organization Snapshot
In 1997, two families in Pennsylvania came together to find a solution. Their children with neurodevelopmental disabilities would soon be aging out of school-based assistance programs and they wondered what would come next for their kids as young adults. They made a connection with Ken Langone, one of the founders of Home Depot, who pledged to help these individuals and others like them find meaningful careers in Home Depot stores, and Ken’s Krew was born. “The cool thing about getting this started was how the customers and the other associates accepted them as workers,” says Karen LaPera, one of the founding families and current Chief Operating Officer at Ken’s Krew. “We’re so blessed that Ken and Home Depot gave us this opportunity.”
Over 25 years later, over 900 adults in nine states with disabilities have been trained and employed in Home Depot stores, many for 10 years or more. “It’s not just a job at that point, it’s a career,” says Terri Neipert, Executive Director at Ken’s Krew, reiterating the goal to help these individuals find purpose and meaningful careers. Ken’s Krew is working to expand into additional states and build partnerships with major employers in the retail and hospitality industries.
The Challenge
The original Ken’s Krew golf fundraisers were led by families in various states to raise money for programs that assess, train, and place individuals in employment and provide ongoing support services over the long term. “It’s harder to find funding for the long-term job retention support,” Terri says, which is why golf became such a valuable piece of the fundraising pie for this important work. The family-led events ground to a halt during the pandemic, and have since transitioned from being planned by families to Terri, Karen, and their team.
Ken’s Krew had also expanded its work into other states, launching golf fundraisers in those areas. With so many details to manage for multiple tournaments and a transition in leadership, they knew they needed some kind of tool to keep everything moving forward, as well as an easier way to collect and manage golfer and donor information.
The Solution
Terri had been on GolfStatus’ email list for several months, but it wasn’t until she saw a case study about Riverside Ranch’s annual golf tournament that she reached out to GolfStatus. “We get emails about different software and companies all the time,” Terri says. “But not all of them get the nonprofit side of things and come with a helpful team like GolfStatus does.”
She connected with the GolfStatus team to get things moving ahead of the 2022 slate of events and ease the transition from the families planning the tournaments to Terri and her team. “GolfStatus helped make the transition much smoother, making sure we had what we needed,” she says.
The Results
The Ken’s Krew team took full advantage of all that GolfStatus has to offer its nonprofit clients, including a free event website and no-cost access to its tournament management software through the Golf for Good program. “I kept trying to figure out what the catch was—but there really isn’t a catch!” says Terri.
“I kept trying to figure out what the catch was—but there really isn’t a catch!”
Ken’s Krew also tapped into GolfStatus’ one-stop-shop vendor Marketplace for pin flags, hole-in-one insurance, and on-course entertainment from BackSwing Golf Events. “Why would I look elsewhere when everything is there that I need?” says Terri. They also utilized a Dormie Network Stay and Play package, donated by the Dormie Network Foundation, as a high-end auction item that drove additional dollars. All in all, Terri says GolfStatus “significantly added to the overall value of the events.”
Ken’s Krew leveraged a GolfStatus event website for each of its golf events to collect registrations and donations, provide sponsor exposure, and share information about the organization.
Ken’s Krew had previously used a different, costly software platform for online registration and payment processing for the first post-COVID event, with frustrating results. “We actually lost money because people weren’t able to get their credit cards processed the day of the event and we got no support,” Terri says. “GolfStatus was super responsive when we had questions and helped us troubleshoot the day of the event as golfers used the app to pay for auction items.”
“GolfStatus was super responsive when we had questions and helped us troubleshoot the day of the event as golfers used the app to pay for auction items.”
GolfStatus’ in-house client success team was invaluable for the planning teams from start to finish. “We asked a lot of questions but they never once made me feel like I was a burden,” Terri says. “It’s not just the useful software but the people behind it. They responded quickly to any question or issue—I don’t know that I can say that about anyone else we work with.”
Beyond the dollars raised from the tournament itself—golfer registrations and sponsorships, namely—Terri says the ability to collect donations right on the event website was invaluable. “People hear about the tournament and go check out the website even if they know they aren’t going to be able to play in the event,” she says. “But then they see the donation tracker and that they can support us with a donation and it prompts them to do so.”
connecting to the cause
An important part of successful charity golf tournaments is finding opportunities to create cause connection and engagement with the organization. For Ken’s Krew, golf events are of course about bringing in funds to provide their services at no cost, but they’re also a chance for workers’ families, partner employers, and the community more involved. What’s more, Ken’s Krew workers often help out or participate in the golf tournament, helping golfers and sponsors better understand and connect with the cause they’re supporting through golf.
There’s even a cause connection for Ken’s Krew staff. “When you’re sort of in the backend of an organization and away from the programmatic work, like Karen (LaPera) and I are, having a day where we can be out with our workers and see them be engaged reminds us why we do what we do,” says Terri. “It really is a moment that reminds us of our mission.” Karen echoes that sentiment. “There’s a lot of warming your heart at these golf events!”
Looking to the future
So far, Ken’s Krew has held golf events in New Jersey, Florida, and Atlanta, all as a means to feel out different markets, make connections, and bring in resources for their work in those states. Terri says they may expand further into other states they serve and bring on more partner employers. With 25 years under their collective belts, the organization is planning for what the next 25 years might hold. “DEI [diversity, equity, inclusion) has made employment for this population more commonplace, but we’re looking further into the future and what it means to employ people with neurodevelopmental disabilities,” Terri says.
Though neither Terri or Karen are golfers, they recognize the fundraising value of golf and have continued to invest their time and resources. “If I had to give one piece of advice for someone planning a golf tournament, it’s tapping into the resources you have at your disposal,” says Terri. “And that includes GolfStatus! I firmly believe that we wouldn’t have been able to hold these events without it.”
Get qualified for Golf for Good
The Golf for Good program gives qualifying 501(c1) organizations and third parties planning golf events on their behalf no-cost access to GolfStatus’ tournament management software. Get an event website, online registration and payment processing, premium sponsorships, golf-specific tools, and an A+ support team there to help every step of the way. Click the button below to learn more and get qualified!
