As Athletic Director at St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, Connecticut, Kevin Butler had been exactly where many of his peers are today: managing disconnected systems for ticketing and fundraising, handling cash at the gate, and losing visibility into how programs were actually performing.
The difference was that Butler had found a way out.
By adopting Hometown’s ticketing and fundraising solutions, Box Office and Schoolfundr, Butler and his team gained a single trusted partner. The time his athletic department used to spend managing systems now goes back to the people who need it most: the student-athletes.
Simplifying Game Day with Box Office
St. Joseph started with Box Office to modernize the gameday experience at the gate. The platform replaced cash-heavy operations with digital ticket sales and credit card acceptance at the point of sale. The difference was immediate. Fans move through faster. Staff spend less time counting cash and managing lines. And fewer families walk away because they did not have cash on hand.
"Hometown Box Office has made my life significantly easier," said Butler. "Being able to accept credit cards at the gate with point of sale has been a real game changer for us. It speeds up entry and makes things easier for our fans."
The reporting was just as important. Instead of reconciling numbers after the fact, Butler now sees revenue in real time: which events are performing, where trends are heading, and where to invest next. That visibility means he acts on data instead of waiting for it.
"The reporting is incredibly robust and transparent. I always know exactly where things stand, which is critical for managing our programs."
For Hometown CEO Dennis Levene, stories like St. Joseph reflect a broader shift happening across school communities.
"Schools are looking for ways to simplify operations and give time back to their staff," said Levene. "When ticketing works the way it should, it removes friction on game day and lets athletic departments focus on their students and fans."
Driving Fundraising Success with Schoolfundr
From there, St. Joseph expanded into Schoolfundr for fundraising, and the results changed the math equation for supporting their programs. The school has leaned into the Schoolfundr fundraising platform with strong community participation and ~97% of funds going directly back to programs. No large platform fees. No surprise deductions. Just more money where it belongs: funding the equipment, travel, and opportunities students need.
"Our community loves that the programs keep ~97% of what they raise," said Butler. "That makes a big difference vs other platforms that can take 20% or more."
With Schoolfundr, that value isn't an accident. It's the model. This fee-free fundraising solution was built so schools keep what they raise; a philosophy that starts at the top of the company.
"When more of the money raised goes directly back to programs, it builds trust with families and drives stronger participation," said Levene. "That is what sustainable fundraising should look like."
Gaining District-Wide Visibility with Schoolfundr+
With Schoolfundr+, Butler and his development office also gained a shared, real-time view of fundraising activity across the school.
Before Schoolfundr+, there was no easy way to easily answer questions like: Which programs are actively fundraising? Who in the community is donating, and to which causes? How does athletic fundraising align with what the development office is doing?
Those answers lived in spreadsheets, inboxes, and individual conversations, if they existed at all.
Now, Butler can see all of it in one place. Schoolfundr+ shows who is running fundraisers, who is contributing, and how that activity connects to the school's broader development goals. For the development office, that means less guesswork and more coordination. For Butler, it means informed conversations about donor engagement instead of operating in the dark.
"Schoolfundr+ gives us insight into who is running fundraisers and who is supporting our programs," Butler said. "That visibility is incredibly valuable for our team and helps us stay aligned across the school."
One Digital Partner, Multiple Solutions
For Butler, one of the biggest advantages has been working with a single trusted partner across both ticketing and fundraising. Instead of managing multiple vendors and contracts, his team has access to one connected platform that handles it all. Game day is smoother and captures more revenue. Fundraising retains more of every dollar raised.
"Having one partner for both ticketing and fundraising has really streamlined things for us," Butler said. "It saves time, reduces complexity, and just makes everything easier to manage."
Levene added that this connected approach is central to Hometown's mission.
"We believe schools should not have to stitch together multiple systems to run their programs," he said. "A connected platform helps reduce complexity and creates a better experience for staff, families, and the community."
Looking Ahead
St. Joseph is continuing to expand its use of Hometown solutions. Butler plans to grow adoption of Schoolfundr across more athletic programs next school year and continue pushing toward broader digital ticketing adoption with Box Office.
For Levene, that forward momentum is especially meaningful on a personal level.
"As someone who grew up in Connecticut and benefited tremendously from education-based athletics, it is incredibly meaningful to support schools like St. Joseph," he said. "Helping programs operate more effectively ultimately means more time and energy invested in student-athletes."
St. Joseph High School did more than adopt new tools. They built a modern athletic department powered by one connected platform. For athletic directors still managing disconnected systems across ticketing and fundraising, Butler's story shows what the alternative looks like: less time on logistics, more dollars back to programs, and more energy invested where it matters most, your students.
To learn more about Hometown’s suite of digital solutions and how your school can save time, generate more revenue, and delight your community, book a demo.
.png)
%20(1).avif)