs.
The clubs have existed for years. Wilson said they have been around for at least 17 years, but Seminole Boosters is placing greater emphasis on making supporters aware of the option.
“We want to go broaden the net and get more people involved where they want to go,” Ponder said.
Contributions to a Coaches Club are held by Seminole Boosters and made available for the designated program. Coaches and the athletic department determine how to use those funds for operational needs.
The approach gives fans of baseball, softball, soccer and other sports a way to support the teams they follow.
It also extends to the Marching Chiefs.
Wilson said Seminole Boosters established a $125,000 fundraising goal this year to help send the band to additional football games.
The Marching Chiefs traveled to Alabama, Miami and Louisville this year thanks to donations through the program.
“We had a couple donors step up to help and direct money to support the Marching Chiefs specifically,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the Coaches Clubs have experienced growth as Seminole Boosters has focused on building relationships between individual teams and their supporters.
“I think it’s the coaches, programs, and really our focus has shifted to more so getting people connected to the programs,” Wilson said.
Expanding beyond traditional fundraising
Seminoles United and the Coaches Clubs are two parts of a larger restructuring of how Seminole Boosters presents its fundraising programs.
The six communities also include the Bowden Society, Seminole Legacy Giving, Seminole Business Network, and Seminole Athletic Fund.
The Bowden Society, launched in October 2022, focuses on recurring major gifts.
Membership begins with a commitment of $50,000 over five years, or $10,000 annually.
Ponder said the organization started with 214 members and has grown to approximately 610.
The model gives Seminole Boosters a more predictable source of major contributions instead of repeatedly approaching the same donors when immediate funding needs arise.
The athletic director generally determines where undesignated Bowden Society contributions are allocated, although members can direct gifts toward specific programs.
Seminole Legacy Giving focuses on estate gifts, donated property, appreciated securities and other assets.
Wilson said the organization generates approximately $6 million to $7 million annually through real estate gifts and related activity.
The Seminole Business Network takes a different approach.
Rather than asking businesses for direct contributions, the program connects them with service providers that may be able to reduce their operating costs. Seminole Boosters receives referral revenue when those arrangements are completed.
He cited an agreement involving an Atlanta-area automobile dealership group that he said would save the business approximately $750,000 annually while generating around $125,000 per year for Seminole Boosters.
Wilson said approximately 14 deals have been arranged through the program.
The longer-term plan includes establishing a business network that would connect Florida State-affiliated companies across the country.
Wilson also discussed the possibility of using those relationships to support FSU’s broader NIL efforts.
The different programs reflect an effort to bring in revenue from supporters and businesses that may have little involvement in traditional athletic fundraising.
The Seminole Athletic Fund is the traditional pot of money that most fans would think about when considering donating. For years, membership in Seminole Boosters has been closely associated with purchasing football season tickets and making the required contributions for seating and other benefits. That structure continues under the Seminole Athletic Fund.
Wilson estimated that roughly 90% of Seminole Athletic Fund participants have season tickets.
Recovering from the stadium project
The changes come as Seminole Boosters looks to rebuild its membership following the renovations to Doak Campbell Stadium.
Tomahawk Nation has previously documented the fan frustration and fallout over the renovations that shrunk Doak Campbell Stadium’s seating capacity.
Ponder acknowledged that some fans were unhappy with the stadium changes, but stressed that the organization wanted to maintain relationships with those supporters.
“We never wanted to lose a soul,” he said.
For someone who no longer purchases season tickets, that could mean joining Seminoles United or directing contributions to a particular sport through a Coaches Club.
“We want everyone to find a new place, whether that’s in the stadium or in one of these other communities,” Ponder said.
“We just want to broaden our donor base,” Ponder said.
The Denver watch parties demonstrate the potential. Thousands of Florida State supporters already make time to gather and follow the Seminoles, even when attending games in Tallahassee is impractical.
Seminole Boosters wants to give more of them a place in the organization.
