The 10-Minute Check Before You Write the First Check to a Travel Club

Can I ask what you checked before you paid your last club deposit?

Why I built this

I coached for years. I watched parents hand over a deposit because the coach was friendly and the tryout went well. Nobody asked what the club actually was. I did not ask either.

Then I started Travel Sports Truth, and the same question kept coming up from parents: How do I know if this club is legit? There was no simple, honest answer anywhere. So we built two free pages that give you one.

Step 1: Look the club up in public records

Every state keeps a business registry. Most are free to search. You type in the club's name and see whether it is registered, what type of entity it is, and who the registered agent is.

We put the search page for every state, plus D.C., in one place: How to Look Up Any Travel Club (Free, Public Records). Pick your state, click through, and search.

Step 2: Find out if it is a nonprofit

Many clubs call themselves nonprofits. Some are. Some are for-profit businesses. Some are set up one way on paper and run another. The label on the website does not settle it. The public record does.

Our second page walks you through it in four steps, including what to do if you cannot find a Form 990: Is My Travel Club a Nonprofit?

The tools are free: the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer, and your state's business search.

What the results can and cannot tell you

A for-profit club is not a bad club. A nonprofit club is not automatically a good one. What the records tell you is how the club is organized, which shapes who sees its finances and where the money can go.

We are not accusing any club of anything. We are handing you the same public information anyone can pull, in an order that makes sense.

The questions to ask the club

Once you have looked, ask the club directly. A club that is proud of how it runs will answer plainly.

• What type of organization are you, and what is your legal name?
• Can I see your most recent Form 990 or financial summary, if you are a nonprofit?
• What does the fee cover, and what is not included?
• What happens to my deposit if my child leaves mid-season?

Do it tonight

It takes about ten minutes. Open the lookup page, search your club, then open the nonprofit page and check the result against it.

Then ask yourself one question: if the club could not answer these four questions, would I still write the check?

This post is general information, not legal advice. Travel Sports Truth takes no sponsor money and no paid placements.

Frequently asked questions