There are a ton of ways to boost your golf tournament’s fundraising revenue. This blog series has explored various ideas to not only raise more money, but make your golf tournament even more fun and engaging for everyone.

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posts in this blog series

BackSwing Golf Events

Hole-In-One Contests

On-Course Games

• Golf Tournament Ideas That Raise More Money: Backswing Golf Events

• Golf Tournament Ideas That Raise More Money: Hole-In-One Contests

• Golf Tournament Ideas That Raise More Money: On-Course Games

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What Are In-Kind Donations?

In-kind donations are donations of any kind other than cash. They could be things like goods, services, or expertise. In-kind donations are attractive to businesses because they don’t necessarily have to consider budgets and cash flows to make such a gift. They might have excess inventory or products they’re looking to move or have already spent or allotted their charitable dollars for the year but still want to find a way to support your event. In short, in-kind donations can be a simpler way for businesses and companies to give.

How Can I Use In-Kind Donations for My Golf Tournament?

There are a number of ways to leverage in-kind donations for your golf tournament, for everything from player gifts to auction items to food or drinks. They can enhance the overall tournament experience for golfers, as they walk away with great gifts and have the chance to win exciting prizes.

Keep in mind that in-kind donations can also be considered sponsorships, in lieu of a monetary contribution, so be sure you’re recognizing in-kind sponsors the same way you would traditional sponsors. For example, a restaurant might be willing to donate boxed lunches to your tournament, so it’s appropriate to recognize them on your event website and any promotional items as the Lunch Sponsor.

How Can In-Kind Donations Help Raise More Money?

In-kind donations replace tournament items you might otherwise spend money on, which leaves more dollars for your cause. These can also help drive participation from both golfers and sponsors, filling your tournament’s field and driving revenue. More commonly, in-kind donations can be leveraged for raffle prizes, pin prizes, and auction items.

Some examples of in-kind donations for golf tournaments include:

• Golfer swag bag items

• Pin prizes

• Auction items

• Contest prizes

• Raffle prizes

• Food and beverage

• Logo or graphic design

• PR or promotional services

• Printing services

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Our friends at Dormie Network Foundation are committed to supporting nonprofits by offering in-kind donations of national golf membership and Stay and Play Packages. These high-end donations can help raise thousands of dollars for your cause. Find out more and request consideration.

GrayBull Club

Maxwell, Nebraska

Opening 2024

Victoria National

Newburgh, Indiana

Hidden Creek

Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey

Dormie Club

West End, North Carolina

Briggs Ranch

San Antonio, Texas

Ballyhack

Roanoke, Virginia

ArborLinks

Nebraska City, Nebraska

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How Do I Ask for In-Kind Donations?

Reach out the same way you would for the rest of your sponsorship offerings. Make a formal, specific request, then follow up if you don’t get a response. Start with businesses your organization or planning team members have a relationship with for the best response, but don’t be afraid to make a cold request. Consider reaching out to the sponsors who are already on board to see if they have any promotional items they would be willing to donate for player gift bags or raffle items. They get additional exposure and you get another chance to boost revenue.

If a business says no to a monetary contribution for a sponsorship, shift your ask to any in-kind donation instead. Be specific in your asks, otherwise you might end up with items that are of no use to your organization or event. You might also list specific in-kind sponsorships on your golf tournament’s event website so folks can jump onboard.

SPONSOR REQUEST & FOLLOW UP Template

Use this customizable template to help you reach out to prospective sponsors.

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Raise More Money With GolfStatus

GolfStatus’ exclusive sponsorships, built-in fundraising tools, and tournament add-ons can help you raise more money for your cause. Plus, the platform’s time-saving automations and tournament management tools will make sure you spend less time dealing with spreadsheets and bouncing between platforms and more time stewarding donors, selling sponsorships, and making your tournament unforgettable. Nonprofits can qualify to use GolfStatus at no cost through the Golf for Good program. Click the button below to find out more and get in touch with our team.

Partner Snapshot

RiseUp Malawi was born out of a trip founder Megan Mathis took to the African country in 2010, where she was struck by the widespread poverty. While on that trip, she met a gentleman named Hudson, who was running a program on his front porch to teach kids computer skills. Megan knew she wanted to help, but didn’t know how. She and Hudson stayed in touch in subsequent years, and she tip-toed into raising money for in-country work on a part-time basis. That changed in 2018, when she felt a calling to grow the organization and its impact full time.

RiseUp Malawi began working with kids after school to provide additional educational support and encourage them to continue their education. “There are so many barriers to education in Malawi,” Megan says. “If we can help eliminate those barriers, we can help lift these kids out of generational poverty.” Hudson became the full-time in-country director of the after school program, which serves over 300 kids in the district.

The Challenge

To create an in-country income source, it was decided to build a guest house that could be used by the organization to host visitors but also rented out to tourists. Megan was charged with raising $60,000 and had no idea where to start. Megan and her family had recently moved to Castle Pines, Colorado with a golf course down the street from her home. Her husband is an avid golfer and had played in several charity golf tournaments, and she knew golfers were a great demographic to target for fundraising. “I just kept hearing ‘golf’ in my head,” says Megan. “But I couldn’t get past the thought of ‘I don’t know how to do this’.”

The Solution

When Megan first began thinking of a golf fundraiser, she signed up to receive emails from GolfStatus. After she booked the golf course in December (giving herself plenty of planning time before the August tournament date), she knew there was no turning back, so she circled back to GolfStatus, downloaded some planning resources, and saw the value in using the software and jumped on board. “I came into this not knowing what I was doing or if this was going to work, but GolfStatus’ experience helped make it a success,” says Megan. The ROI was great for us.”

Tournament organizers promoted the event through local events, alumni associations, social media, and the local newspaper.

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“I came into this not knowing what I was doing or if this was going to work, but GolfStatus’ experience helped make it a success. The ROI was great for us.”

— Megan Mathis, CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING at riseup malawi

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The Results

For a first-time event, Megan and her team were thrilled with the turnout, sponsor support, and overall return on investment of the golf fundraiser. On-course games, pin prizes, upgraded food and drink, and player swag bags were incorporated into the tournament to enhance the experience even more.

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GOlf TOurnament Summary

Golf Facility

The Ridge At Castle Pines North, Castle Pines, CO (upscale public golf course)

Tournament Name

Let Hope Rise Charity Golf Tournament

Golfers

88

Dollars raised

$38,500

top sponsorship

$10,000 (Title Sponsorship)

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Lessons Learned

Planning & Promotion

Since it was her first time organizing a golf tournament, Megan wanted to give herself plenty of planning time. She used a volunteer matching tool to help find folks in her area that were interested in helping nonprofits to help build a planning team, as well as connecting with local supporters. “A big lesson learned in planning a tournament for the first time was the importance of getting a good team together,” Megan says. “Finding those who have ties to the community or the golf world in some way was super helpful.”

To get the word out about the golf event, Megan started with social media and the local newspaper and expanded to having a booth or presence at various community events where she could talk about RiseUp Malawi’s work and promote the golf tournament. She also tapped into her local alumni group to connect with other graduates of the University of Southern California. “Alumni groups are super powerful!” Megan says. She leveraged the group’s networking events to share information and relied on word of mouth among members.

Sponsorships

Megan and her family were relatively new to the Castle Pines area, so she didn’t have a huge local network to reach out to for sponsorships. Megan started with a GolfStatus guide, Types of Businesses to Target As Sponsors for Your Golf Event, and used connections on her planning team to create a target list. She also found success through the local Chamber of Commerce. She joined as a member and started attending events, chatting with business owners and sharing information about RiseUp Malawi and the upcoming golf fundraiser. “The personal connections were so important and we didn’t have to spend a ton of time on cold calls,” says Megan. She also advises approaching sponsors as early as possible before they allocate their budgets.

Two sponsors even made a connection during the golf fundraiser—Burley Brewery and Redemption Road Coffee—and later collaborated on a special coffee porter beer that was offered in the brewery’s tap room. They also hosted a fundraising event during February and kicked back part of sales to RiseUp Malwai, raising about $5,000.

Megan leveraged GolfStatus resources, the local Chamber of Commerce, and personal connections to sell sponsorships.

Tech & Support

As a first-time event organizer, Megan knew she would need some help. “GolfStatus’ blog and resources were helpful as I tried to figure out where to start and what to do next,” she says. She says the software was straightforward and easy to use, but that the support GolfStatus provided was second to none. “GolfStatus’ support team was really my partner in this, so helpful and communicative,” Megan says.

As a nonprofit organization RiseUp Malawi qualified for the Golf for Good program and was able to use GolfStatus’ tournament management software at no cost. Megan says the free event website gave the tournament instant credibility. “We wanted to make the tournament look legitimate and like we’d been doing this for a long time, and the event website did that,” Megan says. Every event website powered by GolfStatus includes online registration and integrated, secure payment processing. “Online registration was great, I could export a list of everyone who had registered.”

The event website also gave the tournament’s sponsors added visibility and digital exposure as soon as they committed to sponsoring the event. Logos, links, and other assets are submitted and stored right in the software so it appears on the site right away. “There was a real sense of pride once we had sponsors committing—we’d look at the site and think, ‘Hey, look at those sponsors!’” Megan says.

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“We wanted to make the tournament look legitimate and like we’d been doing this for a long time, and the event website did that”

— Megan Mathis, CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING at Riseup malawi

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Cause Connection

Megan and the planning team looked for ways to help golfers better understand RiseUp Malawi’s work and why the cause is so important. They utilized the in-cart screens to play a video showing Hudson and the kids thanking them for their support. They also worked with a local coffee company that has a Malawian bean blend (coffee beans are one of the country’s biggest exports) to can it as cold brew and provided it in each golf cart.

The goal for the tournament’s second year is to raise money to build casitas adjacent to the guest house.

looking ahead

Megan hopes to build on the success they had in the event’s first year. They’ve already broken ground on the guesthouse in Malawi, so money raised from year two of the golf tournament will fund the construction of the casitas adjacent to the guest house for additional rental income. They hope to top $50,000 in the event’s second year.

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GOlfing for good

GolfStatus is proud to help nonprofits of all types and sizes tap into golf’s giving power. Its tournament management software streamlines golf events for first-time organizers and veteran event planners. Plus, its exclusive sponsorships and add-ons and built-in fundraising tools help raise even more money for your cause. If you’ve got questions along the way, GolfStatus’ in-house support team is there to help and troubleshoot. Best of all, through the Golf for Good program, 501(c) organizations and those planning golf events to benefit one can qualify to use GolfStatus at no upfront cost. Click the button to learn more and get qualified.

Corporate sponsorships and the relationships they generate are an important fundraising opportunity for your golf outing and your organization as a whole. Knowing who to ask—and how to ask them—is key. Ultimately, sponsorships raise funds for your organization through mutually beneficial exposure that lays the foundation for a long-term relationship.

Businesses are looking for a win-win when it comes to sponsoring events. They want to be associated with a worthy cause while also gaining exposure for their brand. Golf tournaments put your organization in a unique position to offer sponsors premium exposure to their ideal potential customer or client.

How to Get Golf Tournament Sponsors

When it comes to how your organization will secure sponsors for your golf tournament, pitching to the right businesses is crucial. Start with those you already have a relationship with. They don’t have to be previous sponsors—they could be businesses that your volunteers or board members own or even those that are within your supporters’ sphere of influence.

Once you have prospective businesses to pitch to, it’s time to make the ask. Ideal candidates to reach out to are those interested in getting their brand on the radar of affluent, influential members of the community—the same folks spending their time on the golf course. Try targeting local businesses that have a generally wealthier clientele, as well as regional and national companies, especially those headquartered or with offices in your area.

There are several key factors that help explain why golfers are an ideal marketing target for sponsoring businesses. Consider the following data points about the golfer demographic:

• Over 50% of golfers are between the ages of 25 and 55, the age demographic with the most spending power

• The average golfer’s net worth is over $768,000

• The average household income among golfers is over $100,000

• 33% of golfers are top-level managers

• 83% of golfers own mutual funds/stocks

• 68% own their primary residence

• 83% regularly take vacations

• 60% have purchased a vehicle in the last year

• 48% stay active and/or have a gym membership

• 77% have consumed alcohol in the last 30 days

Also, you should include information explaining why businesses should support nonprofits in general. Participants in your tournament are more likely to support a socially responsible business that sustains a cause they have a passion for. By working with a reliable and trustworthy nonprofit like yours, your businesses can build important social capital that improves their reputation and brings in more business.

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1. Food & Beverage 

Your golf tournament likely incorporates food and beverage into your golf tournament in some way, perhaps boxed lunches, drink tickets, cocktail hour, or banquet. Golfers likely frequent local dining establishments, making it a great option for these businesses to get eyeballs on their brands. Consider reaching out to the following businesses in the food and beverage industry:

• Restaurants (including locally owned, farm-to-table, and upscale)

• Wineries/vineyards

• Beverage distributors

• Sports and cocktail bars

HOW TO WIN THEIR SUPPORT

These businesses make great sponsorship prospects because they can customize their engagement. For instance, if outside food and drink are allowed by the golf course, you might ask these businesses to donate or discount catering for your golf tournament. They might also be interested in providing samples of a signature dish or drink on a hole or simply contributing money towards the cause.

2. Healthcare

Healthcare providers are valuable sponsor prospects because they are community-minded and your goals likely overlap: improving the quality of life for residents. Research the following healthcare providers in your area:

• Primary care physicians

• Dentists/orthodontists

• Chiropractors

• Physical therapists

• Surgery practices

• Dermatologists

HOW TO WIN THEIR SUPPORT

When pitching to potential healthcare sponsors, emphasize how your cause impacts their patients and their field of medicine as a whole. If your cause is related to improving healthcare for your beneficiaries, sponsoring your golf tournament could lead to a broader partnership or support of a specific project.

3. Sports & Fitness

This industry is a perfect target because of its direct tie to your fundraiser’s medium: golf. Reach out to these types of businesses in your area:

• Gyms/fitness centers

• Personal trainers

• Sporting goods stores

• Golf equipment stores

HOW TO WIN THEIR SUPPORT

Businesses in the sports and fitness space are often ideal candidates for an in-kind sponsorship and may be more inclined to donate goods like golf balls, tees, or even clubs for player swag bags, pin prizes, auction items, or raffle prizes. That being said, these businesses also want the broad exposure a monetary sponsorship brings.

4. Business-to-Business & Financial Services

These businesses typically cater to affluent clientele, which makes your tournament a great opportunity for them to attract new customers. Steward the following businesses in your community:

• Financial advisors/wealth management services

• Insurance companies/agents

• CPAs/accounting firms

• Banks/credit unions

• Advertising agencies

• PR companies

• Technology companies

• Consultants

How to win their support

For companies that cater to other businesses or for financial service professionals who manage important assets for their customers, building a personal connection is everything. Win these businesses over by offering opportunities to network and mingle with potential clients face-to-face, like a booth on a tee box or during a cocktail hour.

5. Home Services

Most of your golfers likely live independently and can benefit from solid connections in the real estate world. Approach the following home services businesses to be sponsors:

• Home builders

• Architects

• Real estate companies/agents

• Home remodeling companies/contractors

How to win their support

Nearly 70% of golfers own a home. These types of businesses jump at the chance to show off their properties and services at your golf event, perhaps with a tent on the course. Home builders and remodeling companies can showcase their work and high-quality materials and real estate professionals have the opportunity to show off their listings and broadcast upcoming open houses.

6. Luxury Brands

As golf is commonly seen as a luxury sport, it makes sense that luxury brands and service providers would fit in at your tournament. Consider contacting:

• Jewelers

• High-end clothing brands

• Local boutiques

How to win their support

Similar to sports and fitness providers, these businesses would benefit from an in-kind sponsorship with your organization. An effective tactic is to use their in-kind gifts as high-end raffle or auction items, boosting donations for you and brand recognition for them.

7. Travel

The vast majority of those in the golfer demographic regularly take vacations and over half have purchased a vehicle in the past year, making these businesses hungry for exposure to this audience:

• Car dealerships

• Car services

• Rental car companies 

• Travel agencies

• Hotels and resorts

How to win their support

Beyond monetary sponsorships, consider approaching travel services for in-kind donations. Vacation packages, hotel or resort packages, travel vouchers, or even timeshares work well as raffle prizes or auction items.

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Make the ask

Now that you have ideas for potential sponsors for you and pitches they’d respond to, it’s up to you to make the ask! Once you’ve finalized your prospect list, delegate specific companies to volunteers and board members and equip them with the tools they need to make the ask (a sponsorship request template makes it easy to mobilize your team and keep you messaging consistent).

Start by clearly listing your sponsorship opportunities on your event website so it’s easy to find sponsor options and commit to supporting the outing. This makes sharing options with potential sponsors as easy as sending a quick link. Follow up with a phone call or, better yet, a face-to-face meeting where you can propose a specific contribution or sponsorship package. 

It’s important to emphasize the impact their business' dollars make on your mission by providing concrete metrics, such as the number of meals provided or which new programs you can fund. Show your sincere appreciation for their efforts in creative ways, such as by making personalized thank-you videos. The ultimate goal is achieving your shared goals, so when you appeal to your mutual values, it goes a long way toward building a long-term donor relationship. 

Get Exclusive Sponsorships With GolfStatus

GolfStatus makes onboarding and recognizing sponsors simple. The platform includes exclusive sponsorships that help raise thousands more dollars for your cause. Nonprofits and organizations planning a golf event to benefit one can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’ golf event management platform through the Golf for Good program. Click below to get qualified or email [email protected].

Ready to get started?

Click here to book a demo today!

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Corporate golf outings—especially when they’re well-managed and organized—offer a variety of positive outcomes for a company. Beyond being an effective fundraising initiative that can raise money for a corporate foundation, favorite nonprofit organization, or specific cause, these types of golf events let businesses engage with employees, clients, and the community at large while raising awareness about your brand in a unique and meaningful way. Indeed, the golf outing is like no other event. Here are six ways corporate golf outings benefit your brand and business:

1. ENHANCE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important to employees, partners, and clients who want to work and spend their dollars with businesses that prioritize community impact. 

CSR initiatives should be strategic, genuine, and multifaceted. A corporate golf outing that benefits a charity or cause is a great addition to your company’s CSR portfolio, providing not only philanthropic opportunities, but the brand lift and awareness that comes from a fun community fundraiser. As a business, that might mean reaching out to an existing golf event to support as a sponsor. Taking it a step further by hosting your own corporate event allows you to be strategic in choosing nonprofit beneficiaries while also reaping a reputational boost. 

2. Engage your community.

Golf events are unique in that they can be designed to be a communal activity. If community engagement and outreach are among your goals for the outing, you’ll want to ask and answer a few questions as you get started:

• Who would we like to attend?

• What’s our goal for turnout?

• Does it make sense to open the tournament up to a broader community?

Perhaps you will be inviting specific community members to participate, such as the mayor, community outreach group leaders, school administrators, or other stakeholders. If you decide to include the greater community, consider inviting them to participate in a virtual round that happens at multiple area courses. This allows you to make the event accessible to everybody, no matter where they’re located.

No matter the route you choose or the objective at hand for your business, having an easy way to register and track interested participants and sponsorships is crucial. Secure online registration as part of a broader golf event management software makes it easy to collect participant information, manage it in real time, and facilitate communications before, during, and after the event.

3. Stand out from your competitors.

Creating positive social impact has increasingly become a competitive advantage for your business. As a community event that tends to attract attention in addition to raising dollars, a corporate golf event that’s dedicated to supporting a cause helps set your brand apart from your competitors and attract socially responsible customers. 

An event website makes it easier to spread the word about your event while also getting more support from the community. A professional site also elevates your brand, cause, and case for support.

4. Foster business relationships.

Golf outings are unique in that they give participants four focused hours on the golf course—a rarity in today’s busy world. That means four hours of facetime with colleagues, vendors, clients, prospects, or others to network and advance important business relationships. This means that your business development team gets quality time to engage with current and prospective clients and partners—thanking them for their continued involvement or advancing a new relationship. 

If fostering business relationships is among your goals for the event, you’ll want to ensure a smooth and seamless experience for participants from the time they hear about your event to the thank-you they receive for supporting it. That means showing professionalism with every touchpoint before, during, and after the event, including easy and secure online registration, clear communication in the time leading up to the event, high quality branded cart signs and scorecards, and TOUR-caliber live leaderboards.

5. Engage and empower your employees.

In today’s competitive job market, businesses need to find ways to attract and retain top talent, which means demonstrating that business priorities include more than just the bottom line. Studies show that team bonding events can boost employee retention and performance at work. A golf outing can be used to engage employees, reward them for a job well done, build morale, and encourage team retention. Best of all, holding a charity event satisfies the 70% of employees who say they wouldn’t work for a company without a social purpose.

6. Do good in your community.

Golf has deep ties to the nonprofit sector, evidenced by the nearly $4 billion that the sport raises for charity annually. It’s a  game that brings people together in a memorable way to raise funds for a good cause. Golf’s popularity is surging, making it a great time to use it  to give back—to your employees, your community, and an important cause.

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GolfStatus for Your Next Corporate Golf Event

Whether you’re at a Fortune 500 company, a socially-responsible local business, or a corporate foundation raising money for a dedicated cause, GolfStatus’ golf event management and fundraising technology can enhance your fundraiser. It will save you time, raise more money, boost your brand, and ensure a professionally planned and executed tournament from start to finish. If you’re planning an outing that benefits a nonprofit or cause, you can qualify for no-cost access through the Golf for Good program. Click the button below to learn more or email [email protected].

Ready to get started?

Click here to book a demo today!

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A corporate golf outing is an especially attractive option for companies looking for a way to engage employees, clients, and even the community. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness about your brand in a unique and meaningful way, while also advancing important business relationships and even raising money for a nonprofit or cause. 

But if you’ve been tasked with planning such an event, you know that there are a number of moving parts and important aspects to consider to ensure the outing delivers a positive return on your company’s investment. Here are five keys to a great corporate golf event:

1. Use Tools That Save Time

It’s likely that planning a company golf outing isn’t your full-time job, or even something you do on a regular basis, so you might not know where to start or how to maximize efficiencies that save your precious time. Most event management systems aren’t able to intuitively manage the intricacies of a golf outing (hole assignments, player pairings, scoring and leaderboards, flighting, handicaps, etc.) so look for one that’s built specifically for golf tournaments.

Online registration is a must-have—golfers seamlessly submit their information and payment online, saving hours of dealing with spreadsheets, checks, and receipts. Plus, all information should populate into the platform’s back end, which means all the event’s information is stored and accessible in one place by organizers and even staff at the golf facility. Need to quickly communicate with all registrants? Look for built-in communication tools like emails and push notifications. Want to print branded score cards and cart signs? Use a platform that comes with pre-formatted, professional printouts.

A golf-specific event management platform lets you easily make hole assignments and team pairings while handling flighting, handicaps, and other golf-related details.

2. Raise Money for Charity

Golf has an undeniable tie to philanthropy—the sport contributes nearly $4 billion to charity annually. Its capacity for fundraising is unmatched and provides high visibility for the benefiting organization to raise awareness about its work. So whether it’s a corporate foundation, partner charity, or favorite nonprofit, raising money as part of a corporate golf event not only provides a ton of brand lift, but fosters goodwill among your company’s employees, the community at large, and your client base.

More and more, people want to work for and do business with organizations that prioritize community impact, which makes a charitable golf event a banner addition to your company’s corporate social responsibility portfolio. An event website is the perfect place to share the charity’s story, why you’ve committed to raising money for it, and even collect donations from folks that may not be able to participate in the golf event.

Golf outings not only provide high visibility for the benefiting charity, but a ton of positive brand lift and fosters goodwill among your company’s employees, the community at large, and your client base.

3. Promote the Outing

Particularly if your golf outing has a charitable component, drum up some positive PR for your company and what the event is raising money for. Invite members of the press and the community to participate and work together to raise awareness for a good cause (and give your brand a substantial lift). If you’re live scoring the event, post a link to the live leaderboards on your social media channels to get even more exposure for your company and brand, the benefiting charity, and the leaderboard sponsor (if you have one).

4. Focus on a Great Experience

What sets a great event apart from a good event is the overall experience. Folks will remember if the event was chaotic and plagued with snafus—or if it was well executed. Using technology tools to manage the event holistically frees golf facility staff up to assist and cater to golfers instead of scrambling to handle last minute tasks like hole assignments, scorecards, cart signs, and alpha lists. 

Beyond a well-run event, add-ons and extras like contests, auctions, on-course entertainment, and custom player gifts make for a top-notch experience and one participants won’t soon forget! Live scoring adds an element of professionalism unlike any other and lets spectators (as well as event organizers who are keeping an eye on the round’s progress to facilitate an awards ceremony, banquet, reception, or other post-round gathering) follow along on live leaderboards.

Above all, your corporate golf outing should offer a top-notch experience that provides a positive return on your company’s investment.

5. Use the Day Wisely

As most corporate professionals can attest to, a ton of business happens on the golf course. Unlike other events, a golf outing gives you three to four dedicated, focused hours on the course to engage with clients, partners, and vendors. What’s more, think about ways to connect with employees, whether it’s through a pre- or post-round meal or reception, on-course interactions, the opportunity to volunteer, or informal networking. 

Be strategic when making hole assignments and how they might further business objectives. For example, you may want to pair your company’s top executives with their counterparts from a major partner or prospective client to spend the day on the course talking business and potentially even closing deals. Or group staff or board members from the benefiting charity with potential partners or donors to help advance their mission and open doors for additional support. Make sure any event management system you use has the capability to easily assign holes and pairings.

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Technology Makes the Difference

The right technology streamlines your company’s golf outing. GolfStatus provides an event website for your tournament where golfers and sponsors can register (complete with secure payment processing), find more information about the benefiting organization, see details about the course, and even make a donation to the charity. The platform’s reliable live scoring gives any event a professional feel and keeps golfers engaged throughout the round and even lets spectators follow along with the progress.

Through the Golf for Good program, nonprofit organizations and individuals, businesses, corporate entities, or other partners holding a golf event that benefits a nonprofit, can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s technology. It offers solutions to all things golf tournaments—flighting, hole assignments, mobile scoring, and much more. Click below to get qualified or email [email protected].

Organization Snapshot

Sarah Valentine’s vision for Riverside Ranch was simple—combine her love of horses with her innate desire to help people with special needs. She grew up riding horses, but after her grandfather passed away, she discovered therapeutic riding and felt called to create a nonprofit dedicated to using this medium to help people coping with challenging circumstances in their lives.

After intensely fundraising for over a year and a half, and a postponement due to COVID-19, Sarah opened the Ranch’s doors in July 2020. “We literally built this from the ground up, with dirt and a dream!” Sarah says. She’s grateful for the strong community support and dedicated volunteers who help empower clients dealing with autism, Down syndrome, vision impairment, cancer treatment, grief, and other conditions through therapeutic riding. Most of their riders aren’t able to participate in traditional recreational activities, so therapeutic riding not only lets them have fun, but helps with muscle strength, cognitive skills, and confidence. “At Riverside Ranch we empower different abilities and give them an opportunity to shine,” Sarah says. “When they ride, they build strength and belief in themselves and walk away feeling celebrated.”

Riverside Ranch empowers kids and adults coping with autism, Down syndrome, vision impairment, cancer treatment, grief, and other conditions through therapeutic riding.

The Challenge

Because Riverside Ranch opened during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sarah knew her options for traditional fundraising events would be limited. The idea for a golf fundraiser came simply from observing the golfers that flocked to the golf course near where Sarah lives. “The golf course never closed,” she says, leading her to team up with the organization’s board president to explore launching a new charity golf tournament. Beyond raising mission-critical funds, Sarah says the idea for a golf tournament meant they could spread the word about what the Ranch does and who it serves.

Neither had planned a golf fundraiser before, and though both were concerned about COVID-related restrictions, they felt confident moving forward with a golf event. Unsure of where to start or how to make the process less cumbersome, they initially tried setting up registration through Riverside Ranch’s website. “That ended up making things way too complicated and not at all user-friendly,” Sarah says. They decided to seek out simpler, more efficient options.

The Solution

A Google search led them to GolfStatus as the solution to online registration and streamlining planning. “We saw GolfStatus and knew it was just what we needed,” Sarah says. In the golf tournament’s first year, the software helped give the tournament some structure and saved hours of time on administrative tasks. As a nonprofit organization, Riverside Ranch qualified for GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program, which allowed them to use the platform at no cost, which was a huge selling point for Sarah and her team.

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“We saw GolfStatus and knew it was just what we needed.”

— Sarah Valentine, Executive Director at Riverside Ranch

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The Results

In the tournament’s first two years, Riverside Ranch raised over $40,000. These funds help support the Ranch as a whole and add a third horse to its stable, allowing them to serve even more riders. Over 40 teams and sponsors supported the tournament in its two year tenure. 

Tournament format

Four Person Scramble

Dollars raised

$40,000

Additional fundraising

Mulligans, red tees, silent auction

Managing Registrations & Sponsorships

The event website was the home base for the golf fundraiser, and where all promotional materials sent golfers and sponsors. With just a few clicks, folks could purchase teams and sponsorship packages right on the spot. Sarah says creating custom sponsorship packages and being able to carry those over from year to year was super helpful, and the software made it easy to manage sponsor logos and assets. Sarah approached local businesses and contacts from families and friends as sponsors and sent them directly to the event website. “When people hear about our mission and what we’re doing at the Ranch, they want to be a part of it!” she says. The tournament involved 40 sponsors over two years

What’s more, online registration meant no dealing with multiple platforms, spreadsheets, checks, or receipts. “Online registration was so great,” Sarah says. “It’s the expectation for events anymore and made everything so easy.” She could log into the tournament management system’s back end and see who had registered, which sponsorships had been sold, and manage all the details in one easy-to-access place.

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“Online registration was so great. It’s the expectation for events anymore and made everything so easy.”

— Sarah Valentine, Executive Director at Riverside Ranch

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An event website makes it easy to promote the tournament, share information about the event, and sell team and sponsor packages.

An Easier Year Two

The first year of the golf tournament came with building the event’s infrastructure, including processes, sponsorship and team packages, pricing, designs, and promotional materials. Because Sarah employed GolfStatus from the get go, she didn’t have to manage multiple spreadsheets, process a ton of checks and receipts, and spend hours and hours doing administrative busywork. Instead, she could focus on promoting the event to attract teams and sponsors and making the tournament experience top-notch.

In year two, Sarah says the entire process was easier from start to finish. She worked with the GolfStatus team to simply copy the 2021 event for 2022, so there was no need to start from scratch. A few quick updates to the event date, course information, team and sponsorship packages, and the event website was up and running and ready to accept registrations.

GolfStatus and Dormie Network

After Sarah signed on to use GolfStatus for the tournament’s first year, she discovered the connection between GolfStatus and its sister company, Dormie Network, where her husband, Matt, and several of his friends are members. Dormie Network is a network of private destination golf clubs across the U.S. The Dormie Network Foundation donated a Stay and Play Package for the golf tournament’s auction, which helped raise several thousand dollars both years.

Connecting to the Cause

Though Riverside Ranch already had deep, meaningful connections with the community, the golf fundraiser was another opportunity to share its mission, attract new volunteers, and steward new donors and supporters. “I’m truly in awe of the positive impact therapeutic riding makes on the amazing individuals we serve. We want to share that excitement with our supporters,” Sarah says. 

To help make this connection, a father of one of the riders, Addy, spoke at the tournament’s luncheon and shared what the Ranch meant to his family. He described how riding has helped Addy gain confidence and the joy she experiences while on her favorite horse, JaRule. 

The Riverside Ranch Charity Golf Tournament was listed on GolfStatus’s master event listing, where avid golfers go to find and play in tournaments in their area. Sarah was pleasantly surprised at several teams finding the fundraiser in this way. “That meant some brand new people learned about and supported Riverside Ranch!” Sarah says.

Tournament volunteers were able to chat with golfers and sponsors about Riverside Ranch’s mission.

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Get Started With Golf for Good

Through the Golf for Good program, GolfStatus serves nonprofits and provides access to its entire golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost. Qualifying nonprofits get an event website, with online registration and secure payment processing, plus golf-specific tools, robust reporting, and the ability to collect donations to save organizers a ton of time and raise even more money for organizations’ missions. Want to learn more and get qualified? Click the button below or email [email protected].

Let’s be honest—golf fundraisers are a lot of work. There are lots of balls in the air starting months ahead of time, plus committees, volunteers, and sponsors to manage. Maybe you’re tracking everything by hand, working across multiple spreadsheets, or even trying to make a standard event management platform work for your golf event (when it’s designed for a gala or auction). Or maybe you’re looking at a mountain of work and wondering if there’s a way to make your golf event simpler and more efficient. 

Whatever the case may be, now is a great time to re-evaluate the systems and processes behind your golf tournament. Whether you’re in the thick of planning your tournament or just getting started, it’s worth a deep dive into your fundraiser’s systems and processes to find ways to save time, improve coordination, and improve outcomes. Here are key questions and considerations to get you started.

Registration

Key questions: Are you still relying on hard copy, mail-in registrations? How much time do you (or your volunteers) spend processing these forms and payments? How does that information get transferred to your donor database?

The easier it is for people to find and register for your event, the more likely they are to do so. Processing paper registration forms and handling checks, cash, and receipts are time-consuming and cumbersome to track and manage. This inherently makes the event more work, not only by creating duplicative work but a call to action that puts the onus on the registrant or sponsor to remember to print off a registration form, fill it out, write a check, find a stamp, and mail it in. An online, mobile-friendly registration process is much easier for participants and sponsors to complete with a few clicks or taps. It’s also simpler for staff to process and manage, saves a ton of time, and leads to a seamless hand off to the golf facility. What’s more, online registration allows you to collect important donor data for inclusion in your organization’s donor management system to steward for future support.

Promotion

Key questions: How easy is it for staff, volunteers, and board members to spread the word about the tournament? Is there one place folks can find more details about the event, the cause it supports, sponsorship packages and pricing information, and logistical info (date, time, course, etc.)? Can players and sponsors register quickly and easily on the site? 

With an event website, spreading the word about your event is as simple as sharing a link with past supporters and casting a wide digital net to attract new golfers and sponsors. Folks can find the information they need in a clean, sleek, and easy-to-find place, plus the call to action is clear so players and sponsors can commit right then and there. Golfers often tap into their personal and professional networks to field a team for charity tournaments, so you automatically raise awareness about your cause and expand your donor base. This is amplified even further by connecting with potential sponsors and businesses interested in getting their brand in front of the golfer demographic.

Sponsorship Management

Key questions: How do you reach out to new sponsors to share sponsorship opportunities? How are sponsors handled once they transition from prospects to committed supporters? How are logos and assets collected and shared? Do your sponsorship packages align with the types of sponsors you want to attract and retain?

Sponsors are looking for opportunities to align their brand with well-run events that support great causes and community efforts, so it’s important to consider the professionalism of your event and whether it shines supporters in a positive light. Higher end events quickly become an opportunity for sponsors to entertain clients, vendors, and other business associates—ensuring that you’re able to retain existing sponsorships while attracting new ones at increasingly higher levels. However, where professionalism is crucial, systems and processes must ensure timely service and organized communications so sponsors’ expectations are always met and exceeded. The most successful golf outings offer title sponsors and top-tier supporters exposure through digital avenues like live leaderboards and mobile apps, pin flags, and other premium opportunities specific to golf. Consider where and how you can incorporate these offerings to align your event with the best and what tools you have in place to sell and manage sponsorships.

Delegation & Coordination

Key questions: Is everyone able to access the information they need? Is that information up to date? Can registrations, sponsor information, event specifics (flights, hole assignments, handicaps, et cetera), and other key information be accessed in a central system? How easy is it to delegate tasks (especially the tedious ones)? How easy is it to check on a specific detail like a certain donor’s registration or a specific hole sponsorship?  

Between committee chairs, board members, staff, volunteers, vendors, sponsors, and golf facility staff, golf fundraisers require easy coordination. Organizers need to be able to automate tedious tasks and delegate them so every member of the team is able to contribute as effectively as possible. From calling on and engaging previous supporters and leveraging networks to spread the word to managing teams and sponsors and coordinating with the golf facility, it’s important to leverage tools that keep everyone organized. A platform that’s accessible to everyone that needs it and contains current and accurate event information makes handling the details so much simpler.

Coordination with the Golf Facility

Key questions: How do you facilitate the handoff of information to golf staff? Are club staff scrambling the day before and the day of the event? How free are they to assist players and provide the kind of high-end service experience that makes donors feel acknowledged and attended to? How would the outing improve if you could streamline this coordination and reduce it from days and weeks of work to under an hour? 

Depending on the systems and processes in place at the golf facility, coordinating a golf event with an event organizer can be a substantial amount of work for staff there. The head professional must coordinate with food and beverage, grounds staff, and event staff to get everything in order ahead of the event. They must also work with your organization (and any planning teams or volunteer committees) to prepare teams, hole assignments, tee sheets, cart signs, and other day-of documents. This can require hours or even days of work. What’s more, when course staff are stuck in a back office somewhere the morning of the event, they’re unable to provide great service and attention to detail that wows your players and sponsors. The bottom line is this: The easier it is to coordinate information and automate logistics between your staff and the golf facility’s staff, the smoother things go for everyone. A common technology platform ensures a seamless handoff.

Time Savings & better Outcomes

At the end of the day, it’s about measuring outcomes against inputs. There’s no doubting the positive impact a golf outing can provide, but if outcomes are negated by huge time and resource requirements, it’s probably time to consider better systems and processes. GolfStatus’s event management platform designed specifically for golf outings makes information available and accessible in one centrally-accessible location (with access permissions where you need them) so you can automate and streamline the tricky, time-consuming logistics so your team can focus on donor outreach, sponsorship sales, promotion, press, and more.

Want to learn more about streamlining your golf outing and how you can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s tech? Click the button below or email us directly at [email protected].

Originally published October 2019

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 [email protected].

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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