Still looking for ideas to boost your golf tournament’s fundraising revenue? In this installment of the “golf tournament ideas that raise more money” blog series (check out the posts that focused on the pros at BackSwing Golf Events, hole-in-one contests, and in-kind donations), we’ll discuss how adding on-course games bring fun and fundraising to your tournament.

What is an on-course golf tournament game?

An on-course game is an addition to your tournament that involves an activity on one or more holes on the golf course that golfers pay to participate in. The games can have a variety of outcomes, like improving the team’s score, providing a better tee off location, removing an obstacle, winning a prize, or just to add an element of fun.

The Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic adds extra fun to its tournament with on-course games, like kicking soccer balls onto an inflatable dartboard.

How Do on-course golf tournament games Work?

Games can be added to your tournament at any time, well in advance or right before the event. You can opt to have golfers pay to play when they register or pay the day of the tournament. Make sure you have an easy way to collect credit card payments in case golfers don’t carry cash. Your GolfStatus event website is a great option for this! An all-in games package is the easiest option—folks pay one flat fee to participate in all the games. Use wristbands or something similar to signal to the volunteers working the games on the course that those golfers have already paid.

Keep pace of play in mind when choosing the number of on-course games and their corresponding locations for your event. You don’t want teams piling up on a hole with a time-consuming game. Keep them easy to explain and quick to play to keep the round moving and golfers happy.

You’ll need to recruit volunteers to run each of the games. These can be staff or board members, other volunteers, or even sponsors. Depending on the length of the round, you might want to have two shifts of volunteers. They need to be comfortable explaining the rules and procedures, how to pay online via your event website, or collect cash payments.

how can we boost revenue with on-course golf tournament games?

Sell a games sponsorship! There are a few ways to structure a games sponsorship for your golf fundraiser. It’s up to you and what works best for your tournament!

Individual Games Sponsorships

Sell a sponsorship for each individual game on the course and encourage the purchasing business to run the game the day of the event. This gives them great brand exposure and ample opportunity to connect with golfers.

Overall Games Sponsorship

You might consider offering an overall games sponsorship that encompasses every game on the course. This sponsorship would sell for more than the individual game sponsorships and provide premium exposure for the sponsoring business.

Front & Back Nine Games Sponsorships

Alternatively, you could offer two separate games sponsorships, one for the front nine and one for the back nine.

What Are the Benefits of Having on-course golf tournament games?

• Fun, fun, and more fun! Golfers of all skill levels can participate in on-course games and enjoy the extra entertainment.

• You’ll raise more money. Games bring in additional revenue, whether you sell one or more game sponsorships or just rely on golfers paying to play.

• They’re memorable. Golfers are guaranteed to remember the tournament where they shot the ball down the course with an air cannon or had to tee off or putt wearing Mickey Mouse gloves. Games add to a more enjoyable overall tournament experience.

• Cause connection. Tying a game to your cause in some way helps golfers better understand and connect with what they’re helping raise money for.

Outlook Enrichment uses sleep shades for a blind putt hole to help golfers better understand vision loss.

What are some ideas for golf tournament games?

The possibilities are endless, so gather your planning team to brainstorm ideas. Reach out to the Pro at the host golf facility, who might also have ideas for games that have been popular at other tournaments. These ideas can help get you started.

Connect Golfers to Your Mission

Games that connect golfers to your mission in some way have double the impact—they get a deeper appreciation for your cause and are more likely to chip in addition money. For example, Outlook Enrichment, a nonprofit that serves the visually-impaired, had a blind putt hole to help golfers better understand the struggles of vision loss. Golfers wore a sleep shade and relied on their teammates to help them line up their shot through audio cues. If a team made it, they could replace any score from the tournament with a hole in one.

Another example is Habitat for Humanity of Columbus, which helps provide affordable housing and homeowner education, had a game on the practice green where golfers putted with building tools, like sledgehammers and levels, instead of their putters. They also had a hole where golfers teed off using work gloves, and golfers could pay to opt out if they didn’t want to chance the gloves affecting their shot and corresponding score.

Golfers at Habitat for Humanity of Columbus putted with building tools as part of a golf tournament game.

beat the pro

Groups like BackSwing Golf Events will send a pro to your golf event to engage golfers with contests like beat the pro, long drive pro, glass break challenge, and more—and raise a ton more money in the process. There’s no upfront charge to adding a BackSwing pro to your tournament, and they take care of all the logistics.

A spin on a beat the pro contest, if you’ve got a willing sponsor or other golfer, is a beat the amateur” contest. It could work like this: The amateur goes head-to-head with golfers on their tee shot; if the amateur hits it further, the money paid to participate becomes a donation. If the golfer wins, they get double their money back.

Golf ball cannon

Give golfers the chance to shoot their ball down the fairway using an air gun or golf ball cannon, instead of hitting a tee shot.

hole of fortune

Choose one hole that’s dubbed the “hole of fortune.” Golfers pick a card, play Plinko, or spin a wheel to determine the club they’ll use to tee off or play the entire hole with or the tee boxes they’ll start from. Prizes could also include an extra mulligan, an automatic hole-in-one, or a free drink. Alternatively, some slots or cards could result in something not as rewarding, such as teeing off while blindfolded or getting a penalty stroke.

Roll-a-score

Have golfers roll a set of dice and give them the option to replace any score from the event with whatever they rolled.

marshmallow drive

Have golfers tee off with a marshmallow. The golfer with the longest “drive” wins a prize. You could change this up to have golfers chip with a marshmallow, and the golfer with the closest chip to the hole gets the prize.

How Can We Level up Our Golf Tournament games?

On-course games definitely boost golfer engagement throughout the tournament, but if you’re looking for ways to supercharge that engagement, try these ideas that level up golf tournament games:

• Leverage social media. Go live from one of the games, create a specific hashtag for a new game, and assign someone to share photos from each game throughout the tournament to get more people excited about participating in the games.

• Hype it up. Ask a volunteer, a staff or board member, or recruit a local celebrity to announce or emcee a game to hype golfers up to participate (and make extra donations!). 

• Incorporate team-based challenges. Create ways for teams to compete against each other in the games. For example, if you use the marshmallow drive game, you can keep track of distance across all teams and award a special prize to the ultimate winner.

• Use real-time leaderboards. When you use a software solution that provides hassle-free live-scoring, you can use real-time standings as part of your games. Perhaps teams that are under par at a certain game hole get a free extra wheel spin or Plinko drop, or teams that are more than a few strokes over par get an additional try at the marshmallow drive.

• Take online payments. Whether you’re selling supertickets, wristbands, or individual game entries or collecting donations, the ability to collect payments online via your event website helps bring in more dollars and makes post-tournament accounting easier. Post a sign with a QR code that links directly to the packages page to make it super simple for golfers and your planning team, and you won’t have to deal with keeping track of cash payments.

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Golf for Good

Nonprofits, charities, and third parties planning charity golf tournaments can get started with GolfStatus at no upfront cost through the Golf for Good program! Get access to GolfStatus’ golf event management platform—with a robust event website, time-saving automations and built-in fundraising tools, premium sponsorships, trusted partners, and an A+ in-house support team—to make your next golf event the best one yet. Click below to connect with our team!

Ready to get started?

Click here to book a demo today!

organization Snapshot

In 1997, two families in Pennsylvania came together to find a solution. Their children with neurodevelopmental disabilities would soon be aging out of school-based assistance programs and they wondered what would come next for their kids as young adults. They made a connection with Ken Langone, one of the founders of Home Depot, who pledged to help these individuals and others like them find meaningful careers in Home Depot stores, and Ken’s Krew was born. “The cool thing about getting this started was how the customers and the other associates accepted them as workers,” says Karen LaPera, one of the founding families and current Chief Operating Officer at Ken’s Krew. “We’re so blessed that Ken and Home Depot gave us this opportunity.”

Over 25 years later, over 900 adults in nine states with disabilities have been trained and employed in Home Depot stores, many for 10 years or more. “It’s not just a job at that point, it’s a career,” says Terri Neipert, Executive Director at Ken’s Krew, reiterating the goal to help these individuals find purpose and meaningful careers. Ken’s Krew is working to expand into additional states and build partnerships with major employers in the retail and hospitality industries.

The Challenge

The original Ken’s Krew golf fundraisers were led by families in various states to raise money for programs that assess, train, and place individuals in employment and provide ongoing support services over the long term. “It’s harder to find funding for the long-term job retention support,” Terri says, which is why golf became such a valuable piece of the fundraising pie for this important work. The family-led events ground to a halt during the pandemic, and have since transitioned from being planned by families to Terri, Karen, and their team.

Ken’s Krew had also expanded its work into other states, launching golf fundraisers in those areas. With so many details to manage for multiple tournaments and a transition in leadership, they knew they needed some kind of tool to keep everything moving forward, as well as an easier way to collect and manage golfer and donor information.

The Solution

Terri had been on GolfStatus’ email list for several months, but it wasn’t until she saw a case study about Riverside Ranch’s annual golf tournament that she reached out to GolfStatus. “We get emails about different software and companies all the time,” Terri says. “But not all of them get the nonprofit side of things and come with a helpful team like GolfStatus does.”

She connected with the GolfStatus team to get things moving ahead of the 2022 slate of events and ease the transition from the families planning the tournaments to Terri and her team. “GolfStatus helped make the transition much smoother, making sure we had what we needed,” she says.

The Results

The Ken’s Krew team took full advantage of all that GolfStatus has to offer its nonprofit clients, including a free event website and no-cost access to its tournament management software through the Golf for Good program. “I kept trying to figure out what the catch was—but there really isn’t a catch!” says Terri.

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“I kept trying to figure out what the catch was—but there really isn’t a catch!”

— Terri Neipert, Executive Director at Ken’s Krew

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Ken’s Krew also tapped into GolfStatus’ one-stop-shop vendor Marketplace for pin flags, hole-in-one insurance, and on-course entertainment from BackSwing Golf Events. “Why would I look elsewhere when everything is there that I need?” says Terri. They also utilized a Dormie Network Stay and Play package, donated by the Dormie Network Foundation, as a high-end auction item that drove additional dollars. All in all, Terri says GolfStatus “significantly added to the overall value of the events.”

Ken’s Krew leveraged a GolfStatus event website for each of its golf events to collect registrations and donations, provide sponsor exposure, and share information about the organization.

Ken’s Krew had previously used a different, costly software platform for online registration and payment processing for the first post-COVID event, with frustrating results. “We actually lost money because people weren’t able to get their credit cards processed the day of the event and we got no support,” Terri says. “GolfStatus was super responsive when we had questions and helped us troubleshoot the day of the event as golfers used the app to pay for auction items.”

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“GolfStatus was super responsive when we had questions and helped us troubleshoot the day of the event as golfers used the app to pay for auction items.”

— Terri Neipert, Executive Director at Ken’s Krew

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GolfStatus’ in-house client success team was invaluable for the planning teams from start to finish. “We asked a lot of questions but they never once made me feel like I was a burden,” Terri says. “It’s not just the useful software but the people behind it. They responded quickly to any question or issue—I don’t know that I can say that about anyone else we work with.”

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Beyond the dollars raised from the tournament itself—golfer registrations and sponsorships, namely—Terri says the ability to collect donations right on the event website was invaluable. “People hear about the tournament and go check out the website even if they know they aren’t going to be able to play in the event,” she says. “But then they see the donation tracker and that they can support us with a donation and it prompts them to do so.”

connecting to the cause

An important part of successful charity golf tournaments is finding opportunities to create cause connection and engagement with the organization. For Ken’s Krew, golf events are of course about bringing in funds to provide their services at no cost, but they’re also a chance for workers’ families, partner employers, and the community more involved. What’s more, Ken’s Krew workers often help out or participate in the golf tournament, helping golfers and sponsors better understand and connect with the cause they’re supporting through golf.

There’s even a cause connection for Ken’s Krew staff. “When you’re sort of in the backend of an organization and away from the programmatic work, like Karen (LaPera) and I are, having a day where we can be out with our workers and see them be engaged reminds us why we do what we do,” says Terri. “It really is a moment that reminds us of our mission.” Karen echoes that sentiment. “There’s a lot of warming your heart at these golf events!”

Looking to the future

So far, Ken’s Krew has held golf events in New Jersey, Florida, and Atlanta, all as a means to feel out different markets, make connections, and bring in resources for their work in those states. Terri says they may expand further into other states they serve and bring on more partner employers. With 25 years under their collective belts, the organization is planning for what the next 25 years might hold. “DEI [diversity, equity, inclusion) has made employment for this population more commonplace, but we’re looking further into the future and what it means to employ people with neurodevelopmental disabilities,” Terri says.

Though neither Terri or Karen are golfers, they recognize the fundraising value of golf and have continued to invest their time and resources. “If I had to give one piece of advice for someone planning a golf tournament, it’s tapping into the resources you have at your disposal,” says Terri. “And that includes GolfStatus! I firmly believe that we wouldn’t have been able to hold these events without it.”

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Get qualified for Golf for Good

The Golf for Good program gives qualifying 501(c1) organizations and third parties planning golf events on their behalf no-cost access to GolfStatus’ tournament management software. Get an event website, online registration and payment processing, premium sponsorships, golf-specific tools, and an A+ support team there to help every step of the way. Click the button below to learn more and get qualified!

Golf has a ton of giving power. For nonprofits, a golf tournament is the chance to raise mission-critical dollars, engage supporters, build relationships, and ultimately, do more good. And while planning a tournament isn’t a small undertaking, the good news for nonprofit event planners is that the right technology can make it easier, more efficient, and more lucrative to organize a successful golf fundraiser.

So whether you’re planning your first golf tournament or your fiftieth, here are seven ways tournament management tech can upgrade and improve your golf fundraiser.

1. It Makes It Easier on Everybody

Golf tournaments come with a number of moving parts and specifics to handle that are much different than those that come with a gala or auction. Using tech tailored specifically to a golf event makes it simple to handle the golf details, like flighting, handicaps, tie-breakers, and live scoring. You’ll keep everything organized in one easily-accessible place, so you, your planning team, and even the golf facility staff are all on the same page and working with up-to-the-minute information and not bouncing between multiple platforms and spreadsheets.

Golf facilities love tech that makes it easier on them, too—they’ll spend less time in the back office creating cart signs, rules sheets, and alpha lists and more time out front assisting you and your tournament’s golfers.

2. You’ll Save Time, Resources & Effort

It starts with an event registration website with secure payment processing, where golfers, prospective sponsors, and supporters can learn more about your organization and event and commit to participating with just a few clicks. So instead of creating a costly promotional mailer, then asking supporters to fill out the form, track down a stamp, and mail it back, you simply share a link where folks can register online with a few simple, secure clicks.

Online registrations should automatically flow into the software’s backend, where you can instantly find golfer, sponsor, and payment information. That means no processing paper forms, checks, or receipts and no entering and re-entering information in different spreadsheets. What’s more, when it comes time to make team pairings and hole assignments, it can all be done right in the software. Your administrative burden is cut in half

3. Sponsors Get Better ROI

Sponsors get a ton of value out of the digital exposure provided by tournament management tech. Instead of being limited to signage on the golf course the day of the event, it’s amplified with the exposure throughout the platform before, during, and after the event. So every time someone visits your event site to register or just learn more about the tournament, sponsors get eyeballs on their brand.

Combine that with hole-by-hole exposure and push notifications in the live-scoring app, and businesses see even more value and ROI in supporting your tournament. Plus, sponsors can browse available packages, make a purchase, and upload logos and links right through the event website, eliminating time-consuming back and forth to collect assets and providing instant exposure.

4. You’ll Raise More Money

Any tournament management tech should come with tools that boost fundraising. At a minimum, you should be able to collect donations via the event website, but look for additional fundraising features like a donation tracker on the event site, multiple donation calls-to-action throughout the platform, the ability to round up and donate at checkout, exclusive sponsorships that can be sold at a premium, and fun add-ons that drive revenue (and bring fun and excitement to your charity golf tournament).

National Ag Science Center placed banners around the golf course to help golfers better understand their mission.

5. It Engages Golfers, Donors & Sponsors

Engagement—prior to, during the round, and following the tournament—is key to donor onboarding and stewardship. Instead of just sending golfers out on the course and not interacting with them again until after the round, look to technology to engage them in a variety of ways throughout the day. Live scoring is a great way to keep golfers engaged every time they check the current standings on the tournament’s live leaderboards (which also provides additional sponsor exposure and another opportunity for folks to make a donation).

Direct folks to the event website at the end of the tournament and challenge folks to make a donation, perhaps equal to that of the winning team or what their team shot. You can also leverage push notifications and email communications to share information and updates throughout the day. After the event, export your golf tournament donor data for inclusion into your donor CRM for additional follow up and stewardship.

6. You’ll Be Ready for Next Year

Rather than starting from scratch, you can simply copy your event in the golf tournament software platform, update the date and key details, and push it out to your audiences to save the date and keep it on their radar for next year. If you have a date set, include the link to your new event website in any post-tournament thank yous and follow-up communications to get a jump on promotion and sponsor sales.

7. You Don’t Have to Know About Golf

It doesn’t matter if you’ve never picked up a golf club, you hit the links a few times a week, or fall somewhere in between, you can plan a successful, lucrative golf fundraiser with the right tools and resources behind you. Your tech platform should come with a responsive, knowledgeable support team that’s there to coach you, answer questions, and troubleshoot issues for you and your event’s participants.

Golf for Good with GolfStatus

GolfStatus works with nonprofits and charities of all types and sizes to launch or level up their golf fundraisers. The robust platform streamlines the process from start to finish and is backed by an in-house support team available seven days a week.

Through the Golf for Good program, qualifying 501(c) organizations and others planning golf events that benefit a charity can use GolfStatus’ tournament management software at no cost, including an event website, online registration and secure payment processing, digital sponsor exposure, robust reporting, and more. Visit golfstatus.com/demo for more information or to get qualified.

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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.

When golfers decide to play in a charity golf tournament, they often reach out to their friends, family members, neighbors, or colleagues to fill their team. This is good news for your organization—not only does it fill your tournament’s field, but your mission gets exposure to a brand new audience of potential new donors and supporters.

Take full advantage of this opportunity to introduce your organization to a captive audience at your golf event. Create a cause connection by helping golfers understand what your organization does, who it serves, and how their participation is a key part of fulfilling your mission. They may have come to golf, but when they see the tangible impacts of what the tournament is raising money for, it’s easier to convert them into donors.

Here are 10 ideas for your next golf fundraiser to connect golfers to your mission:

1. Add compelling photos and videos to your event website.

A picture is truly worth a thousand words, so take advantage of your event website’s customization features to add photos that illustrate your organization’s work and impact. If possible, add video too—anything from a simple slideshow of photos set to music, an impact story, or a polished marketing video are effective in telling your organization’s story visually.

Help golfers connect to your cause with powerful images and videos on your event website.

2. Invite a guest speaker to share their experience.

Kick off the tournament with a speaker who has benefited from your nonprofit’s services. Or add a presenter to a luncheon, banquet, or awards ceremony. Hearing first-hand from a beneficiary drives home the impact of your work. For example, Riverside Ranch, a therapeutic horse riding program, invited parents of riders to speak at their golf tournament’s luncheon and share what the Ranch meant to their family.

3. Include promo materials in player gift bags and golf carts.

A one-page flier, brochure, annual report, or other collateral can help golfers understand the depth of your mission. Be sure to include QR code on any printed materials with a direct link to the donation page on your event website where folks can donate right from their phones! Drop these in player gift bags or leave them in golf carts for golfers to peruse at their leisure. If your golf facility has carts with video capabilities, inquire about showing a video or photo slideshow on the screens. RiseUp Malawi, which provides educational opportunities in the African country of Malawi, played a video with a welcome message from some of the children the organization serves. They also provided each golfer with a book about Malawi with handwritten notes from the kids and on-site staff.

4. Place signage and banners around the golf course.

These pieces should be placed strategically around the course for maximum visibility. High traffic areas such as registration, driving range, putting green, and inside the clubhouse (near the bar or front door are good choices) are all guaranteed to get golfers looking. You can also place smaller signage unobtrusively on the golf course with information about your organization, facts related to your cause, or ways to take action. QR codes are a great addition to these as well to solicit donations.

National Ag Science Center placed banners around the golf course to help golfers better understand their mission.

5. Highlight your organization’s beneficiaries.

Depending on the work your nonprofit does, you could invite beneficiaries to attend or participate in the event. Personal connections are incredibly powerful, so provide opportunities for them to engage with golfers and sponsors throughout the day. For instance, if your golf tournament benefits a school, teachers or administrators could greet golfers as they arrive or even be added to teams. This isn’t limited to human beneficiaries, either! For example, pet rescue organizations could have adoptable pets at the golf course and an accompanying adoption drive.

6. Take advantage of downtime.

Downtime is a great chance to engage with a captive audience! Whether folks are waiting on the tee box, to check in, for a turn on the driving range, or for final results to be announced, your organization’s staff, board members, beneficiaries, or even volunteers can mingle with golfers to chat and have a conversation about your mission. You could also strategically station these folks on various tee boxes throughout the golf course (perhaps on a par 5 that might take groups longer to play through) to talk with golfers as they play their round or rethink your format to add in more opportunities for face time with participants. For example, Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, an organization that removes barriers to outdoor experiences for those with special needs, used tee times rather than a traditional shotgun start to give them a few minutes to visit with each group as they waited for their turn to tee off.

7. Hold an accompanying event.

If it makes sense for your organization, hold an event in conjunction with your golf fundraiser that drives home your mission. Outlook Enrichment, a nonprofit that serves the visually-impaired, holds a blind golfers clinic alongside its annual charity golf tournament. The clinic features instructors and volunteers helping visually-impaired golfers putt, chip, and play a few holes. Many organizations also hold events targeting non-golfers, such as golf lessons, a wine tasting, blanket-tying or meal-packing event.

A volunteer coach helps a participant line up their shot during Outlook Enrichment’s blind golfers clinic.

8. Send push notifications.

Your golf event management platform should be able to send push notifications to golfers via a mobile app for easy communication. These notifications can help connect golfers to your mission by including a link to your website, testimonials from beneficiaries or volunteers, or even solicit donations for a specific program or outreach effort. Keep the notifications short, impactful, and time them strategically.

9. Display photos or memorabilia on the course.

Golfers want to know what the tournament is raising money for—what better way than to display photos or related memorabilia on the golf course. For instance, the Pat Neal Memorial Golf Tournament raises money for brain cancer research in honor of the tournament’s namesake, Pat Neal. A photo of Pat was placed on the course and golfers were encouraged to sign the photo as a keepsake for Pat’s family.

Pat Neal’s three children post with his picture on the golf course at his memorial golf tournament fundraiser.

10. Provide opportunities to take action.

The ultimate goal of helping golfers understand your mission is to have them take some sort of action, so give them the opportunity to do so. You could set up a donation station where folks can contribute, solicit volunteer sign ups, have a pop up shop to sell branded merchandise or products, or let folks start the process of adopting a pet.

Wrapping Up

First and foremost, technology is a major asset in creating cause connection. From your event website to push notifications to impact videos, leverage tech tools to be effective (and make it easier). Use tech to tell your organization’s story; engage with golfers before, during, and after the tournament; and ultimately, compel golfers and sponsors to further support it through a donation or future events. In doing so, you can demonstrate the impact your organization has on your community at large.

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Get Qualified for No-Cost Event Technology

GolfStatus’ Golf for Good program gives back to nonprofits by providing access to its full golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost, so event planners can focus on building relationships, stewarding donors, and doing more good. Get qualified by clicking the button below!

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Organization Snapshot

A simple, colorful fleece blanket may not seem like it could change someone’s journey, but for pediatric patients going into the hospital, it does exactly that. 

In 2015, Nicholas Kristock had just moved home to Michigan after living abroad in Australia and received a text message from his twin sister, a pediatric oncology nurse. She asked if he would be willing to make a fleece blanket for kids undergoing cancer treatment. “I asked her why fleece blankets and how many she needed,” Nicholas says. “She explained that there’s always a need, because they dramatically change the hospital for these kids,” Nicholas says.

After learning that hospitals welcome this type of donation, Nicholas founded Fleece and Thank You to provide color, comfort, and connection to these kids at an especially vulnerable point in their lives. “Kids walk into the hospital and they’re scared, and they get to a sterile, white hospital room. These blankets give them instant comfort as they’re at the starting line of their journey,” Nicholas says.

He also created KindKatch, a software platform that connects the young patient with the maker of their blanket through a personalized video. “We aim to change the start of their journey and give them hope by creating a connection with others who care,” Nicholas says.

Fleece and Thank You serves all 22 hospitals in Michigan and works with corporate partners to ship blankets to hospitals in all 50 states and 14 countries.

While Cameron Steinberg was a patient at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she received two colorful fleece blankets from Fleece and Thank You. Her parents, Mel and Sam, say they are a great reminder of Cami, who passed away due to complications from hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Melissa and Sam launched the Cameron Steinberg Foundation to help other families affected by congenital heart defects and raise funds through an annual golf tournament. Read more about Cami’s story.

The Challenge

Fleece and Thank You depends on donations and volunteers to power its work, supplemented by an annual golf fundraiser. Nicholas and his team of three full-time staff and six part-time staff have seen a great return on the investment in the golf tournament: “Golf is something nonprofits should have in their book,” he says. “It engages a specific type of audience and reaching that demographic is a huge part of a golf fundraising event.”

Historically, the tournament relied on fundraising platforms to handle registrations, but wanted something that tracked everything in one spot and was made for golf. What’s more, finding efficiencies that saved time and provided more return on investment was important to Nicholas and the planning team.

The Solution

Nicholas is also the founder and CEO of KindKatch, the software platform that grew out of Fleece and Thank You and helps brands easily create and share personalized videos at scale. Nicholas heard about Golfstatus from a colleague at KindKatch, and says he knew right from the demo that the platform’s combination of back-end tools and golf-specific functionality would be a great piece to add to the tournament. “Golfers love to golf, so the more you can tailor the event to tap into that passion, the better the event will be,” Nicholas says.

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“Golf is something nonprofits should have in their book,” he says. “It engages a specific type of audience and reaching that demographic is a huge part of a golf fundraising event.”

— Nicholas Kristock, founder and CEO of KindKatch

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As a nonprofit, Fleece and Thank You qualified to use GolfStatus at no cost through the Golf for Good program. Nonprofits get an event website, online registration, exclusive sponsorship opportunities and exposure, and much more to help golf tournament organizers save time and raise more money for their cause.

The Results

The tournament’s goal was to raise $30,000 to purchase fabric to create blanket kits (individuals and corporate partners purchase the kits, assemble the blankets, and return them to Fleece and Thank You for quality checks and hospital grade washing and drying before finding their way to a young patient’s room). The tournament hit its fundraising goal, thanks to a sold out event, robust sponsor support, and donor engagement.

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Golf Tournament Summary

Tournament Name

Fleece & Thank You Golf Outing

Golf Facility

Tanglewood Golf Club, South Lyon, MI
(public golf course)

Fundraising Goal

$30,000

Number of Golfers

120 (sold out event)

Tech Stack:

GolfStatus, KindKatch

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A sold out field of 120 golfers scored their round on the GolfStatus mobile app, which automatically synced to a live leaderboard.

“The day-of functionality was great, especially the live leaderboards. In the past we’ve used fundraising platforms for registration and ticketing, which worked ok, but GolfStatus really brings in the golf experience and that level of specificity takes it to the next level,” says Nicholas. He explains how the drag and drop function allows for quick and easy hole assignments, instead of moving information from spreadsheet to spreadsheet. “It was slick to just be able to move the blocks around to work with requests from golfers who wanted to be paired together,” he says. “It took just a few minutes and I could ship it over to the golf course.”

What’s more, one of the organization’s full-time staff members was out of the country during the tournament’s final prep and planning period, but Nicholas says GolfStatus helped them be more efficient and put on a great event with fewer people hours. “We were essentially down 33% of our normal planning team, but GolfStatus helped make it a great event,” he says. “GolfStatus saved us at least 10 hours on the front end administration and registration alone.”

GolfStatus’s live-scoring technology lets golfers track their score in a free mobile app that automatically syncs to live leaderboards. Not only does this provide additional sponsor exposure, but expedites finalizing results at the end of the event. “We made sure it was easy for people to download the app and explained that this was how we would be scoring the tournament. We asked that golfers download the app ahead of time, but also had QR codes at check-in for quick access.

“The barriers to using the app are so low,” Nicholas says. “It helps get rid of that gap that typically occurs at a golf tournament, when physical scorecards are turned in and everyone’s waiting on the results to be tallied.” Plus, Nicholas says golfers loved seeing the standings in real-time and how the app pulled in the course information for additional details about each hole (distance, slope, GPS to the pin).

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“We were essentially down 33% of our normal planning team, but GolfStatus helped make it a great event.”

— Nicholas Kristock, founder and CEO of KindKatch

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Leaning Into Technology

Golfers and spectators could follow real-time standings on the tournament’s live leaderboards on the GolfStatus app or the event website.

Nonprofits are used to doing more with less, and embracing technology enables them to do so. Fleece and Thank You’s small team has to maximize efficiencies and technology like GolfStatus “helps us move faster and do more,” Nicholas says. “Tech can help nonprofits scale and do things beyond their traditional reach.” 

Using KindKatch in tandem with GolfStatus kept golfers engaged before, during, and after the event. Nicholas and his team scheduled out videos to be sent at intervals after someone registered to a follow up 30 days after the event. Combined with push notifications from GolfStatus, Nicholas says they struck a good balance of a good mix of communication with golfers and sponsors. “The cool part of the GolfStatus and KindKatch interplay is how well they worked together when we sent videos out mid-day highlighting the live leaderboards and current standings.”

No Cost Golf Event Management Tech

The right technology is key to a successful, lucrative, and streamlined golf fundraiser. GolfStatus’s golf event management and fundraising platform is built to handle the unique details of golf fundraisers, with built-in tools to easily promote the event, collect registrations, recognize sponsors, collect donations, and much more. Through the Golf for Good program, nonprofits can qualify to use GolfStatus at no cost—no cost, no risk, all reward. Click the button below to get qualified and start saving time and raising more money from your golf tournament.

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KindKatch is part of the GolfStatus Marketplace, a one-stop shop of trusted third party vendors to help event organizers elevate their tournament.

Organization Snapshot

Enriching the lives of the visually impaired is at the heart of Outlook Enrichment’s mission. A private, nonprofit agency based in Omaha, Nebraska, Outlook Enrichment empowers people living with vision loss with the skills and tools to achieve their goals. Its core programs serve the visually impaired through adaptive technology training, recreational programs, independent living, employment training, support groups, cultural experiences, and community education.

“It’s really fulfilling for us to see an individual’s arc of life in adapting to vision loss,” says Nina Rongisch, Director of Fund Development at Outlook Enrichment. “They may think they can’t do the things they used to be able to do, but we get them on the right path and see the excitement come back in them and they grow and flourish.”

Outlook Enrichment serves the visually impaired through adaptive technology training, recreational programs (like tandem bike rides, pictured above), independent living, employment training, support groups, cultural experiences, and community education.

Outlook Enrichment is part of the broader Outlook Collaborative that, with three other agencies, serves the visually impired in Omaha. “We help people adjust to vision loss, connecting them to necessary resources and helping them navigate the system that allows them to be as independent as possible,” says Paulette Monthei, Executive Director at Outlook Enrichment.

The Challenge

Outlook Enrichment’s two annual fundraising events bring in dollars for equipment purchases, instructor wages, outreach activities, and program support—an annual gala and a long-standing golf clinic and tournament. 

The sport of golf is important for many visually-impaired individuals. Finding ways to stay involved helps bring a spark back to their lives. “We had one golfer in his 70s who used to be an avid golfer and withdrew from the sport as he slowly lost sight,” Nina explains. “The golf clinic and our other recreation programs help show them that they can still do the things they love, albeit in a different capacity.”

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“The golf clinic and our other recreation programs help show them that they can still do the things they love, albeit in a different capacity.”

— Nina Rongisch, Director of Fund Development at Outlook Enrichment

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Out of its staff of six, only two are sighted. “Those of us who work directly with clients have some level of vision loss,” says Paulette, who has low vision herself. “It’s so important to share that perspective and empathize with them, while providing resources and services to help with job training, mental wellness, transportation, and recreation.” 

Its small but mighty team handles everything from fundraising to program implementation to serving over 300 clients a year. As such, efficiency is key, so when the previous registration process for the golf event wasn’t cutting it, the team sought new options. “We needed something simpler and easier,” Nina says. “We got some complaints about the registration process being too complicated and cumbersome.”

The Solution

Nina knew there had to be a better option to make the user interface easier and more seamless, both on the donor and administrative sides. An online search led them to GolfStatus, a golf-specific event management platform. Naturally, accessibility was a major concern for any tech platform. “It was important that GolfStatus was willing to work with us to improve accessibility and really heard our concerns,” says Nina. The GolfStatus public-facing event site was easily navigable by screen readers and featured a high-contrast color palette to improve readability for those with reduced vision.

Through the Golf for Good program, Nina, Paulette, and the Outlook Enrichment team were able to utilize GolfStatus to streamline their golf tournament at no cost. “It’s hard to find a system for nonprofits that isn’t going to charge you an arm and a leg,” says Paulette. “We loved that it was no cost and easy to use.”

The Results

Between 40 and 48 teams typically play in the golf tournament, which is sponsored by 10-20 area businesses, partners, and vendors. Beyond raising dollars, the golf tournament’s goal is to raise awareness and get golfers and sponsors to further engage with Outlook Enrichment. “We want to fill the tournament, of course, but we also want to reach new people,” says Nina. “Those new people may come for the golf, but they engage with our organization, staff members, and those we serve to better understand where their money is going.”

One of the golf tournament’s main goals is to raise awareness about Outlooks Enrichment’s mission by attracting new golfers and sponsors to the event.

Golfers used their mobile devices to make purchases (i.e. mulligans, raffle tickets, hole challenges,etc.) and donations the day of the tournament. “Having them pay through the event site was so much simpler,” says Nina. “For years we pushed people to bring cash along for things like this, and we missed out on extra dollars if someone didn’t have cash.” The event brought in an extra $3,000 from day-of purchases alone!

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“GolfStatus was hands down one of the easiest and seamless systems we’ve used.”

— Nina Rongisch, Director of Fund Development at Outlook Enrichment

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“GolfStatus was hands down one of the easiest and seamless systems we’ve used,” says Nina, finding it so helpful that she utilized GolfStatus’s registration for the annual Vision Beyond Sight fundraiser (which, unfortunately, was canceled due to rain).

Automation & Support

The event website for the Tee It Up Fore Sight fundraiser was the key to reaping the benefits of the platform. Golfers and sponsors would register and pay securely via the website and their information automatically populated the platform’s backend where Nina could make hole assignments, create and print pre-formatted alpha lists and cart signs, and see who had purchased various add-ons.

Golfers and sponsors registered via an event website, automating registration and giving Nina and Paulette a jump on thanking donors and reconciling payments.

Nina says email notifications and weekly reporting and payouts were invaluable to her in terms of saving time and creating efficiencies. “I set up separate email notifications for registrations and sponsorships,” Nina says. Not only did this help from an administrative perspective, but it allowed the team to stay on top of thanking golfers and sponsors right away, a key part of long-term donor stewardship and retention.

“I didn’t have to live on the platform but could easily get in the backend to see where things stood,” she says.

The GolfStatus customer success team was there to help whenever Nina, Paulette, or anyone on their team had questions or needed assistance. “Everyone was amazing! If there was a hiccup, they got it resolved right away,” Nina says.

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“I didn’t have to live on the platform but could easily get in the backend to see where things stood.”

— Nina Rongisch, Director of Fund Development at Outlook Enrichment

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golf fundraiser Creates Cause Connection

Outlook Enrichment creates a real, tangible connection to its mission for golfers and sponsors by including immersion activities on select tournament holes. “Golfers put on a sleep shade and putt,” Nina explains. “They have to rely on the rest of their senses to make the shot, which really gets them to think about sight from a different perspective.” It’s also a fundraising component, as golfers chip in $5-$20 to try.

Outlook Enrichment also hosts the Stanley M. Truhlsen, Jr. Blind Golfers Clinic for non-sighted golfers in conjunction with the golf fundraiser. Partnering with adaptive sports specialists and volunteers from golf teams at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and local high schools, the golfers learn chipping, putting, and driving, and typically play one or more holes before the round kicks off.

The Stanley M. Truhlsen, Jr. Blind Golfers Clinic pairs visually-impaired golfers adaptive sports specialists and volunteers to learn chipping, putting, and driving.

What’s more, some of the team pairings include a non-sighted player. The rest of the team helps the visually-impaired golfer line up their shot and describe as best they can the terrain of the shot—how much slope, angle, obstacle locations, distance to the pin. “It’s really interesting the techniques the sighted golfers use to help line the golfer up, whether it’s verbal cues or physically lining up the correct angle,” says Nina. When golfers then put on the sleep shades, they’re forced to use their other senses to make the shot.

Accessibility

Given Outlook Enrichment’s mission, accessibility is a must-have when it comes to any software or tech tool. “We won’t use a company if we can’t navigate it,” says Nina. Both sighted staff and staff with some level of visual impairment worked through the front-end of the software before signing on with GolfStatus, and found that the event site was easy to navigate with screen readers and its high contrast color scheme made it more readable. 

“We appreciate how the GolfStatus staff worked with us to make the site as accessible as possible,” says Nina, noting that members of the development team worked with the Outlook Enrichment staff to walk through the site to glean additional feedback on how to improve accessibility. “It was so nice to know that GolfStatus cared and heard us!”

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Helping Nonprofits Leverage Golf for Good

GolfStatus helps nonprofits and charities of all types and sizes leverage golf’s giving power with powerful, user-friendly technology and industry-leading support. Through the Golf for Good program, qualifying nonprofits and events benefiting a charity or cause can get access to GolfStatus’s golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost. Get qualified by clicking below or email [email protected].

Organization Snapshot

Million Meal Movement (MMM) goes beyond feeding the hungry, extending its impact to teaching the importance of volunteerism. By connecting with businesses, families, and community members in the Indianapolis area, the organization has packed over 32 million meals since its inception in 2007. In Indiana alone, over one million people—and one in five children—are food insecure and don’t know where they’ll get their next meal. Meals packed by MMM’s volunteers and corporate events go directly to local food banks where they’re distributed to families that need them.

For Chris Evans, who moved to Indianapolis in 2014, MMM was a way for his family to give back to the community in a meaningful way. “We wanted to do something more than just donate money, but volunteer to be part of something with a local impact,” Chris says.

The founder of MMM, Dan Hintz, was a client of Chris’s at American Century Investments. Intrigued by the organization’s dual focus, Chris and his family volunteered for a meal packing event on Thanksgiving and he found himself moved by the cause and wanted to get more involved. He’s served as a board member for the organization since 2018.

The Challenge

The Million Meal Marathon has traditionally been held each fall, which is a 24-hour event to pack a million meals and a major fundraiser for the organization. Chris and other board members wanted to bookend the year by adding a fundraising event in the spring. His passion for golf led him to explore a golf tournament fundraiser, though he had never planned such an event before. “I had golfed in a lot of charity tournaments in the past so I had a general sense of what was involved, but there were lots of nuances to figure out along the way,” Chris says.

Million Meal Movement Executive Director Nancy Hintz at the first annual Swing Away Hunger Charity Golf Classic in 2021.

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Tournament at a Glance:

Private Golf Facility

Woodland Country Club

Number of golfers

108

Add-Ons & Extras

Contests, Auctions

Tournament Format

4-person scramble

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The Solution

He teamed up with Chris Cimaglio, another MMM board member, who came across GolfStatus while researching golf tournament resources. The committee dug into it and decided the software was everything they needed. Since the golf event was a brand new endeavor, the committee leaned on GolfStatus to give the event structure, provide experience-based feedback, and above all, provide tools to save time and stay organized.

“Our fear was wasting time with having to use spreadsheets to keep track of everything,” Chris says, so using a golf-specific platform that kept everything—from golfer information to sponsor logos to hole assignments—organized in one place was a huge selling point. Plus, as a nonprofit, MMM qualified for GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program, which gave them full access to the platform at no cost.

The Results

In the fundraiser’s first year, the Swing Away Hunger Charity Golf Classic raised about $12,000. In its second year, the event doubled its fundraising, bringing in over $25,000. Perhaps most importantly, the golf event introduced MMM to new businesses and corporations that set the stage for transformational engagement and partnerships.

Using GolfStatus meant Chris and the rest of the planning committee didn’t have to spend their valuable volunteer time reconciling registrations and payments, processing a ton of checks and receipts, or managing multiple spreadsheets. Instead, they could focus on offering a top-notch event experience and stewarding sponsors. “We sent a lot of emails and letters and made a lot of phone calls!” says Chris.

The Swing Away Hunger Charity Golf Classic is held at the private Woodland Country Club in Carmel, Indiana.

Raising Money, Building Partnerships

As is typical with golf fundraisers, the bulk of the revenue was generated by sponsorships. “We didn’t raise a ton on the actual players, but hole and other sponsorships brought in dollars,” Chris says. The planning committee started by reaching out to companies that have participated in or sponsored meal-packing events in the past, then leveraging board relationships in the community to drive larger sponsorships.

Beyond the fundraising aspect, golf tournaments increase awareness for the benefiting organization and often lay the foundation for strong partnerships and relationships outside of the event. Such was the case for MMM. “The golf tournament has been a great way to introduce Million Meal Movement to people when they play,” Chris says.

MMM’s focus on volunteerism has been a draw for businesses looking to get involved with their community. Following the golf tournament, multiple companies signed on for corporate meal-packing events, further engaging with the organization and broadening the golf fundraiser’s impact.

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“The golf tournament raised a ton of awareness for the organization. It brought companies in to support meal-packing events throughout the year, helping fulfill the mission and get food to the people that need it.”

— Chris Evans, Million Meal Movement Board Member / Vice President of Sales at American Century Investments

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The planning team used social media to recognize event sponsors.

Leveraging Technology to Save Time & Create Processes

The GolfStatus team built an event website for the Swing Away Hunger Charity Golf Classic, working closely with Chris and the planning team. “The website definitely saved us a lot of time,” says Chris. “It made it easy for people to register and sponsors to see available packages, commit, and upload logos. Plus, it made it easy to run the event from an administrative standpoint.”

In the tournament’s first year, Chris notes how they were not only planning the event from scratch, but creating processes at the same time. “GolfStatus helped us create good processes from the get-go,” Chris says. “That made it easier in subsequent years, knowing the framework is in place—sponsorship packages, signage, software, promotion plans, and so on—so we could just execute.”

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“GolfStatus helped us create good processes from the get-go.”

— Chris Evans, Million Meal Movement Board Member / Vice President of Sales at American Century Investments

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GolfStatus worked with Chris and the planning team to build an event website to collect registrations, share information about the organization, and onboard and recognize sponsors.

Learning & Improving

Chris is preparing to step down from the MMM board and prepping another board member to take over as the Golf Event Chair. Having GolfStatus in place ensures a seamless transition for the new contact, who will work closely with the GolfStatus in-house customer success team to simply copy the event each year. “There’s no need to start from scratch, they can just take it and run with it,” Chris says. “The customer success team at GolfStatus is such a great resource. They were always available and got back to me right away, no matter how big or small the issue or question.”

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“The customer success team at GolfStatus is such a great resource. They were always available and got back to me right away, no matter how big or small the issue or question.”

— Chris Evans, Million Meal Movement Board Member / Vice President of Sales at American Century Investments

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With a couple tournaments under the committee’s belt, Chris says they’ve learned something each year and found ways to improve. A small silent and live auction were added for its second year, plus a raffle and more tailored sponsorship packages and better communication with golfers ahead of time about the live-scoring component.

“I think it’s really important to involve people on the planning committee who are well-connected in the community and those who have time to devote to the tournament,” he says. “GolfStatus was fantastic. The website, online registration, and golf-specific features made the details easy to handle.”

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Golf for Good

GolfStatus is committed to helping nonprofits do more good through golf. As part of its Golf for Good program, nonprofits and those holding events that benefit one can qualify for no-cost access to the GolfStatus platform, plus exclusive sponsorships, add-ons, and dedicated support to help you save time and raise more money. Click below to get qualified or email [email protected].

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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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