partner snapshot
Lead(h)er is on a mission to fuel career and community engagement for professional women in the Quad Cities. Through its signature mentoring program, Strike a Match, and a variety of professional development and networking events, Lead(h)er is helping women meet their career goals and forge relationships. Since the organization was founded in 2016, over 1,300 women have been matched with mentors who help them accelerate their career growth, strengthen community ties, and build an equitable workforce.
Lead(h)er connects women in the Quad Cities through mentorship programs.
Lead(h)er’s Executive Director, Hannah Howard, is a formidable staff of one, backed by a working board of 15 women. Hannah and every one of the women on the board went through the mentorship program before formally working with the organization, so they understood firsthand the value of high-impact, barrier-free programs that change women’s lives and strengthen the community. “Mentorship is about more than just reaching career goals; it’s someone in your corner,” says Hannah.
“Lead(h)er works with women in all professions and allows them to meet other women that they otherwise never would have connected with.”
the challenge
As a growing nonprofit, Lead(h)er needed a reliable and sustainable way to diversify revenue beyond grant funding. Its annual golf outing quickly grew into the organization’s largest fundraiser, giving men and the community the chance to support Lead(h)er’s work while also introducing many women to the game of golf for the first time.
The Lead(h)er golf event not only brought in a significant portion of the annual operating budget, but also helped introduce many women to golf.
But as the event gained momentum, challenges emerged. Sponsorship levels had sold out, leaving little room for growth. Managing registration, communications, and scoring was increasingly time-consuming for Hannah and the planning committee, who knew they needed to find a solution to help the tournament grow and scale.
the solution
As the fifth annual tournament drew near, Hannah heard from the golf pro at Palmer Hills Golf Course, where the outing is held, about a tech platform that would help streamline the event and give them tools to raise more money. “I admit, I was skeptical about GolfStatus, but we decided we didn’t have anything to lose,” says Hannah.
An event website made it simple for golfers to learn about the event and register, giving sponsors exposure with every visit.
Lead(h)er partnered with GolfStatus to streamline planning and operations, elevate the tournament’s professionalism, and unlock new opportunities for sponsorships:
An attractive tournament website centralized registration, showcased sponsors, and eliminated the manual work of managing teams and payments.
Custom pin flags and hole-in-one insurance created new, premium sponsorship options without pricing out longtime supporters.
Live scoring engaged golfers on the course but also gave organizers real-time visibility into when groups would finish, eliminating guesswork at the awards reception.
Dedicated support from GolfStatus staff made the transition seamless and gave Hannah the tools she needed to feel confident as a non-golfer planning a golf event.
the results
In 2025, its first year working with GolfStatus, the Lead(h)er golf outing raised $29,000, an all-time high for the event and nearly a quarter of the organization’s annual budget. The funds raised from the golf tournament provide additional revenue to reduce the organization’s dependence on grant funding, giving Hannah more time to focus on growing mentorship programs and building community support.
new sponsorship opportunities
Beyond raising money, Hannah says the Lead(h)er golf tournament is a great way to connect with sponsors. “Golf is a fun, high-impact way for sponsors to gain exposure,” she says. Several tournament sponsors leaned into the fun of the event with themed displays and activities on the course, from a giant Barbie doll box to a rad 90s themed pay the pro fundraising hole.
The tournament sold out its sponsorships in 2024, after just increasing pricing. Hannah and the planning committee knew they needed to add some new options the following year, but felt stuck because “we didn’t know what else to add.” GolfStatus had the answer, with new, premium sponsorship options like its exclusive Technology Sponsorship, a Pin Flag Sponsorship, and a Hole-In-One Contest Sponsorship.
The Technology Sponsorship offered touchpoints throughout the GolfStatus platform, including on the event website's home page, the tournament’s live leaderboards, the live scoring app, custom cart signs, and more.
Custom, branded pin flags gave a sponsor and Lead(h)er highly visible, lasting recognition across the course. “It was so exciting to see our logo and the sponsor logo out flying on the course!” Hannah says. “It was such a visual element to help brand the event and truly a win-win.” A framed flag was presented to the sponsor after the tournament as a thank-you keepsake.
The planning team had previously considered the idea of a hole-in-one contest, but as a non-golfer, Hannah didn’t feel confident moving forward. “It was so great to have GolfStatus handle the insurance and liability specifics for us,” Hannah says. “I wasn’t sure how to go about describing the contest logistics to potential sponsors, so I really appreciated the tools GolfStatus provided to help get the sponsorship sold!”
live scoring
Live scoring through the free GolfStatus mobile app was a favorite of both golfers and organizers. Volunteers roamed among the golf carts as golfers got settled for their round, helping them download the app and find their team codes.
Golfers liked the ability to track standings on the leaderboards in real time, both online and in the app, and Hannah could track where every team was on the course, eliminating the stress of guessing when to move forward with awards and post-round activities. “Live scoring was really cool, but I loved being able to see how many holes were left for each team,” Hannah says, also noting that sponsors earned even more logo exposure on the live scoring app.
Showcasing the Mission
The tournament attracts a mix of participants, from returning golfers, employees from sponsors, and friends of mentors and mentees. Many of the tournament’s participants are women who have participated in the mentorship program and are just picking up golf, breaking down barriers to the sport in a fun environment. And for the first time, an all-female team won the tournament, making it a full-circle moment and milestone that captured the spirit of Lead(h)er’s mission.
A team representing the First Tee of the Quad Cities won the Lead(h)er golf tournament, marking the first time an all-female team had won the event.
Meeting Goals
As a staff of one, Hannah needs all the help she can get to plan, manage, and execute Lead(h)er’s fundraising events like the golf tournament. A hardworking committee of volunteers helps make it happen, reaching out to prospective sponsors, procuring auction items, and jumping in on tournament day to keep things running smoothly. But Hannah says the support from GolfStatus was critical to the golf fundraiser’s success. “GolfStatus was quick to respond and so attentive to what we needed and helped us meet our goals,” Hannah says. “They answered every question and were so prompt and patient in explaining how things worked. As a non-golfer, they made things so easy.”
In all, the golf tournament not only met its financial goals, but also advanced Lead(h)er’s broader mission to connect and empower professional women in the Quad Cities. “The golf tournament is a game changer, bringing in a good chunk of our annual budget,” Hannah says. She points out that the annual golf event raises more money for Lead(h)er than its annual gala that celebrates mentors.
“We work so hard for every dollar, and GolfStatus took a lot of work off my shoulders. They truly want the best for us and for us to be successful.”
golf for good with golfstatus
GolfStatus makes charity golf tournaments and fundraisers easier and more successful than ever. Time-saving tech, revenue-boosting add-ons, and best-in-class support help nonprofits of all types and sizes raise more money through golf. Book a meeting with our team of golf fundraising experts to find out how your golf event can get started with GolfStatus at no upfront cost.