Partner Snapshot

Named one of the top residential golf courses in the U.S. and top 10 courses in Georgia by Golfweek, Bear’s Best Atlanta is comprised of iconic holes designed by Jack Nicklaus from around the world. As such, the semi-private club in Suwanee, Georgia offers a unique playing experience, with hole designs from famous golf courses designed by Nicklaus, including Castle Pines, Muirfield Village, PGA National Championship Course, Sherwood Country Club, Shoal Creek, and Glenagles, all in one place.

“It’s a course that has something for every golfer, and that is part of the appeal,” says Jenni Tyler, Event Sales Director at Bear’s Best Atlanta. Recent renovations of the pro shop, clubhouse, and course bunkers give the high-end club even more appeal to members and other golfers in the Atlanta metro area.

The Challenge

Bear’s Best regularly hosts charity golf tournaments at its facility. Its unique course offering, attentive staff, and top-notch event experience make it a great choice for local organizations holding golf events. “At Bear’s Best, we’re all about enriching lives and building relationships, and charity tournaments are a big part of that,” Jenni says.

With so many onsite events to manage and execute, Jenni’s sales team and the golf staff needed a tool to streamline outside outings to maximize efficiency but still provide top-notch support for event organizers.

The Solution

Bear’s Best is part of the Invited Clubs family of clubs across the U.S. For years, Invited has worked with GolfStatus for each of the club’s Charity Classic events. At Jenni’s previous club, she worked with several event organizers who used GolfStatus to collect registrations, manage golfer and sponsor information, and pass off hole assignments to the club’s golf staff. When Jenni came to Bear’s Best, Invited’s existing relationship with GolfStatus and her previous experience with the platform made it the tool of choice for outside charity tournaments at Bear’s Best.

The Results

Efficiency & Organization

Outside events are key to golf facilities’ bottom line; but they tend to take a lot of staff time, both on the front end, educating organizers and helping with best practices, and in the days leading up to a tournament, collecting golfer information and creating printouts. “GolfStatus gives us more time,” says Jenni. Instead of spending hours tracking down and inputting golfer names, assigning holes, designing cart signs, and creating reports, “we just log in and are ready to go in about 20 minutes since everything is in one spot.” The platform auto-generates alpha lists, cart signs, and reports, so all golf staff have to do is hit “print” when they’re making their final preparations.

Jenni says the biggest value GolfStatus brings to Bear’s Best is saving time and creating efficiencies. A big part of that is having the golfer information available to the golf staff ahead of time. Because golfers register via an event website where they submit their information and payment, staff don’t have to take that information over the phone or bounce between PDFs and spreadsheets. Everything is tracked and organized in one accessible place. Online registration is great for organizers, too—they can spend their time attracting golfers and selling sponsorships instead of dealing with paper forms, checks, and receipts. “They don’t have to figure out how to get a website set up, set up a Venmo or other way to take credit cards, or deal with payments the day of,” Jenni says.

All tournament-related staff at Bear’s Best, from the General Manager, to Jenni, to the golf pro, and assistant pro, all have logins to GolfStatus so they can make changes and adjustments up until the last minute.

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“GolfStatus is such a timesaver for managing names, hole assignments, knowing how many guests to expect and carts needed. It lets us prepare for the tournament and have staff ready to provide a great experience all around.”

— Jenni Tyler, Event Sales Director at Bear’s Best Atlanta

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Live-scoring is another piece of the puzzle for golf tournaments at Bear’s Best. Golfers submit their scores in the free GolfStatus mobile app, which syncs to live leaderboards. Golfers can see current standings, use the app’s free hole-by-hole GPS to get accurate yardage to the pin, and even engage with the tournament’s host organization by making a donation to their cause. On the golf facility side, live-scoring helps staff track the round’s progress so they can be prepared for awards, a banquet, or other activity, and makes finalizing the tournament’s results a breeze. “Live-scoring is so much more efficient in finalizing scoring and getting things ready for awards,” Jenni says.

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success story: North Gwinnett Dugout Club

The annual North Gwinnett Baseball Golf Tournament has been held at Bear’s Best for years. Organizers signed on with GolfStatus for the 2023 event, and Jenni says they had tremendous success. The previous year, prior to using GolfStatus, only about five teams prepaid when registering for the tournament, which left organizers hunting down teams for payment the day of the event and dealing with no-shows. After signing on with GolfStatus (and qualifying to use it at no cost through the Golf for Good program), they increased their field size to 144, collected all payments ahead of time, and brought even more sponsors on board. “Overall, they raised double what they had in years prior!” Jenni says.

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best-in-class service

The organizations who host events at Bear’s Best run the gamut in terms of planning experience. “Some come to us and don’t know a thing about golf tournaments, some have been doing events for years,” Jenni says. The great thing, she points out, is that GolfStatus can help both types of events streamline planning from start to finish, stay organized, and seamlessly work with Jenni and Bear’s Best’s golf staff. “Being able to refer people to GolfStatus, who I know will be able to answer questions and provide the same level of service and support that we expect at Bear’s Best, takes so much off of my plate,” Jenni says, adding that GolfStatus also takes some of the pressure off of the organizer.

“We use GolfStatus as a selling point, quite honestly,” says Jenni. “Particularly for brand new event organizers who don’t think they can pull a tournament off, I tell them, ‘Go talk to GolfStatus, they’ll be your backup on things that are tedious so you can focus on networking and marketing the tournament.’” In fact, Jenni says several tournaments have booked with Bear’s Best and come on board with GolfStatus on the same day.

GolfStatus’ in-house support team provides backup to golf facility staff, helping guide tournament organizers as they make important decisions about event format, dates, add-ons, sponsorships, and pricing, with the ultimate goal to have a successful, lucrative tournament. “Both our team and GolfStatus are focused on making every event the best it can be.”

invited clubs charity classic

Each club under the Invited Clubs umbrella hosts an annual Charity Classic event, which raises money for Invited Clubs’ Employee Care Foundation and a local charity. Bear’s Best Charity Classic benefits the ECF and First Tee of Metro Atlanta. “We get really excited about the Charity Classic event,” says Jenni. She has personally benefited from the ECF, which supports Invited Clubs’ employees in the midst of crisis such as home loss, death, illness, or domestic situations, so the cause hits home for her. “It’s an amazing resource for employees, but we also want to help youth through First Tee as they’re going through life and learning about golf,” Jenni says.

Running Bear’s Best Charity Classic event through GolfStatus puts Jenni in organizers’ shoes, and she continues to see the value in the platform. “We’re able to be efficient and stay organized while we raise money for great causes,” she says.

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golf facilities & event planners save time with golfstatus

Golf facilities like Bear’s Best benefit as much from GolfStatus’ tournament management tech as event organizers. Facility staff and the planning team can share access in GolfStatus’ backend to manage golfer and sponsor information, finalize team pairings and hole assignments, and save time from start to finish. Want to learn more about how your organization or golf facility can save time and raise more money with GolfStatus? Hit the button below to get in touch!

For the third year, GolfStatus is teaming up with our giving partners at Dormie Network and Dormie Network Foundation for the Play It Forward campaign to celebrate nonprofits and causes who are using golf to do good.

Play It Forward gives individuals the chance to nominate a charity or nonprofit raising money through golf to receive a $10,000 donation to its golf fundraiser, and get the chance to win a one-year honorary membership to Dormie Network (a national network of private golf clubs) plus a $10,000 credit toward onsite golf and lodging.

Designed by famed golf course architect Tom Fazio, Dormie Network’s Victoria National Golf Club boasts gorgeous views amid challenging holes.

nominate your favorite golf fundraiser!

Here’s how to nominate a golf fundraiser for the $10,000 donation (and for you to be eligible for the Dormie Network membership prize):

1. Fill out this form and tell us who you are, who’s organizing the golf fundraiser, and why you think they should receive a $10,000 donation.

2. Follow GolfStatus on social media. Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn

3. Follow Dormie Network on social media. Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn

The campaign launched May 29 and the nomination period closes July 4.

Winners will be announced on GolfStatus and Dormie Network’s social media, so follow both handles for news, updates, and announcements.

past winners

Play It Forward began in 2021, awarding $10,000 to the Cameron Steinberg Foundation and its inaugural golf fundraiser. The annual golf event has raised $100,000 for research into congenital heart disease and to help families affected by these defects.

In 2022, two nonprofits were selected for $10,000 donations: Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia, Delaware, and Susquehanna Valley and Sisters Across America. Make-A-Wish’s Pro-Am for Wishes raises money to grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Sisters Across America provides support and mentoring for young minority women pursuing professional golfing careers and teaching juniors to grow the game, raising money through two annual golf fundraisers.

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

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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The calendar has flipped to 2021 and, while a return to normalcy looks to be on the horizon, social distancing and other safety requirements are likely to linger into spring and summer. Uncertainty makes it tough to know how to proceed with in-person fundraising events, but there’s good news on several fronts when it comes to golf fundraisers. With record interest and participation in golf (one of few pandemic-friendly activities) and the ability to seamlessly modify events for social distancing and virtual participation, golf fundraisers are more viable and more important than ever before. With all the uncertainty ahead, you’ll need flexibility and options. Here are four ways to approach a golf fundraiser in 2021 and what you’ll need to make it happen.

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1. Modify A Traditional Golf Tournament for social distancing.

Golf tournaments are surprisingly easy to adapt for social distancing and safety. Tournaments are, of course, largely held outdoors in an open environment that can be made almost entirely contact-free. Start by implementing online registration, which allows your organization to collect payment and registrations online ahead of the event (instead of by mail or the day of the outing). Be sure to leverage your event website to market your outing and spread the word, and also to provide sponsors with additional exposure.

Be aware of rule changes at your facility. You can expect clubhouse capacity limits, field size limits, rules like one person per cart and no touching the flag stick, additional sanitation efforts, mask mandates, and social distancing requirements. Implementing simple modifications like switching to a tee time format and skipping a banquet or other post-round gathering (or limiting capacity and holding it outdoors) can mitigate contact and provide a way to safely hold an event.

You’ll also want to implement mobile scoring to not only remove the touchpoint of paper scorecards, but to facilitate live leaderboards for another high-visibility sponsorship opportunity and the chance to prompt players and online spectators to donate before, during, and after the event.

2. Go Completely Virtual.

A virtual golf event is played over an extended period of time at one or more golf courses, using technology to collect scores and track them on live leaderboards. Golfers play on their own time (individually or on teams) and submit their scores via mobile app. Unlike traditional golf tournaments where golfers gather at a course at a specific date at a specific time, virtual events don’t typically require you to reserve an entire golf facility, eliminating green fees (typically the event’s most significant cost). The course also remains open for regular play.

To pull off a virtual golf event, you’ll need technology for a few key reasons. You’ll need to be able to collect registrations online over an extended period of time. Live scoring functionality is a must, not only to display scores in an aggregate leaderboard, but also keep golfers and spectators engaged over the course of a week- or month-long outing. Be sure to take advantage of website and leaderboard exposure by offering sponsors a Technology Sponsorship.

3. Add a virtual round to a traditional outing.

Adding a virtual round to an in-person event is another great option. If you go this route, you’ll plan a traditional in-person event (likely modified as advised above for social distancing), then simultaneously run a virtual event over the course of the weekend, week, or month that your event takes place.

When you add a virtual round to a traditional event, you still enjoy a traditional on-site event by capping the field size (i.e. limiting the number of participants) to stay safe without disappointing folks who didn’t register in time but still want to support the outing. Whether it’s a scheduling conflict or a sold-out event, it’s often the case that people who want to participant don’t get to do so. A virtual round gives them an opportunity to register and play on their own time and, because virtual rounds can include multiple courses and an extended period of time, there’s essentially no limit to the number of supporters they can add to your event.

It’s also worth noting that there are typically no green fees with virtual rounds, so the additional dollars raised are rarely offset by costs. If you’re using GolfStatus, a virtual round can be added to any tournament at no cost. You can also sell digital exposure for virtual rounds on the event website, through the live-scoring app, and on the virtual event’s leaderboard.

This is a great option for larger nonprofits with an established presence in the community and a long-standing event because it allows folks across the community to engage with the event, without forcing your organization to incur the costs and risks associated with renting the golf facility for another day to expand the event and having to fill an entire additional field. It’s also a great option for smaller, lesser-established nonprofits and first- or second-year fundraisers that are trying to gain more support, because it removes challenges and barriers to entry for participants, making the tournament easier and more convenient to play in for first-timers.

4. Hold a Traditional Tournament with a virtual back-up plan (just in case).

The beauty of a hybrid golf fundraiser—especially in an era of uncertainty—is that it lets event organizers adapt quickly and easily. If you’re hoping for an in-person event, but hesitant to put all your eggs in one basket, consider a virtual event as a back-up plan in case local restrictions change and the event has to be canceled or modified. GolfStatus makes it surprisingly easy to set this in motion. With a free event website and access to its golf management platform, you can update event details instantly. Use GolfStatus’s messaging functionality to email all registrants for a specific tournament to keep them up to date on plans to go virtual as needed. The ability to manage registrations and teams in real-time keeps you and your committee organized. If you decide to go virtual, you’ll simply issue teams and individuals a live-scoring code and ask them to submit their scores through the free GolfStatus app before the deadline you set for the event.

Get started

Even amid uncertainty, know that with the right technology, your organization has options. And, with GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program and top-rated in-house customer success team, you have all the tools, tips, and help you need—no matter which path you take.

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Planning a golf fundraiser that benefits a 501(c) organization? You likely qualify for no cost access to GolfStatus through our Golf for Good program. Email [email protected] or click the button below to learn more.

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There’s no doubt about it: COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work, and fundraise. Its long-term impact remains to be seen, but as health and safety restrictions and guidelines remain in place heading into the end of the year, organizations large and small are tasked with the challenge of planning amid the uncertainty of the year ahead. Here are eight predictions for golf fundraisers in 2021 and how to prepare so you’re ahead of the curve.

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1. Golfers Will Be Eager to Play

For years, the golf industry has reported incredibly high latent demand (that is, tons of people who report that they want to golf, but haven’t or don’t regularly). The pandemic, almost at its immediate onset, poured fuel on the fire—challenging folks to get out and play. In fact, the industry as a whole has reported a record season with tee times booked consistently by golfers of all skill levels. This is good news for charity golf outings. Golf fundraisers traditionally use the scramble format, which means golfers don’t necessarily need to be extremely skilled at the game to participate in a charity tournament. 

With a huge uptick in rounds played by both new and experienced golfers in the 2020 season, event organizers can expect to have an easier time filling teams, especially by spring, when winter will be clearing up and folks will be eager to get out of the house.

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2. Expect to See More Tournaments on the Calendar

With many organizations forced to cancel their other fundraising events, a lot was riding on golf fundraisers in 2020 and many long-standing annual events were able to safely press on thanks to some creative modifications and the use of technology. At the same time, many organizations that ended up making the difficult decision to cancel will have high expectations for 2021. Coupled with first- and second-year events born out of necessity during this time, organizations can expect to see not only a renewed interest in golf from donors and sponsors, but a renewed interest in golf fundraising events across the board and more events taking place overall. 

This makes early planning more important than ever. You’ll need to get save-the-dates out with enough time for players and sponsors to act. That means, if you’re planning a spring event, you should get a quick notice out to supporters ahead of year end (especially sponsors, who will be planning budgets). It’s also a good idea to get an event website for your golf outing set up so you can list available packages and supporters can start to actually commit. If you end up needing to postpone or modify the event, an event website designed around the nuances of the golf outing also makes it easy to do so.

3. Social Distancing & Other Safety Protocols Will Linger

No one can predict with certainty what’s ahead, but there’s definitely some merit in the old adage: Plan for the worst and hope for the best. It’s likely that event organizers and golf facilities will need to continue to modify events to meet capacity limitations, mitigate contact, and ensure social distancing. For golf events, this means using online registration, modified formats where necessary (i.e. tee times as needed), touch-free mobile scoring, and other adaptations that keep your event safe.

4. Extended Play & Multi-Course Events Will Be More Common

Virtual golf outings are another trend that has taken root in 2020 and will likely continue into 2021. Instead of an on-screen gaming experience like many virtual events, virtual golf outings are played remotely. The event is extended over multiple days and/or across multiple courses so players can essentially donate their round and participate in an aggregate leaderboard without being in the same place at the same time as 100-plus other golfers. One benefit of these modified virtual outings is that they’re particularly convenient for participants, who sometimes can’t make a one-day event due to busy schedules. Virtual events also broaden the scope of the outing so it can include more supporters (i.e. there’s a much larger field size limit). Lastly, these events often require minimal overhead and less planning—making it possible to hold them without a ton of costs, time commitments, or months of advanced notice.

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5. Leaderboards Will Become More Common

Mobile scoring solved the problem of paper scorecards and the need to touch and pass them around, and there’s likely no going back. Live leaderboards allow tournament participants to score their round in real-time, so players and spectators can see standings at all times. The benefits are numerous: the event becomes instantly more competitive, golfers playing remotely in virtual outings are connected by a central scoreboard, and event organizers are able to sell exposure on the live leaderboard at a premium. What’s more, event leaderboards are a great place to collect additional online donations from event participants and those following along.

6. Sponsors Will Be Eager for Digital Exposure

With virtual elements and the adoption of technology, there comes digital advertising and opportunities for sponsor exposure. Digital logo placements are helpful for event organizers in that they’re easy to manage (just plug in a logo on a website, in a mobile app, or on leaderboards) and often have little to no overhead costs compared to signage or branded merchandise. Sponsoring businesses have also shown a propensity to support the technology that helps nonprofit organizations run more efficiently and effectively, making digital sponsorships a key opportunity for events that are evolving to leverage technology.

7. Organizations Will Focus on Capturing Event & Donor Data

Data has been the big buzz word in the sector for years, but there are some events and programming that seem to escape data capture and tracking mechanisms. The golf tournament has historically been one of those events, but it shouldn’t be. Indeed, the golfer demographic is, statistically, an affluent one. When golfers field a team, they tend to call on their networks and sphere of influence to do so. Perhaps most importantly, the golf outing can be a key entry point for corporate sponsors and partnerships. But none of this works if you don’t know who’s fielding teams, who’s being invited to play as a guest, who’s sponsoring your organization, and where the tournament falls into that supporter’s larger giving history.

The easy fix here is to use a platform that offers an event website with online registration and secure payment processing so you can capture and export that crucial information into your donor CRM. If your organization is fortunate enough to be the beneficiary of peer-to-peer fundraising or events run by third party organizers, capturing this data can be even more tricky, but it’s a huge missed opportunity if you’re not doing it. And, it’s still possible so long as your supporting events use the right technology.

8. Time Savings Will Be a Crucial Consideration

With many organizations facing budget cuts and staff consolidations, fundraising professionals have more on their plates than ever before heading into a high-stakes year. That means constant cost-benefit analyses, it means the ability to delegate is more important than ever, and it means organizations have to get creative to adopt technology to save time without adding more line-item expenses.

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GolfStatus.org offers no-cost access to the technology that’s leading golf fundraising forward for qualifying nonprofits through its Golf for Good program.

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Event Organizers Adapt to Hold Safe & Successful Traditional, Virtual & Hybrid Events

Whether you’re looking for a way to hold an event postponed from the spring or hoping to keep your annual golf tournament safe and successful, you’ll need to adapt. That means social distancing, eliminating touchpoints, offering new sponsorship options, utilizing technology to potentially go virtual, and finding ways to attract donors and sponsors. Here are a few actionable options to consider for your upcoming outing.

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1. Adapt a traditional in-person event to minimize contact and allow for social distancing. 

With this approach, you will still host teams at a designated golf facility on a particular day at a particular time, but with some rule changes, potential format changes, and technology to allow for social distancing and minimize contact. Communicate with the golf facility about any pertinent rule changes, especially those that might affect the format or field size for the event. You’ll need to streamline registration and minimize mailers, check processing and handling, and other touchpoints. Do so with an event website, where you can list all pertinent information about the event alongside all available team packages, individual registrations, and sponsorships. You’ll likely need to plan to skip a banquet or other gathering after the event, which means you’ll need to find new sponsorships to sell. You’ll also need touch-free scoring options. Use a reliable live-scoring app with an option that will make it possible to sell additional digital sponsorships (such as a leaderboard sponsorship and in-app exposure) so you don’t miss out on critical sponsorship dollars. 

2. Hold an extended play event over multiple days, a weekend, a week, or longer. 

An extended play outing extends the length of time over which your outing is played to limit the number of players at the facility at once and keep everyone safely distanced. You’ll need to introduce some technology—namely online registration and an aggregate live leaderboard that collects scores as participants get out to the course and play for your cause. Leverage a holistic communications plan to share the leaderboard, collect online donations, and keep participants and spectators engaged before, during, and after the event. Not only does this ensure a good turnout and more sponsor exposure, but it also casts a broader net to bring in donations from folks following along online. Digital sponsorships will also be important here, as some of the traditionally used sponsorship options for your outing may not be possible (such as dinner sponsors and on-course hole signage).

3. Hold a virtual event across multiple courses. 

Another virtual/hybrid option is a multi-course outing that allows organizations to designate several courses where participants can play in support of your organization—essentially on their own time. Like an extended play outing, participants schedule and play their round when convenient. One key benefit of this approach is that your organization is less limited when it comes to the number of participants. Live leaderboards are also crucial here; you’ll need options that display scores at each course and across multiple courses and you’ll need to implement a thoughtful communications plan to keep people interested in the relevant geographic area interested in your outing. Take advantage of online registration to keep information organized and process participant information, and be sure to sell digital sponsorships—another great source of revenue. 

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Whether you host a modified traditional outing or get creative with formats, scheduling, and locations, the right technology makes all the difference. GolfStatus.org can help! Our technology streamlines golf outings to save you time and keep your organization flexible.

Are you with a nonprofit or planning a golf outing that benefits one? No-cost access to our technology is available to qualifying nonprofits through our Golf for Good program.

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Thoughts on the Current Fundraising Climate, the Challenges ahead & Golf as a Fundraising Mechanism

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)—the world’s largest community of fundraisers—recently announced a new partnership with GolfStatus.org. We sat down with AFP President and CEO Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA to discuss fundraising, golf, partnerships, challenges, and the future.

AFP President and CEO Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA

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GolfStatus.org: Thanks for sitting down with us to talk about this new partnership and fundraising in general.

Mike: Thank you for inviting me—more than happy to talk with you. We’re really excited about collaborating with GolfStatus.org and what you can bring to our members. Plus, personally, I don’t ever mind spending a little time on a golf course, especially given the times we’re in. It can be very relaxing.

GolfStatus.org: Speaking of, how are fundraising professionals overcoming the challenges of the current fundraising climate? 

Mike: This is one of the most unique and challenging environments the fundraising profession and charitable sector have ever been in. We don’t know how long COVID-19 will last, and there are economic, social, and personal impacts that may be with us for a long time. Dealing with COVID-19 was already a rollercoaster of emotions, and then we experienced the anger, frustration, sadness, and pain of the last several weeks, watching the U.S. and the world respond to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and countless other people of color.

There’s been a lot of change, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the need for fundraising. Yes, we need to approach people with empathy and sensitivity. But we still have to approach them. We cannot turn down our fundraising when the needs of our communities have only increased, not decreased.

We have to remember that our donors want to support causes. They want to let their principles and values be known. They want to have a voice and create impact. And with many in isolation, they will want to talk with us about everything—how they’re feeling, how they have been impacted, what they think we should do. Fundraisers can be an important outlet when we communicate with them.

I like to say, fundraising is the IMPACT profession, and now we have an opportunity to show just how important our organization is and the impact we create. But more than ever we need to understand our donor base. Who’s most in jeopardy for not giving anymore this year? Who could use a little personal contact in order to ensure their gifts? And how do we best communicate with them all? 

I would suggest three things. One, take a deep dive into your database and separate donors by group and who needs to be contacted. Two, this is the time to ASK your donors what they want and need during these times. How awesome will they feel to be sent a communication that doesn’t ask them for money, but instead what they’re thinking about what’s happening in their life and how you can be their partner. 

Third and finally, develop action plans for every three months or whatever works for your organization. It’s very easy to get bogged down, with just the pressures of working from home, trying to keep in touch with everyone remotely, and the constantly changing environment. One way to help keep staff, donors, and others focused and energize is to have shorter plans (three months, for six months out, and for the rest of the year). What can you accomplish in three months that you can then celebrate and use the momentum from for the next three months?

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“There’s a natural connection between fundraising and golf—both in terms of reaching out to donors and providing supporters with sponsorship opportunities.”

— AFP President & CEO Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA

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GolfStatus.org: When it comes to fundraising, what value does the golf event bring? 

Mike: I think there’s a natural connection to fundraising and golf—both in terms of reaching out to donors and providing supporters with sponsorship opportunities. What’s interesting is that during the pandemic, golf courses are reporting significant increases in usage. Playing golf is a way to get outside and be social but in a smaller, more confined group. I think golf and golf events are important opportunities that charities and fundraisers should consider as they think about their development plans moving forward.

GolfStatus.org: What impact can technology have on the operational, budgetary, and time-management challenges nonprofits face?

Mike: Technology is absolutely critical when it comes to fundraising, and there are two main aspects. One is using technology to comb through your database and find the donors and potential donors who could really make an impact on your organization. Charities miss out on significant opportunities if they don’t have the appropriate technology to really make use of their database and all of the information it contains.

Second, we as a profession have to use technology better when it comes to automating processes and making our lives easier. Whether it’s for shepherding online donations or managing all of the aspects of a special event like a golf tournament, we can be so much more effective and efficient with better technology. I think anytime you work with a partner like GolfStatus.org that can provide event management software and mobile apps which help event organizers streamline outings to save time and raise more dollars can be really powerful.

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“Technology is absolutely critical when it comes to fundraising.”

— AFP President & CEO Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA

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GolfStatus.org: How does the partnership between GolfStatus.org and AFP align with AFP’s efforts to help fundraising professionals and the sector as a whole? 

Mike: AFP’s goal is to provide our members with the programs and resources they need to raise funds and create impact in their communities, and one of the most critical ways we do that is by working with outstanding partners who share our values. GolfStatus.org has a unique niche in the philanthropic world, and they understand both what fundraisers need, as well as the ethical principles and values that support their work. That’s really important to me and to all of AFP. Golf events can be valuable fundraising and donor stewardship events, so the resources, technology, and tools that GolfStatus.org can provide will help our members in reaching their goals and creating impact in their communities. 

GolfStatus.org: We’re looking forward to our partnership and are so excited about working with AFP members. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Mike.

This article first appeared on AFPGlobal.org in a July 2020 blog post.

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GolfStatus.org is a proud partner of the Association of Fundraising Professionals

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

[email protected].

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