Quality, complete donor data is imperative to a nonprofit's fundraising efforts. Donor data is more than just contact information; it allows organizations to track what’s important to their donors and reach them with targeted messaging, helps development teams hone in on targets for major gifts, provides insight into which outreach efforts are working and how well, and allows organizations to segment supporters in ways that maximize fundraising outcomes.

The benefits are numerous, yet there are key areas that escape the data capture and tracking mechanisms of even the most savvy, data-centric organizations. In particular, while the golf outing attracts a crucial demographic of high-capacity donors, existing and potential corporate sponsors, and their contacts, without the right tools, it’s quite common for those supporters to go unidentified. This is especially true for organizations benefiting from events run by third parties. Here’s why this data is so important and how to collect it.

Capturing golfer information is just as crucial to outreach as it is fundraising and donor stewardship.

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Why Golfer donor Data Matters 

The basic reality is this—you can’t use information that you don’t have. If your golf event participants aren’t in your donor database, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to steward potentially major donors over time. Golfers typically represent an affluent, influential audience:

When these supporters tap into their personal and professional networks to field a team, your organization is exposed to even more high-level supporters. What’s more, tournament sponsors are ideal candidates for corporate partnerships, with the potential to become even more valuable to your organization over time. In short, capturing golfer donor data is just as crucial to outreach as it is to fundraising and donor stewardship.

Easy & Seamless Data Collection

Collecting donor and sponsor data from your golf fundraiser is simpler than you might think. The key is online registration. Instead of tracking emailed signups or manually entering golfer and sponsor information from mailed registration forms into multiple spreadsheets that quickly become outdated, online registration automates the process. That means no additional work from you or your committee and an all-around easier planning experience. You save time and golfers and sponsors have all the information they need to register online, purchasing teams, add-ons, and sponsorships.

If your organization is the beneficiary of one or many events hosted by a volunteer, business, or other third party, the process of gathering donor and sponsor data for these events might be even more convoluted. Smart, nimble technology centralizes these events into a single platform, while still allowing them to run independently. This gives you the best of both worlds as a beneficiary: others raise funds on your behalf and you’re still able to capture data for longer-term donor stewardship initiatives.

Well-thought-out hole assignments ensure that donors and sponsors form meaningful connections at your golf outing, making the event an important networking opportunity they won’t want to miss year after year.

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What Do I Do With This Information?

As they say, knowledge is power. Data helps you maximize donor relationships, giving you valuable insight into who supports your organization and why. Having a strong handle on who’s participating in your golf outing (whether for the first time, year over year, as part of another donor’s foursome, or in some other fashion) allows you to maximize fundraising efforts.

And while attracting new participants is important, repeat attendees, sponsors, and donors are typically more engaged and more generous than new participants, so getting these people to your fundraiser year after year should be a focal point. Re-engaging with participants who have missed a year can also be an effective way to attract active supporters to your organization.

When your golf event data is organized in one easily accessible place, you can be intentional about using it to maximize the value of your golf event, both to your organization and to donors. For example, you wouldn’t put a major donor’s table in the back corner of a gala’s dimly lit ballroom. Instead, you would strategically group tables with sponsors who may form meaningful connections near each other. This is perhaps an even bigger consideration for a golf event, where many major sponsors are eager to talk business over their hours on the course—making well-thought-out hole assignments (and an easy way to coordinate them) especially important.

The right event management platform will be intuitive enough to collect basic information right at registration without frustrating or overwhelming registrants (leading them to abandon cart instead of following through with their registration). An intuitive golf event management system makes it easy to export event data and seamlessly add it to your organization’s CRM. Using source codes, tags, or other batch notations is important to track who played in, donated to, or sponsored the event and at what level during what year or years. This information can then be leveraged with the other relevant donor information in your CRM to make meaningful and timely asks, including donations, support for other events, and invitations to future golf events.

Getting Started

Whether your golf fundraiser is right around the corner or months away, there’s one simple, impactful thing you can do right now to make sure you’re ready to capture and capitalize on the data it produces: Launch an event registration website that’s backed by a platform that can handle the nuances of capturing the golf event’s important donor data.

Online registration is your best bet to easily capture and manage your event’s donor information, eliminating time-consuming, duplicative data entry. Most event management platforms aren’t equipped to handle the unique set of details that come with a golf event, so it’s critical to choose a platform that’s built for golf. You’ll want tools and features to track golfer information, sponsorship levels, team pairings, and hole assignments so you don’t have to do all that work manually. Be sure the technology you choose allows for custom sponsorship packages and recognition, digital sponsorship exposure, and the ability to collect online donations before, during, and after the event. Finally, it needs to have the capacity to easily export data so it can be loaded into your donor CRM for future asks and outreach.

Event website backed by a platform that can easily manage all your events needs.

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Get a Free Event Registration Website With Golf for Good

Worried that an event website will take a huge chunk out of your limited event budget? Qualifying nonprofits (and third parties planning events that benefit a nonprofit or charity) can get a free event website, plus access to GolfStatus’s golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost through the Golf for Good program. Click the button below to get qualified or contact us directly at events@golfstatus.org.

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GolfStatus is a golf event management platform designed for all this and more. Access to this technology is available at no cost to qualifying nonprofits (or event organizers planning events that benefit a 501(c) organization) through our Golf for Good program.

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Golf tournaments are an especially great option for third parties looking to raise money for an organization or cause they care about. The sport has seen its popularity grow over the past years and its capacity as a fundraising tool is unmatched. What’s more, people tend to be passionate about golf, and when given the opportunity to marry two of their passions—golf and a good cause—they tend to jump at the chance.

Perhaps more than any other fundraising events, golf tournaments have unique advantages for the benefiting nonprofit as well as for the organizer. Nonprofits gain a passive income stream that doesn’t require a dedicated staff member or line item in the budget, while also increasing visibility for the organization, mission, and programs. Event organizers, particularly corporate entities, get a strong brand lift from being associated with a good cause and broad exposure to an affluent demographic.

Nonprofits of all types and sizes can activate passionate supporters, corporate partners, volunteers, and others to hold a golf fundraiser that benefits them. Here’s how:

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1. Reach Out To Your Networks

Your best bet is to start with the lowest-hanging fruit—your organization’s past supporters and partners. If your organization has run golf tournaments before, consider creating a campaign to target folks who have played in and sponsored those events, whether it’s by email, a survey, a direct mail appeal, individual phone calls, or a combination of these (which will depend on your organization’s staff capacity). Social media is another great option to engage people simply by asking if they like to golf or like organizing events. You may want to include information in your annual giving appeals or even create a dedicated page on your organization’s website that outlines the process of holding a golf tournament on your behalf.

Do some pre-planning before you reach out so you have some pieces and resources already in place to provide to people who are interested. Beyond just making the process easy (see #2 below) you want to set these golf tournaments up for success, so make sure you’re prepared to be a partner in the process.

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Pro Tip:

GolfStatus’s online resource library is packed with guides, templates, checklists, and other free downloadables with information on how to plan a charity golf tournament. Share these with current and potential event organizers to help set them up for success.

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2. Make It Easy

Even when someone is dedicated to your organization or cause, putting on a golf tournament is no small task. Having tools in place to streamline and simplify the process for organizers means they’re more likely to move forward and keep these events running—and raising money for your cause—year after year.

Golf tournament software can automate time-consuming administrative tasks so organizers can focus on the fun parts of the golf tournament, with built-in fundraising features to help them raise more money for your cause. You might also consider putting together a media kit with logos, messaging, and brand standards to provide to tournament organizers to help your brand stay consistent. When it’s easy, it’s more fun, more rewarding, and more likely that they’ll keep the effort going.

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PRO
TIP:

Pro Tip: Say thank you, whenever and wherever you can, to these third party organizers. Public shoutouts are great—on social media, in newsletters or blogs, on your organization’s website, etc.—but a personal touch will go a long way in expressing your gratitude. Send a handwritten note and follow it up with a phone call.

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3. Use a Common Technology Platform

There are a ton of options out there to manage fundraising events, but these don’t help organizers manage the unique components of a golf tournament. Employing technology that’s specifically built for golf tournament fundraisers is a huge part of #2 above. Any golf tournament software platform should offer an attractive event website with built-in online registration (which saves a ton of time and duplicative labor), plus easy access for multiple members of your team to work together and keep all your event information organized and accessible in one place. A dedicated landing page listing all events that benefit your organizations is a great way to easily promote events to your networks. A platform designed just for golf means you can quickly make hole assignments and pairings and auto generate scorecards, cart signs, and alpha lists—all without having to work across multiple spreadsheets or tools.

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PRO
TIP:

Pro Tip: Standardizing the tech across all your third party events means your donor data will be uniformly collected (see #4 below) and reported. This data should be added to your CRM for additional donor stewardship, using source codes, tags or other batch notations to track who participated in these golf events and how.

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With GolfStatus’s golf event management and fundraising platform, every golf event benefiting your organization is listed on a dedicated landing page.

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4. Capture & Manage Data

Donor data is invaluable, particularly when it comes to golf events planned by someone outside your organization. You can’t use the information you don’t have! Seamlessly collecting and managing this information is crucial to understanding who is supporting your organization through golf—planning, playing in, donating to, and sponsoring these tournaments. Having this information in aggregate lets you see the entire picture, across each and every event held to benefit your organization, and make data-driven fundraising decisions. Golf event management technology makes this process super simple and efficient.

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PRO
TIP:

Pro Tip: Your event management platform should be intuitive enough to collect this vital information without frustrating or overwhelming registrants (which may make them abandon their cart instead of completing their registration) and include robust reporting capabilities to get the data you need.

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No Cost Technology Built Just for Golf

GolfStatus is the industry leader in technology for golf fundraisers and charity golf tournaments. The user-friendly software makes it easy to onboard third party events, manage donor data, and provide resources to event organizers. Plus, through the Golf for Good program, 501(c) organizations and those holding events that benefit them are eligible for no-cost access to the platform. Ready to get started? Click the button below or email events@golfstatus.org.

The past nearly two years have tested nonprofits’ ability to rapidly pivot everything from programs and priorities to events and fundraising. The sector is still recovering in many ways as organizations look ahead to 2022 fundraising events. As the world slowly returns to varying levels of normalcy, organizations are beginning to reignite strategic fundraising events and longer-term donor stewardship—both of which golf can help accomplish. Here are nine predictions for golf fundraisers in 2022.

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1. Golf’s popularity will level off but remain steady.

Golf grew exponentially during 2020 and into 2021, but the National Golf Foundation reports that the sport’s growth has cooled slightly in the second and third quarters of 2021. That being said, golf is still more popular now than it was pre-pandemic, and after a winter of being indoors, folks will be eager to golf and play in tournaments that support worthwhile causes. Keep in mind that golf fundraisers traditionally use the scramble format, which means golfers don’t need to be highly skilled to participate in a charity tournament, which gives your event an even larger pool of participants. 

2. Expect to see second- and third-year events gain momentum.

Nonprofits of all types and sizes saw the value of the golf fundraiser during 2020 and 2021, as golf events provided a safe, in-person fundraising option amid hit-or-miss online and virtual events. Many first-time golf events were launched out of necessity during this time, which in turn have become annual events. This means more golf tournaments on the calendar, so planning ahead is crucial. Get save-the-dates out as early as possible so your event is on players’ radars sooner rather than later and your tournament is included in sponsors’ budgets. It’s also a good idea to get an event website for your golf outing launched so you can list available team and sponsor packages so supporters can commit to your event as soon as they hear about it.

3. Tournaments will be business as usual.

Golf tournaments were able to be held during the height of the pandemic, thanks to technology and creative modifications and adaptations that either eliminated or significantly reduced touchpoints and large groups of people gathering in one place at one time. In 2021, many tournaments were able to safely resume some or most of their usual activities—tee time starts, on-course games and contests, pre- and post-golf gatherings, and awards ceremonies. This is likely to continue across the board in 2022, with golf tournaments returning to pre-pandemic protocols. That being said, the technology that helped nonprofits proceed with golf fundraisers proved to be helpful beyond COVID-19, providing time and resource savings, additional sponsor exposure and options, and an elevated tournament experience.

4. Golf events will continue to provide Fundraising options and flexibility.

Though normalcy is inching closer, if COVID-19 taught us anything it’s that staying nimble is key. Local situations and circumstances can change rapidly, which means organizations may need to once again adapt events on the fly. Golf fundraisers are unique in that any modifications made, whether it’s switching to tee time starts instead of a shotgun start, eliminating banquets or cocktail hours, or even going virtual, don’t affect the heart of the event—the golf and the fundraising it drives. It will continue to be important for organizers to have the right technology in place to make the adaptations, as well as communicating them to golfers and sponsors, easy and seamless. 

5. More organizations will rally third parties to hold events that benefit them.

Corporate partners, businesses, passionate supporters, volunteers, avid golfers or other third parties often plan golf events that benefit a nonprofit or cause. Organizations benefit from the passive fundraising and, if done correctly, collect the information of the golfers and sponsors participating in these golf tournaments for further donor stewardship. It’s important for organizations to make it as easy as possible for third parties to hold these events, so using a common technology platform that simplifies planning and seamlessly and uniformly collects donor data is crucial.

6. Live scoring will become the norm.

Scoring via mobile app eliminated the touchpoint of paper scorecards at golf fundraisers, but came with a plethora of other benefits that make organizations unlikely to want to go back. Mobile scoring is linked to live leaderboards, which allow tournament participants to score their round in real-time, letting golfers, spectators, and other supporters see current standings at any time. Live leaderboards make the event more competitive and allow for virtual rounds and even completely virtual events that are connected by a common leaderboard. What’s more, they open the door for additional sponsor exposure which can be sold at a premium and a place to collect online donations from event participants as well as those following along.

7. Sponsors will be eager to support golf fundraisers.

The adoption of technology to plan and manage golf fundraisers has led to additional sponsorship offerings and, in turn, more dollars raised for organizations. Digital exposure is mutually beneficial for the organizer and the sponsor. For organizers, they’re easy to manage (you simply upload a logo to an event website, mobile app, or event leaderboards), can be sold at a premium, and often have little to no overhead costs compared to signage or branded merchandise. For the sponsor, this digital exposure provides high visibility among your tournament’s golfers, getting their brand in front of an affluent audience of potential clients and customers. Indeed, over the last nearly two years, sponsoring businesses have also shown a propensity to support the technology that helps nonprofits run more effectively and efficiently, making digital sponsorships a key opportunity for organizations evolving to leverage technology.

8. Responsibly collecting event & donor data will continue to be crucial. 

Data has been a buzz word in the nonprofit sector for years, but some events and programming still seem to escape data capture and tracking mechanisms. The golf tournament has historically been one of those events, but there’s no reason it should be. Statistically, the golfer demographic is affluent and influential, so golfers tap into their personal and professional networks to field a team, particularly with a scramble format that can involve all golf skill levels. Even more importantly, golf events can open the door to corporate sponsors and long-term partners. But unless you know who’s playing in and supporting your golf tournament at what level and during what year or years, this information can’t be leveraged by your organization. The easy fix here is to make the switch to an event website with online registration and built-in payment processing, which makes it easy to capture this critical information and seamlessly export it for inclusion in your organization’s donor CRM. For third party events, this becomes even more important and is a huge missed opportunity if this information isn’t being collected.

9. Time & resource savings will be vitally important. 

Much of the nonprofit sector is still recovering from reduced revenue, fewer fundraising opportunities, budget cuts, and a labor shortage caused by the pandemic. Remaining staff have more on their plates than ever and are looking for ways to save time and reduce costs on things like fundraising events. Event organizers need to be able to seamlessly collaborate with volunteers and planning committees using tools that provide efficiency and are easy to use. What’s more, with budgets stretched thin, organizations have to get creative to adopt technology to save time without adding more line-item expenses. 

Holding a Golf Event in 2022?

GolfStatus’s all-in-one golf event management and fundraising platform streamlines the details of a golf fundraiser, letting organizers focus less on the minutiae of the tournament and more on connecting with donors and sponsors. Through the company’s Golf for Good initiative, nonprofits and those holding events that benefit them can qualify for no-cost access to the platform to save time and raise more money. Get started here or email events@golfstatus.org. 

Fun was at the heart of Pat Neal’s personality. A natural jokester and all-around personable guy, Pat loved playing in golf tournaments or playing a round of golf with his buddies whenever he could. “He had a good short game,” says Katie Little, Pat’s youngest daughter. Mostly, she says, he played golf for fun.

In early 2017, Pat was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive, incurable form of brain cancer. He was treated by Dr. Nicole Shonka at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, who was researching new therapies for brain tumors. Because of the nature of this type of cancer, treatment is often difficult, and more research is needed into new and better treatment methods and advances in early detection. 

Pat Neal

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dollars raised for brain cancer research

$24,000

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After battling glioblastoma for 16 months, Pat passed away in 2018 at the age of 67. The family chose the Brain Cancer Research Fund at the University of Nebraska, which helps fund Dr. Shonka’s work, as the beneficiary of memorial gifts—not only to remember Pat and celebrate his life, but to help further this important research for other glioblastoma patients. Dr. Shonka’s research into glioblastoma continued while she was treating Pat, which made the Neal family’s connection to her work even stronger. 

Yet the family wanted to do even more. According to Katie, the Neal family likes any reason to get together—whether it’s a birthday, helping with a project on a house, a barbecue, or a round of golf. “We all show up for each other,” she says. So when Pat’s nephew, Frank, threw out the idea of a golf tournament to raise money for brain cancer research, the family was all in.

Pat’s family in Hawaii in 2017

Getting a Tournament Off the Ground

In just a few short weeks, and thanks to some heavy lifting from GolfStatus’s golf event management platform, the first annual Pat Neal Memorial Golf Tournament was held in October of 2020. A friend of the family created the tournament’s logo based on a photo of Pat mowing the lawn in his bucket hat. 

The event sold out almost immediately. “So many people loved my dad and wanted to play for him,” Katie says. But with such a short time to plan due to golf course availability, Katie credits GolfStatus with making the event a reality. “It was crazy, but somehow it all came together and worked because of GolfStatus.” 

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“So many people loved my dad and wanted to play for him.”

— Katie Little, Pat’s youngest daughter

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With one year under their belts, planning for the second annual tournament was much smoother. Because they knew what to expect, Katie and the other family members helping to plan the tournament had a better idea of how to prepare for their July 2021 event, when things needed to be done, and how to make the event run smoothly. And above all, to keep fun as the focus of the tournament. 

Katie says that in its second year, people who didn’t even know her dad played in the tournament. “They saw it on GolfStatus,” Katie says, referring to the tournament’s listing in the GolfStatus mobile app and on events.golfstatus.com, a website that lists upcoming golf events in the user’s area. “It was great that so many more people heard about my dad and learned about glioblastoma.”

In its first two years, the memorial tournament raised more than $24,000 for brain cancer research. Beyond a sold out tournament field, the tournament benefited from the involvement of so many extended family members and family friends who personally knew Pat. Family members reached out to local businesses they had connections with to solicit sponsorships and donations to glioblastoma research. “We love being able to support research into this specific type of cancer,” says Tara Neal, Pat’s wife of 32 years.

Simple Technology Keeps Everything Organized

Katie’s first exposure to GolfStatus came through the mobile app, which she used when she played golf. The app not only provides live-scoring capabilities for fundraisers and other tournaments, but lets golfers record their scores for rounds played at any golf facility, track advanced statistics, and use GPS to gauge distances to the front, back, and center of every green. The app also lists tournaments in the user’s area, which makes it an especially easy avenue to reach avid golfers looking to play in a tournament. Golfers and sponsors can also register for tournaments right in the app.

For folks who want to start a fundraiser or are already charged with planning one, GolfStatus offers a program called Golf for Good that provides access to its golf event management and fundraising platform to events raising money for a nonprofit or cause at no cost. The web-based software makes it easy to plan an event, streamlining some of the most time-consuming tasks of golf fundraisers. “The best part of GolfStatus was how simple it made everything. We just shared the link to the website where people could sign up, and it was great to keep track of everything in one place,” Katie says. “It couldn’t have been easier!” She notes how they used their free event website not only for registrations and sponsorship recognition, but to share some information about glioblastoma and her dad, and where the money raised was going.

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“The best part of GolfStatus was how simple it made everything. We just shared the link to the website where people could sign up, and it was great to keep track of everything in one place. It couldn’t have been easier!”

— Katie Little, Pat’s youngest daughter

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The tournament also took advantage of GolfStatus’s mobile scoring capabilities. Each team in the four-person scramble recorded their score via the GolfStatus mobile app, which automatically synced to the tournament’s overall leaderboard. Not only can anyone follow along with the tournament’s progress, but donations to the cause can be made directly from the live leaderboard. “The mobile scoring was so great,” Katie says. “People really liked seeing how their scores stacked up against everyone else throughout the day.” She heard from golfers how it added even more fun to the day, and because the scores were already calculated, there was no waiting around at the conclusion of the round to announce the winners—it was all handled in real-time by the software.

Pat’s three kids, from left: Hank, Katie, and Emily

A Legacy of Fun & Generosity 

The focus of the Pat Neal Memorial Golf Tournament is simple—to have fun. “That’s exactly how he always played golf, just for fun,” Katie says. The tournament was a scramble, which is the most common format used for charity golf tournaments. A scramble is ideal for tournaments looking to attract a wide range of abilities and golfers who just want to have a good time. In a scramble, each player on a team (typically of four) has a chance to hit the ball; the team then determines which ball was hit in the best position. The team then plays the ball from that spot, and so on until the ball is holed. One person then submits the team’s score to the GolfStatus leaderboard through its live-scoring app for each hole with a few simple taps. 

“I know Pat would be the first one out there having a good time!” says Tara, noting how thankful they are that the tournament has a bigger purpose for a cause that’s so important to the entire family. “Dr. Shonka was so amazing to my dad, and the whole family is grateful to be able to contribute to her work,” says Katie.

As for the future, the golf tournament is another excuse to get the close-knit family together. “I think we’ll definitely keep this an annual tradition,” Katie says. “It’s too much fun not to!”

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“Dr. Shonka was so amazing to my dad, and the whole family is grateful to be able to contribute to her work.”

— Katie Little, Pat’s youngest daughter

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Want to Launch a Memorial Golf Tournament?

GolfStatus can help! Its event management platform is built specifically for golf, and streamlines prep and planning. Events that raise money for a charity or cause can qualify for GolfStatus.org’s Golf for Good program, which includes a free event website and access to GolfStatus’s golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost. Click below to get qualified or email events@golfstatus.org.

When there are golf ball cannons, giant dartboards, air guns, and other crazy games in addition to a round of golf, it’s not your typical tournament. The annual Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic in Nashville, which over its 12-year tenure has raised almost a half million dollars for Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, has always tried to add extra fun. “We want to embody the spirit of the kids we’re supporting,” says JR Jernigan, AVP of Special Projects at US Community Credit Union. The tournament is a joint effort between US Community Credit Union and Enbright Credit Union.

Credit unions are not-for-profit financial institutions, with a motto of “People helping people.” JR says there’s really no better way to live out their purpose than to help kids through Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals. “Kids deserve the best medical care and we want to be a part of what CMN Hospitals is doing,” he says. CMN Hospitals, which encompasses 170 member hospitals across the U.S., including Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, are equipped to handle any issue a child may face, from the simple to the complex, and maintain the lowest cost ratio possible to help families that need care but are struggling financially. 

“As a financial institution, we see how money can impact people’s lives,” JR says of credit unions. He says that in raising money for the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, where both of his own kids have received care, they’re truly impacting the community where they live and work. In the past six years, funds raised by the tournament have gone to hospital expansion, including a children’s cancer wing.

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Dollars Raised

$45,000

Sponsors

43

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The CMN Hospitals Connection

Credit Unions for Kids (CU4Kids) is part of a broader partnership between credit unions nationwide and CMN Hospitals, fulfilling the industry’s charge to connect with and give back to communities. In fact, over 1,500 credit unions across the country are part of the cooperative fundraising effort that has raised $195 million in aggregate over the past 25 years.

CMN Hospitals’ work with CU4Kids is unique in that it’s a partnership with the entire industry. While it’s common for larger nonprofit organizations to forge relationships with major corporations and individual businesses, CU4Kids represents broader support from credit unions as a whole. The partnership grew organically from local efforts spearheaded by credit unions in San Antonio and Portland over 30 years ago, notes Nick Coleman, Director of Corporate Partnerships at CMN Hospitals. The idea started to spread across the country and in 1996, the CU4Kids brand was created and a formal partnership established. “The industry motto of credit unions is ‘people helping people’ and it's remarkable to see how they care about making a difference in their community,” says Nick.

Nick notes that one of the credit union industry principles is “cooperation among cooperatives” and that golf tournaments held as part of the CU4Kids initiative are a way for them to fulfill this charter. “Credit unions really love this opportunity because golf is a fun way to make a difference in the community,” he says, noting that credit unions often collaborate with other credit unions on shared goals and objectives, as was the case with the Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic.

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“Credit unions really love this opportunity because golf is a fun way to make a difference in the community.”

— Nick Coleman, Director of Corporate Partnerships at CMN Hospitals

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The Challenge

Over the year, JR has always looked for ways to enhance and grow the annual Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic, and provide an even better experience for players and sponsors. This year, tapping into the national CU4Kids and CMN Hospitals brands allowed him to reap the benefits of a partnership with golf technology company GolfStatus and its social impact division, GolfStatus.org. The partnership provides individuals, businesses, and major partners such as CU4Kids with access to event management technology that helps credit unions harness the charitable giving power of golf. “The golf tournament is my favorite day to go to work every year,” says JR. “It’s hard not to find purpose in what we’re doing to give back to the community and kids.”

The Solution

CMN Hospitals’ partnership with GolfStatus, the leading event management and fundraising platform for golf fundraisers, makes it easy for programs like CU4Kids and third parties like individual credit unions to launch a first-year golf fundraiser or enhance and streamline an existing tournament. Its web-based software is incredibly powerful but easy to use, helping tournament organizers like JR save time, and providing tools and avenues to simplify registration for players and sponsors, seamlessly spread the word about the event, professionally brand and co-brand the tournament, and ultimately raise more money for children’s hospitals. More broadly, it’s a tool that ultimately makes it easier for CMN Hospitals to empower its existing supporters to grow the success of annual events in addition to making it extremely easy to grow the Play Yellow program as a whole by assisting new supporters in their endeavors to launch a first-year event. The result is a growing network or third parties large and small who hold golf fundraisers all over the country that benefit their local children’s hospital or CMN Hospitals at the national level.

To get started, JR worked with Ben Parker, Senior Director of Play Yellow at CMN Hospitals, to connect with GolfStatus’s in-house support team and build a professional event website ahead of the tournament. As an event benefiting CMN Hospitals, the Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic was listed alongside Play Yellow tournaments and other major golf fundraisers benefiting CMN Hospitals happening all over the country and hosted and supported by third-party individuals and corporate entities, including the likes of Costco, Ace Hardware, and Marriott.

The Results

The GolfStatus platform paid dividends right away, helping JR and his team raise additional dollars by selling the premium technology sponsorship, which provides sponsor recognition on the event website and through the mobile scoring and live leaderboards the day of the tournament. A built-in donation feature opened the door for golfers, spectators, and other supporters to support the tournament via monetary donations to the hospital before, during, and after the event directly from the website and leaderboards, which JR says was a great addition to the fundraiser. In total, the event was able to reach its goal of raising $45,000 for the local children’s hospital!

Highlighted GolfStatus Features:

• Event website

• Secure online registration for players and sponsors 

• Mobile scoring with sponsor exposure 

• Live leaderboards with premium sponsor exposure 

• Additional fundraising revenue from sale of technology sponsorship

Online Registration & Secure Payment Processing

“We had never taken card payments online before, but it really saved time and made it easy for people,” JR says. What’s more, everything was organized in one place in the software’s web-based backend, making it easy to keep track of teams and sponsors without having to pull information out of one system and into another. Since the tournament attracts credit unions from around the state and vendors from all over the region, the ability to securely and responsibly collect golfer and sponsor information is important to the continued growth of the tournament. It also allows for a simpler, more modern registration experience for players and sponsors, who can browse available support opportunities and reserve their spot in the tournament with a few quick clicks or taps.

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“We had never taken card payments online before, but it really saved time and made it easy for people.”

— JR Jernigan, AVP of Special Projects at US Community Credit Union

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Easing the Administrative Burden

Switching to a central, web-based, golf-specific event management platform saved JR and the planning team a ton of time and effort by automating and streamlining most of the administrative tasks associated with the golf tournament. When it came time to print cart signs, scorecards, and alpha lists for example, JR simply used the pre-formatted professional printouts in GolfStatus. “It was really nice to hit a button and be done with it,” he says. He points out that online card payments, auto-generated receipts, and the ability to manage paid registrants in one place also eliminated the need for a lot of the usual administrative paperwork and follow up. “It was all taken care of in the GolfStatus platform,” JR says.

Sponsorships & Recognition

One major benefit of using GolfStatus is the ability to sell a technology sponsorship, a premium sponsorship opportunity that offers exposure in multiple areas, including the event website, within the live-scoring app, on the event’s live leaderboards, and on the event’s cart signs, scorecards, and other printouts. This premium exposure opportunity was an immediate draw for the state’s credit union trade association. “From a visibility standpoint, the tech sponsorship was a great way for the Tennessee Credit Union League to show that they’re standing behind what credit unions are doing across the state to support children’s hospitals,” JR says.

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“From a visibility standpoint, the tech sponsorship was a great way for the Tennessee Credit Union League to show that they’re standing behind what credit unions are doing across the state to support children’s hospitals.”

— JR Jernigan, AVP of Special Projects at US Community Credit Union

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The steady outpouring of sponsor support for Vanderbilt Children’s from vendors has been especially rewarding for JR and the planning team. “Most of our sponsors have been with us since the tournament’s beginning,” he says. He explains that in many cases, a credit union new to the event comes on board, has a great experience, and the next year gets another involved, creating a snowball effect of support. What’s more, sponsors loved the digital exposure they saw on the event website and mobile scoring app. JR and the planning team were also able to send push notifications with sponsor messages throughout the tournament, which added an extra layer of exposure to sponsorship packages.

Sponsors of the Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic were listed on the sponsorships page of the event website, giving them digital exposure before, during, and after the tournament.

Mobile Scoring & Live Leaderboards

This was the first year the tournament had used mobile scoring or live leaderboards, and from the feedback JR and his team received, it was a hit. “Everybody thought it was really cool,” he says, pointing out that the ability to see what folks were shooting also gave him an opportunity to kickstart conversations with golfers as he made the rounds throughout the course. Wrapping up the tournament and finalizing the results was also much simpler with the majority of the field using the app to score. Because scores automatically populate the live leaderboards, there’s no need to wait around for scorecards to be turned in or golf staff to tabulate final results.

Matching Dollars

The Credit Union for Kids Golf Classic raised even more money as a result of the Miracle Match program from CO-OP Financial Services. The program encourages credit unions and others to create and participate in fundraisers for local CMN Hospitals and supplements the dollars raised with additional funds. “CO-OP matched $10,000 of what we raised,” says JR, noting that they’ve donated at least $100,000 in total over the tournament’s 12-year tenure.

Tournament Extras & Cause Connection

One of JR’s goals for the tournament has always been to have fun and keep people coming back because of it. The event has grown from just 12 teams in its first year to 35 total teams, thanks in part to the event’s memorable games and extras. “We do what we can to be a different golf tournament and people love it,” says JR. In fact, 17 of the tournament’s 18 holes include some type of additional activity, like teeing off on a toilet or amid noisemakers, kicking velcro soccer balls on a giant inflatable dart board, and using an extra-long or extra-short driver. Prior to COVID-19, patients from Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital also attended the fundraiser, which created a powerful cause connection for golfers and sponsors. Hospital staff and leadership teams have also been in attendance to share the impact that the tournament has helped make.

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Nonprofits and charities—as well as individuals and businesses holding golf fundraisers that benefit them—can qualify for an event website and no-cost access to GolfStatus’s event management and fundraising technology through the Golf for Good program. Learn more and get qualified here or email events@golfstatus.org.

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The Hook-N-Slice golf tournament is a longstanding tradition, raising millions of dollars to support Tucson Medical Center for Children (TMC for Children) over the last three decades. Now in its 31st year, the two-day event will be held October 1st and 3rd at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson. Over its long history, the tournament has strengthened the connection between the hospital and the surrounding community, as evidenced by an outpouring of support that looks to make this year’s event bigger than ever.

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Supporting Local Kids Through Golf

TMC for Children is focused entirely on caring for sick and injured children and their families. As Southern Arizona’s Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospital, TMC for Children strives to deliver the best care possible for children, from its comfortable, child-centered facilities to a dedicated team of expert pediatric caregivers. 

The TMC Foundation supports the charitable mission of TMC HealthCare to improve the health and quality of life of its community. The Foundation’s primary function is to raise money for TMC HealthCare as a whole, partnering with CMN Hospitals to bring in funds specifically for TMC for Children.

The Hook-N-Slice golf tournament is fueled by an outpouring of support from the community. Megan Bucnis, Donor Relations and Events Manager at the TMC Foundation, explains that the Hook-N-Slice event has grown over time from a one-day standalone tournament into a combined corporate outing before further evolving into a two-day weekend event for the first time in 2021. 

“We want to bring people together to have fun, make connections, and raise as much money as possible to support TMC for Children,” she says. All proceeds from the golf tournament go to TMC for Children, providing funds for necessary equipment, treatments, and programs, like scholarships for therapy sessions, child-friendly surgery prep videos, the TMC for Children mobile app, an in-patient therapies gym, and non-invasive testing equipment. 

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“We want to bring people together to have fun, make connections, and raise as much money as possible to support TMC for Children.”

— Megan Bucnis, Donor Relations and Events Manager at the TMC Foundation

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“Like all CMN Hospital fundraisers, all dollars stay local to help kids in our local community,” says Bruce Ayers, CMN Development Manager at the TMC Foundation. 

In 2019, the event raised over $52,000. After being forced to cancel in 2020 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases at TMC, Bruce and Megan are excited to get back to golf in 2021. This year’s two-day event is expected to attract over 300 players, along with a number of dedicated community sponsors. “Golf has been so popular over the last year that people are really excited to get back out there and support TMC for Children through golf,” says Megan.

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“Golf has been so popular over the last year that people are really excited to get back out there and support TMC for Children through golf.”

— Megan Bucnis, Donor Relations and Events Manager at the TMC Foundation

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Community Support

The support of the area community has been vital to the Foundation and TMC for Children, which emphasizes strong partnerships with businesses, corporations, and individual supporters. “We have dedicated sponsors who want to support these kids year after year. It means a lot to them and to us,” says Bruce.

“We kick off our fall event lineup with the golf tournament,” says Megan, noting that fall is peak time for fundraising events, with the golf tournament followed by a gala and radiothon in subsequent months. “We’re excited for this fall’s fundraising events, particularly this year since we had to pivot nearly everything to virtual in 2020,” she says. Beyond the annual golf tournament and other event-based fundraisers, the TMC Foundation raises money throughout the year in TMC for Children in partnership with CMN Hospitals, including corporate partner support, workplace campaigns, and round up campaigns. 

In 2021, the planning team has been very intentional about connecting the golf tournament to CMN Hospitals as a Play Yellow event. “Being able to tap into the power of Play Yellow and the connection to Jack and Barbara Nicklaus is huge,” Megan says. “Play Yellow is an easy way to show what we’re working towards and who we’re supporting through this golf event.”

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“Being able to tap into the power of Play Yellow and the connection to Jack and Barbara Nicklaus is huge!”

— Megan Bucnis, Donor Relations and Events Manager at the TMC Foundation

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Incorporating Technology

As the official technology and golf event management partner for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals golf fundraisers, GolfStatus worked with Bruce, Megan, and the planning team to build an event registration website for the Hook-N-Slice event, thanks to the pledged support of longtime Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals partner Marriott Vacations Worldwide. “We’ve started sharing the website broadly to attract the most people possible to the golf tournament,” says Megan. In addition to selling customized team and sponsor packages, they’re offering add-ons like VIP player’s bags, mulligans, and raffle tickets to raise additional dollars at the time of registration. People can even sign up to volunteer via the event website’s registration process. Supporters can also make a direct donation to TMC for Children through the site.

Bruce, Megan, and the planning team are excited to also offer live scoring at this year’s tournament. “Golfers are going to love it,” Megan says. They’ll also capitalize on opportunities to raise even more money throughout the weekend, using GolfStatus’s built-in messaging and donation features. “We want to make it as easy as possible for folks to be philanthropic,” says Bruce. “It’s going to be great that people won’t have to wait in line for transactions—they can buy mulligans or raffle tickets right from their phones!” 

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“We want to make it as easy as possible for folks to be philanthropic.”

— Bruce Ayers, CMN Development Manager at the TMC Foundation

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The golf tournament is one of the Foundation’s most lucrative fundraisers. Bruce and Megan hope to continue to significantly grow the event in the coming years, further engaging golfers and corporate sponsors. “We really want this to become an epic event that people really want to participate in,” Bruce says.

Get Involved

If you’re in the Tucson area and want to be part of the Hook-N-Slice golf tournament as a player, volunteer, or sponsor, register here. Not in the Tucson area or unable to play in the tournament? You can still support TMC for Children by making a donation.

If you’re interested in organizing a golf tournament that benefits your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, contact GolfStatus to get started with no-cost technology that streamlines planning and prep, securely collects donor data, and handles the golf-specific details to raise more money.

Learn more about:

• TMC for Children

• TMC Foundation

• The Hook-N-Slice Golf Tournament

Corporate support is key to moving the needle for nonprofits of all sizes. From development staff seeking national program sponsors to local organizations looking for an in at businesses in their communities, these relationships are vital to increasing exposure—and funding—for nonprofits’ missions. The introduction to these relationships is often the hardest part, but the golf event presents an especially attractive entry point to corporate entities. Indeed, the golf fundraiser often opens the door to high-level donor relationships that can be stewarded to secure support for programs and future events and developed into strategic long-term partnerships. It’s a snowball effect quite unlike any other.

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Why the Golf Event is Attractive 

There are many factors that make golf tournaments especially popular among sponsors. Golf offers people the chance to be outdoors and participate in an activity they genuinely enjoy while supporting a worthy cause, making the golf outing a fun community event with a ton of brand lift for corporate sponsors. Charity golf tournaments, particularly longstanding events that benefit a well-known organization, also tend to attract press coverage, giving sponsors even more mileage for their investment in your golf event, and subsequently, your cause.

It’s also no secret that business gets done on the golf course. Business professionals are keenly aware of how much can be accomplished in the four hours they have with potential partners and clients on the golf course. These opportunities are priceless from a networking standpoint, so be mindful when assigning teams to holes for the event. You might, for example, pair a board member from your organization with an executive from a business that is a potential corporate sponsor to help advance the relationship.

Soliciting Event Sponsors

Businesses are looking for a win-win when it comes to sponsoring events. They want to get in front of potential clients and customers with premium brand exposure. What makes golf events unique is their demographic: golfers are generally affluent and influential members of the community. Target businesses in industries like food and beverage, healthcare, sports and fitness, business and financial services, home services, luxury brands and services, and travel. Start with existing relationships and lean on your volunteers and board members. Local businesses are great, but don’t be afraid to reach out to regional and national companies, particularly those that may be headquartered or have offices in your area.

While brand exposure is certainly important, it’s not always the driving factor in why a sponsor chooses to invest in your event. In many cases, they simply want to support a community event and a great cause. Keep this in mind when seeking sponsors. Look for organizations with a track record of community involvement or give-back initiatives. Use your network and contacts for a first contact if possible, but if you’re making a cold ask, look for individuals in public relations, communication, human resources, community engagement, or marketing positions at larger businesses.

Collect Donor & Sponsor Data

There is a great deal of power in the donor data that comes from players and sponsors supporting your golf event. The simple reality is this—you can’t onboard and steward the donors and sponsors that are introduced to your organization from your golf event if you don’t know who they are. Collecting this data is imperative, and luckily, doesn’t have to be a headache. Technology can make this simple and painless. An event website with online registration and secure payment processing makes capturing each golfer and sponsor’s information easy. Look for a platform that allows you to track and manage registrant and sponsor information in real-time, with an option to export data to your donor CRM and/or donor database. Consider using tags or notations to track the years donors and sponsors participated in your golf event and at what level. This background will be helpful in the future, when you return to these relationships to make asks for future events and steward them into larger corporate partnerships.

Event Follow-up & Stewardship

One of the best—and easiest—ways to steward corporate donors is through a genuine thank-you. Publicly thank your event sponsors on your event website, your organization’s social media, in promotional emails about the golf event, and at the event whenever possible. You can also express appreciation for sponsors in press releases and media interviews; be sure to mention them by name.

In the weeks following the event, be sure to send a sincere, personal thank you to your contact at the sponsoring business. Recruit board members, planning committee members, or other volunteers to hand-write thank you notes and make phone calls that also express the impact made by their support. This personal touch goes a long way in establishing a foundation for a longer-term relationship.

The next step is to follow up about working with the sponsor in other ways. Depending on the work your nonprofit does, this could include in-kind donations, employees volunteering with your organization, or exposure for your cause to employees and partners. Ask if they have a workplace giving program and if your organization could be designated as a recipient or if there are matching opportunities for donations. Aligning their business with your cause helps lift their brand, so be generous in sharing their contributions on social media, your website, in newsletters, and other appropriate places. Invite them to participate in other events, programming, and fundraisers, setting the stage for future commitments.

It All Starts With a great Golf Event

The foundation for long-term corporate relationships starts with a well-organized, professional outing that businesses want to put their name on, sponsorship tiers that encourage them to do so, and a process that’s easy, sleek, and professional.

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Get qualified for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s event management technology through the Golf for Good program.

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There’s no doubting it: 2020 has forced organizations, industries, and entire sectors to adapt. Event fundraising is no exception and, within the category, the golf fundraiser has become especially critical. With other major events going completely virtual and, in many cases, being altogether canceled, nonprofits have looked to the golf tournament as a live event that’s not only salvageable, but grounds for improvement and innovation. What fundraisers have realized along the way is that this traditional and long-standing event is rife with opportunities to upgrade, streamline, and improve outcomes altogether. Indeed, golf outings are having something of a renaissance in a time when corporate connections, donor engagement, and outreach efforts are perhaps more important than ever.

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1. Focus on audience

Any seasoned event planner knows that it’s not just about how many people you attract to a key fundraiser—but whom. Demographics and networks are important, and golf’s demographic tends to include high-capacity donors with powerful networks. In fact, golfers report an average household income more than twice that of the national average, the average net worth of a golfer is nearly $1 million, one in three are top-level managers and/or key decision-makers within their organizations, and the vast majority are invested in stocks or mutual funds.

The most successful event organizers understand the rarity of having four focused hours of access to these influential community members and capitalize on it by strategically aligning the event’s goals accordingly. This value can get lost when an annual event is passed to a new volunteer every few years. The shakeup of a crisis like COVID-19 has forced organizations to get to the heart of why their golf event matters and evaluate where it might be missing the mark.

2. Golf events are an entry point for corporate partnerships

Fundraisers are realizing that the golf outing’s unique tendency to attract wealthy and connected community members makes it a useful way to not only steward existing corporate partners, but to onboard new ones. This requires a more focused effort on approaching new sponsors and asking for their support amid a tumultuous economy. The ask is substantially easier because nonprofits are able to bring additional value to the table for sponsors who benefit from networking opportunities, exposure to an affluent and influential demographic of potential customers, and the especially crucial brand lift that comes with supporting a fun community event tied to a great cause.

3. Have a website for your golf event

Virtual events have brought to light the importance of a communication plan that engages participants before, during, and after the event in a meaningful way. What’s more, online followers and supporters are beneficial whether the event is virtual or not. For the golf outing, that has made an event website common practice. Having a website to display updated information about the event that includes the ability to register or sponsor the outing instantly and on the spot makes sharing the event in the time leading up to it easier and more effective. The event website is also an easy place to display and share live leaderboards and post final results.

4. Utilize live leaderboards

Access to live-scoring technology that’s easy, inexpensive, and glitch-free has made live leaderboards common practice. It used to be that live-scoring required devices on carts or supplied by third-party event companies, but today’s technology makes it possible for players to enter their scores and view standings in real-time from their mobile device. Live leaderboards also save the golf facility time, help organizers avoid that awkward downtime after the outing, and keep competitive players more engaged in the outing. They’re also a great sponsorship opportunity—one that resembles the high-end look and feel of professional-caliber events.

5. Solicit online donations from event spectators

Event organizers are also capitalizing on the opportunity to collect donations from supporters following and engaging with their golf event online. Event organizers do this by including asks in their communications plans and making it easy to donate from places like the event website and the leaderboards. Not only is this an outreach effort, it’s also an easy way to generate additional fundraising revenue.

6. Offer digital sponsorship opportunities

Digital sponsorship opportunities provide more opportunities for premium exposure and are helping event fundraisers attract and retain sponsors during this crucial time. With elements like registration websites, mobile scoring, and live leaderboards improving planning efficiencies and making it easier for players to commit and engage—they’re also a great opportunity for sponsors.

7. Extend golf events to engage online spectators longer

Restrictions and regulations have forced many organizations to consider and execute on creative formats in order to keep players safely socially distanced. This includes extended play options, multi-course options, and live online leaderboards that engage a following and keep supporters interested in the event for longer than a single day. What event organizers are realizing is that extending play and opening up multiple courses provides convenience to online spectators.

Before these innovations, event organizers might miss out on a key team or a number of key teams due to busy summer and fall schedules. Technology provides the ability to extend play over multiple days or even weeks, and include multiple courses in the outing—not only making it possible for more players to (safely) participate, but making it easier and more convenient for them to do so.

8. Embrace technology & professionalism

2020 has necessitated a no-frills approach that reinforces the importance of smooth logistics and an overall smooth and professional look and feel for the event. In short, it’s less about the tee gifts and more about having a relaxed, enjoyable time on the course. Donor expectations include an easy and convenient registration process, organized day-of operations, and an effortlessly high-end look and feel in line with a professional-caliber outing.

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Take the next steps

The technology overhaul that happened years ago for large-scale fundraising events, such as galas and walk/run-a-thons, has finally come to golf events. What was once done by hand or through spreadsheets has been overhauled with better systems and processes—many of which are inexpensive, make it easy to underwrite or cover costs, or are no-cost altogether.

GolfStatus.org is designed specifically to streamline and upgrade the quality of your outing while also saving you tons of time. In short, when you have the tools and knowledge you need to position your golf outing in the right light and with less and less overhead, the sky is truly the limit when it comes to outreach, fundraising, stewardship, growth, and the overall success of the event.

This article was originally published by Nonprofit Tech for Good.

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Interest in learning more about GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program? Submit an inquiry here to get qualified or email us directly at

events@golfstatus.org.

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