Down Syndrome Association Leverages Golf & Tech to Increase Fundraising for Inclusive Camp Programs
Partner Snapshot
The Down Syndrome Association (DSA) of Greater Charlotte serves as a vital hub of resources and support for individuals with Down syndrome (Ds) and their families across 12 counties surrounding Charlotte, NC. With a mission to empower and enable individuals with Ds to reach their full potential and become respected members of their community, DSA of Greater Charlotte supports 300-500 families annually through a variety of programs, from early intervention to adult resources. Victoria Coles, DSA of Greater Charlotte's Program and Community Outreach Director, oversees programs like early intervention, parent nights, and educational outreach initiatives, ensuring that no family feels lost or alone.
One of the most impactful programs DSA of Greater Charlotte provides is its summer camp lineup, offering both day camps and sleepaway camps for children and adults with Ds. “We don’t ever want someone to feel like they can’t participate in camp because of financial reasons,” says Victoria. To raise money for camp scholarships, DSA of Greater Charlotte has held an annual golf tournament for nearly two decades.
“We don’t ever want someone to feel like they can’t participate in camp because of financial reasons.”
The Challenge
When Victoria joined DSA of Greater Charlotte in 2022, she took on the challenge of organizing the golf event. She’s a seasoned event planner, but has little experience with golf. Though the 2023 event was a success, with five sponsors and $33,000 in revenue, there was tremendous potential for growth.
The event management platform being used also presented logistical hurdles. It required excessive manual coordination and lacked the features needed to fully engage participants and sponsors. With one year of planning under her belt, Victoria knew she needed to make a change. She assembled a planning team that involved board members and past participants to provide diverse insights and share the workload. The group set ambitious goals: to increase revenue, streamline registration, and elevate the overall experience for participants while keeping costs manageable and maintaining the inclusive spirit of the tournament.
The Solution
DSA of Greater Charlotte partnered with GolfStatus, a powerful event management platform designed for charity golf tournaments. After the golf event was nominated for the Play It Forward campaign, the GolfStatus team connected with Victoria. It happened to be at the perfect time, just as she was starting to plan the 2024 tournament and was open to a change. The decision to adopt GolfStatus was driven by several key factors:
Additional fundraising opportunities. DSA of Greater Charlotte leveraged GolfStatus’ exclusive sponsorships and add-ons to drive thousands of dollars in additional revenue.
No upfront cost access to the software. As a nonprofit, DSA of Greater Charlotte qualified to use GolfStatus at no upfront cost, which meant no financial risk and more funds to their mission.
Ease of use. The planning team worked hand-in-hand with GolfStatus’ client support team to build an event registration website. The intuitive back end made it easy for the planning team to manage registrations, sponsor details, and golfer information with minimal back-and-forth communication.
Maintaining the inclusive focus of the tournament was a key priority of the planning committee when looking for an event management software.
The Results
The 18th Annual DSA of Greater Charlotte Golf Tournament surpassed its previous fundraising goals, raising over $53,000 for summer camp scholarships and programming at Camp Horizon and Camp Holiday. Here’s how:
Increased Sponsorships
More than double the sponsors signed on to support the golf tournament, with the tournament’s positive reputation organically prompting several new businesses to come on board. The past year’s presenting sponsor jumped at the additional exposure provided by GolfStatus’ Technology Sponsorship on the event website, mobile app, scorecards, cart signs, and live leaderboards.
“The sponsorships from GolfStatus gave us an immediate return on investment,” Victoria says of the Technology Sponsorship, Pin Flag Sponsorship, and hole-in-one contest sponsorship. “We raised additional money from those in our first year with the platform.” The team bundled GolfStatus’ exclusive Technology Sponsorship and Pin Flag Sponsorships together into one sponsorship that sold for $8,250. They also used GolfStatus’ hole-in-one insurance and leveraged a sponsorship to cover package costs.
“The sponsorships from GolfStatus gave us an immediate return on investment. We raised additional money from those in our first year with the platform.”
Streamlined Processes
Golfer information is stored in the back end of the software, where Victoria and her team could easily make hole assignments.
Golf tournament websites powered by GolfStatus are equipped with easy online registration and secure payment processing. Individual golfers, teams, and sponsors could browse available packages, submit their information, and pay right through the website. All participant info drops into the software’s back end, where the planning team could manage player information and sponsor assets.
Victoria says the software was easy to use and they liked that individuals or teams could register to play. “There wasn’t a constant back and forth with golfers since everything went through the website,” she says. “GolfStatus kept us organized and it was simple to assign teams and make hole assignments right in the software. In general, everything just worked so much better than what we were using before.” GolfStatus’ support team was there to help Victoria seven days a week to answer questions.
“GolfStatus kept us organized and it was simple to assign teams and make hole assignments right in the software. In general, everything just worked so much better than what we were using before.”
Elevated Experiences & Revenue Opportunities
Post-event feedback was extremely positive. A survey was sent to participants to collect information to help improve future tournaments. “We got super feedback. Everyone said the tournament was well-planned with great communication,” Victoria says. “Online registration and the overall experience were five out of five!”
Having Ds Ambassadors present at the golf tournament reminded golfers and sponsors what they were helping raise money for.
Most participants had some connection to the Ds community, so having Ds Ambassadors stationed around the course added to the tournament’s impact. “The Ambassadors are teens and adults with Ds who love to connect with people,” Victoria says. Their presence was a strong reminder of what the tournament was supporting and fostered personal connections that reinforced DSA of Greater Charlotte’s mission.
In addition to the Ds Ambassadors’ presence, several add-ons elevated the tournament experience and drove additional revenue, such as on-course contests (putting, long drive, and hole-in-one), a 50/50 ball drop raffle, a traditional raffle, and mulligans available for purchase.
Direct Mission Impact
The 2024 tournament funded scholarships for campers, ensuring that financial barriers won’t prevent families from accessing DSA of Greater Charlotte’s transformative summer programs. “We were able to provide $30,000 in scholarships for families this year from the golf tournament, more than we’ve ever done before,” Victoria says.
Camp programs at Camp Horizon and Camp Holiday offer enriching experiences for campers with Ds. Activities focus on fun, but foster communication, problem solving, social, and self-advocacy skills. Campers enjoy traditional camp activities such as arts and crafts, water play, music, horseback riding and more that build self-confidence and independence.
Funds raised from the golf tournament support enriching camp programs for individuals with Down Syndrome.
Lessons Learned for the Future
As the tournament’s planning team begins to plan for the next iteration, these lessons learned will help guide them:
Include complimentary food and drinks. Providing food and drink creates a welcoming atmosphere. Victoria says they’ll continue to keep folks well-fed through donated options like donuts, boxed lunches, bloody marys, and a post-tournament catered dinner.
Stay organized. DSA of Greater Charlotte’s golf event included signage with clear information, detailed registration instructions, and plenty of volunteers to ensure the day ran smoothly.
Leverage technology: Using a platform like GolfStatus saved Victoria and her team time, streamlined logistics, and enhanced the event experience for everyone involved.
Building on 2024’s success, Victoria and the planning team plan to refine and expand the tournament in 2025 by:
Offering larger and more creative raffle prizes
Exploring new on-course challenges to keep the event fresh and engaging
Continuing to build strong sponsor relationships, ensuring robust support camp programming
Leveraging GolfStatus’ revenue enhancers to boost revenue
The tournament received great feedback from golfers and sponsors!
Golf for Good
GolfStatus is the leading event management platform for charity golf tournaments and fundraisers. It streamlines and simplifies golf events to save organizers a ton of time and has built-in tools to raise even money for your cause. Through GolfStatus’ Golf for Good program, nonprofit organizations (and those planning golf events to benefit one) can qualify to use GolfStatus at no upfront cost. Book a meeting to learn more and start planning!