In his first six weeks on the job as Director of Development at Brazos Christian School (BCS) in Bryan, Texas, Clay Jackson settled into a new job, battled COVID-19, was appointed varsity golf coach, and even welcomed a new baby to his family. He also planned and executed a lucrative golf fundraiser from start to finish—for the first time.

Though it’s not ideal to plan a golf tournament in a matter of weeks, with the help of GolfStatus’s golf event management platform, the event went off without a hitch and raised over $47,000 for the school’s Thomas Scott Moore Memorial Scholarship Fund.

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DOLLARS RAISED

$47,000

SPONSORS

25

FIELD SIZE

17 TEAMS

TECH SPONSORSHIP SELLING PRICE

$7,500

Organization Snapshot

BCS is a non-denominational school that serves roughly 450 students in preschool through 12th grade. Since 1981, BCS has provided families with the same academics, activities, and opportunities as public school, but with a Christian focus. 

The longstanding annual golf tournament had traditionally been held in the fall over its 17 year tenure, but after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, it was moved to February. The event raises money specifically for the Thomas Scott Moore Memorial Scholarship Fund, which honors a 4th grade student who tragically passed away in 2010 and provides financial assistance to families to attend BCS. The fund has grown from $50,000 to an endowment of $1.2 million, thanks to the proceeds of the golf tournament. “We really want folks to understand that the tournament is raising money for a great cause,” says Clay.

The Challenge

When Clay started on at BCS in January, he found a long list of things undone for the golf fundraiser. First and foremost, he locked in the date with the Traditions Club at Texas A&M. Once the date was finalized, Clay turned his attention to promoting the tournament. He knew he needed a place to send folks to register and pay online. “Our school didn’t have any means of online payment processing,” Clay says. The tournament had previously relied on paper mailers and registration forms, but with the tournament just weeks away, there simply wouldn’t be enough time to go this route.

The Solution

Clay first started exploring generic event management platforms, not thinking that a solution existed specifically for golf tournaments. He stumbled onto Nonprofit Tech for Good’s website and came across a guest post by GolfStatus. “I thought, here’s everything I need to make this golf tournament happen!” Clay says. What’s more, because BCS is a nonprofit, the tournament qualified for GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program, which gave Clay access to the entire golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost.

Clay reached out to GolfStatus and in less than 48 hours had an attractive, fully-functioning, live event website ready to accept registrations and sell sponsorships. The GolfStatus team worked closely with Clay to walk him through the software and make sure he was comfortable navigating the software’s back end. “GolfStatus literally took ¾ of what I was worried about off my plate and made it work,” Clay says.

An attractive event website with online registration saved Clay a ton of time and made it easy to promote the event to golfers and sponsors.

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“GolfStatus literally took ¾ of what I was worried about off my plate and made it work.”

— Clay Jackson, Director of Development at Brazos Christian School

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The Results

Event Website & Online Registration

The online platform saved time and money almost immediately. Historically, the school spent around $1000 to print and mail flyers and registration forms (and as a result, was forced to track down payments and send receipts weeks or even months after the tournament). Clay simply included a QR code with a link to the event website on flyers that were sent home in students’ backpacks and a direct link in emails, social media, and on the school’s website where people could purchase team and sponsorship packages instantly. “It’s so much easier to send folks to a website!” Clay says. 

When golfers and sponsors registered through the website, their information automatically populated the software’s back end, where Clay could see who had registered, which sponsorships had been sold, and the sponsor logos uploaded. “Online registration was awesome—it was exactly what I was looking for and more,” Clay says.

Sponsorship Success

The additional digital exposure provided through the GolfStatus platform—on the event website and the mobile app—allowed Clay to raise the price of hole sponsorships from $200 to $400. Hole sponsorships sold out, leading to an extra $3,600 raised without any additional costs to the school. What’s more, the presenting sponsorship (which included GolfStatus’s exclusive technology sponsorship plus additional recognition) sold for $7,500. The tournament also added a hole-in-one contest with a $10,000 cash prize and sold a sponsorship for $3,000.

Live Scoring

Clay and his wife welcomed a new baby the day before the golf tournament. He had wisely connected a co-worker with the GolfStatus team the week before, who walked her through starting the tournament and the basics of the software so everything would run smoothly. The tournament utilized live scoring for the event—golfers entered their scores via the free GolfStatus mobile app, which synced to live leaderboards so Clay (and others) could follow along with the round’s progress and even solicit additional donations. “It was a great way for me to follow along, and let staff on site know when they should prep for the awards ceremony,” Clay says. He heard from golfers who loved being able to track other teams on the live leaderboards and trash talk across the golf course.

Teams submitted scores on the GolfStatus mobile app, which automatically synced to live leaderboards where golfers and spectators could follow along.

Responsive Support

GolfStatus’s responsive, in-house customer success team was there every step of the way, answering questions from golfers trying to register and addressing any issues. A snafu with the golf course’s updated course layout meant a last minute panic on incorrect scorecards. “I reached out via the support chat during the Super Bowl!” Clay laughs, and says that by halftime, everything was fixed and new scorecards ready to go. “I was blown away by the customer success team and their amazing response time,” he says.

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“I don’t know how I could have successfully pulled off this event at the level we did without using GolfStatus.”

— Clay Jackson, Director of Development at Brazos Christian School

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“I don’t know how I could have successfully pulled off this event at the level we did without using GolfStatus,” Clay says. “The short turnaround meant there wasn’t enough time to do it the way that it had always been done. GolfStatus made my life a million times easier.”

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Planning a Golf Fundraiser?

Leverage GolfStatus’s robust event management platform built just for golf, with built-in fundraising tools to help you raise more money for your organization or cause. Qualifying 501(c) organizations and those holding events that benefit one can get access to GolfStatus’s golf tournament management software at no cost, including a free event website, online registration, 24/7 support, and features to handle all the golf logistics that save you a ton of time. Click the link below to get qualified or email [email protected].

Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus

Rick Waddell was sitting in his living room in July of 2020, enjoying live coverage of the Memorial Tournament. The annual golf tournament was founded and hosted by Jack Nicklaus at his Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, in part to benefit the Nicklaus Children's Healthcare Foundation and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. An interview with Jack himself caught Rick’s ear, and he listened intently as Jack talked about Play Yellow and its ambitious goal to raise $100 million for Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals through golf. 

Rick was inspired by the story of the yellow shirt, the bravery of kids in CMN Hospitals across the country, and the giving power of golf. He channeled this inspiration into action.

“My wife and I have been very fortunate in our lives and have been looking for ways to give back,” Rick says. While he and his wife currently reside in California, when his family lived in Ohio, their infant son was a patient at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. The incredible care their son received meant Rick and his wife already had a deep connection to CMN Hospitals, and he felt a strong bond to Jack’s dedication to this cause. 

“I thought to myself, I could do that, I could run a golf tournament to help kids,” Rick says. “I’m not sure I could find a more worthy cause to give back to.” The local CMN Hospital, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), was chosen as the event’s beneficiary.

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“I thought to myself, I could do that, I could run a golf tournament to help kids.”

— Rick Waddell, Event Organizer

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Getting started

Rick had never run a golf tournament or fundraiser before, but didn’t let that deter him. As a lover of golf and its innate generosity, he jumped in headfirst. “I honestly didn’t know what I didn’t know,” Rick says about planning a golf tournament. Rick is a longtime member at Indian Wells Country Club (IWCC), a Club Corp facility in Indian Wells, California, so naturally, it was chosen to host the inaugural year of the event. The beautiful course, which hosted the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic for over 40 years, boasts excellent playing conditions and made the perfect backdrop for the tournament. In addition to Club Corp’s commitment to charitable causes, IWCC benefited from broad exposure to potential members.

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Photo courtesy of Indian Wells Country Club

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The first thing Rick did was get in touch with Ben Parker, Senior Director of Play Yellow at CMN Hospitals, who connected him with resources to get a tournament started, including GolfStatus, the official golf event management platform for Play Yellow. “I had never used a platform that was developed specifically for a golf tournament from nuts to bolts,” Rick says. He worked closely with GolfStatus’s customer success team to get an event registration website up and going. As a Play Yellow event, it qualified for full access to GolfStatus’s software and first-rate support at no cost. “The team knew this was my first time planning an event and they really stepped in to fill any voids in my knowledge,” Rick says.

Rick worked in the software business for years, so he’s no stranger to leveraging technology to solve problems and make things easier. “The back end of the software had everything I needed, and the reporting capabilities were invaluable,” Rick says. He utilized various reports to keep a running total of the tournament’s finances. Plus, he could see who had registered and if they had signed up as an individual or a team so he could plan team and hole pairings accordingly.

Knowing he would need additional help on the local level, Rick assembled a committee of members from IWCC and other golf clubs in the Coachella Valley. The group’s initial plan was to hold the first-year tournament in December of 2020, but COVID-19 forced it to be pushed back a year. “It actually ended up being a good thing,” Rick says, noting that the extra time let them be more intentional about structuring the event, recruiting golfers and sponsors, and finding more ways to raise money.

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“The back end of the software had everything I needed, and the reporting capabilities were invaluable.”

— Rick Waddell, Event Organizer

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Building an Exclusive Event

The planning team set a fundraising goal of at least $70,000. The quality of the golf facility, an affluent target audience, and high-end tee prizes meant they felt comfortable charging $1,500 per person to golf and priced sponsorships to reflect the caliber of the event. 

Over the long-term, Rick wants to keep the field at 36 teams of two players each. While that may mean limitations in terms of the amount of money raised from registration fees, he wants the event to be exclusive. Low gross and low net players will earn an invitation to the Play Yellow Championship held each November at The Bears Club, Jack Nicklaus’s golf course in South Florida, plus an exclusive luncheon with Jack and Barbara Nicklaus.

To counter the intentionally smaller field, Rick added an auction to the event, which raised an additional $20,000 for CHLA. “We had a great auctioneer that worked the room to get every penny possible!” Rick laughs. To raise excitement ahead of the tournament, Rick listed auction items on the GolfStatus event website.

While several auction items were donated, Rick relied on consignment sites to procure some higher-value packages. He says one of his major lessons learned after the first event is to focus on securing donated auction items. “Paying the consignment sites ate a bunch of the event’s profit,” Rick says. “The more you can get donated, the better.” He plans to add a silent auction to next year’s event on top of the live auction.

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Golfers at the first annual Play Yellow golf tournament at Indian Wells Country Club.

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Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

One of the nation’s leading pediatric hospitals, CHLA has cared for kids and their families since 1901. CHLA was a charter member of the Children’s Miracle Network in 1983, and since then, its doctors and researchers have consistently made significant contributions to preventing, detecting, and treating health issues in children.

Many of the vital services provided by CHLA and other CMN Hospitals are not reimbursed or fully reimbursed by government or private insurance, which makes third party fundraisers, like Play Yellow events, even more crucial to help fund pediatric research and complex care for critically ill and injured children. The IWCC Play Yellow event benefited the Children’s Fund at CHLA, which helps meet the most critical needs of the hospital and its patients.

To help golfers make the connection to CHLA, Rick invited the hospital’s Senior Director of Partnerships, Brian Rodick, to speak at the banquet/auction. He shared the story of a young patient who had gone undiagnosed at several other hospitals before he arrived at CHLA on death’s door. This young man was unable to walk when he was admitted, but was diagnosed almost right away and after two months of treatment, walked out of the hospital under his own power. “We really wanted to help golfers hear and see firsthand where this money is going and what the CHLA does for kids in the community,” Rick explains.

Dreaming Big for the Years Ahead

Rick isn’t content with the amazing results of his first Play Yellow tournament—which raised about $75,000 for CHLA—and has even bigger things in mind for next year and future years’ events. Understanding the process and how to better utilize GolfStatus’s software to raise even more money will be key to doubling the donation to CHLA. He was pleasantly surprised at the platform’s broad and encompassing capabilities and knows he can use it more effectively. “Everyone at GolfStatus was so helpful and went above and beyond to provide assistance and make sure the event was a success.”

“I’m confident we can do even more,” Rick says. “I want to take what we learned this first year to make the event better next year, and ultimately raise more money for the children’s hospital.”

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Rick (third from left) and members of his planning team present a check to Brian Rodick (second from left), Senior Director of Partnerships at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Proceeds from the golf tournament and auction totaled $75,000.

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GolfStatus + Children’s Miracle Network Hospital

GolfStatus is the official golf event management platform for Play Yellow events and golf tournaments that benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. To launch an event for your local children’s hospital, start here.

Nonprofits of all types and sizes—and those raising money on their behalf—can qualify for the Golf for Good program, which gets them no-cost access to GolfStatus’s full platform. Organizers can save time, money, and hours of labor with software that streamlines prep and planning and handles all the golf-specific details. Ready to get started? Get qualified by clicking the button below or email [email protected].

Organization Snapshot

Habitat for Humanity partners with communities all over the globe to help build homes, with the vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Globally, Habitat for Humanity has worked in more than 70 countries and helped more than 39 million people with improved living conditions since 1976. On the local level, affiliate organizations work with trusted partners and residents to improve communities and build strong neighborhoods. In Chicago, Habitat’s commitment is to local families to achieve strength, stability, and self-reliance through housing and development projects. Four in 10 Chicagoans live in declining conditions, making Habitat’s work critical to helping the city thrive.

Chris Johnson, a Real Estate Broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago, serves as the President of the chapter’s Associate Board, whose charge is to raise funds for the organization’s work. He’s worked in Chicago’s real estate market for nine years and is intimately familiar with the city’s need for denser, more affordable housing options. Chris says Habitat is helping address these issues, not only through physically building homes and neighborhoods, but by educating people and helping them navigate what can be an overwhelming and complicated process. “It’s not about giving away homes, it’s about creating generational change, a steady and safe environment for families, and building wealth in their home,” Chris says. “There’s only so many homes that can be built, but when we’re able to help prepare people for homeownership through education, financial literacy, and sound advice, we can help even more.”

Chris Johnson, far left, Associate Board President for Habitat for Humanity of Chicago, helped spearhead the inaugural golf fundraiser.

The Challenge

One of Habitat for Humanity of Chicago’s flagship programs is HomeBuyer University, a pilot effort that began in 2019 to break down barriers to becoming a homeowner by helping prospective homeowners understand the process and how to prepare for applying for a mortgage. Funds raised by the Associate Board help underwrite the costs of this program, which is a key part of fulfilling the local chapter’s mission.

After COVID-19 forced the cancellation of an annual yacht party fundraiser, Chris wanted to shift gears and establish a golf event as the board’s main fundraiser. “Folks were exhausted with virtual events and wanted a way to gather safely, and I’ve loved golf since I was a kid,” Chris says, so he dove headfirst into planning a golf event. He knew launching a brand new tournament was going to be challenging, but also knew that they needed to move forward. “I presented a golf tournament to the rest of the board as a feasible way to get a fundraising event done and established.”

Chris, with the help of Associate Board member Brian Doyle of BMO Harris in Chicago and the rest of the planning team, set a conservative goal to raise about $8,000 for the tournament’s first year. Several board members had played in charity tournaments in the past, but no one had experience planning an event.

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dollars raised

$13,000

newly-established

annual golf fundraiser

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The Solution

Chris knew there had to be an option for live scoring and easy registration for golf tournaments. A little online research led him straight to GolfStatus. “To take on an event like this in its first year without any experience was a little daunting, but having a tool like GolfStatus that took things off my plate and made the logistics easier to handle was so great,” Chris explains. He wanted one centralized place to keep things organized, take payments, manage sponsor assets, and print cart signs. “GolfStatus had all this and more,” he says.

“To take on an event like this in its first year without any experience was a little daunting, but having a tool like GolfStatus that took things off my plate and made the logistics easier to handle was so great.”

— Chris Johnson, Associate Board President at Habitat for Humanity of Chicago

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The golf outing’s event website was built and hosted by GolfStatus as part of the Golf for Good giveback initiative.

The Results

The first-year tournament surpassed its fundraising goal, taking in $13,000. It attracted 19 teams for the four-person scramble. Teams live-scored via the free GolfStatus mobile app, which made confirming the final results much quicker and more efficient than relying on paper scorecards. Nine sponsorships were sold through the GolfStatus platform, including the premium technology sponsorship, which boasts premium visibility on the event website’s homepage, live leaderboards, and across the mobile app.

Golfers listen to instructions before teeing off.

massive time savings

Chris says the time savings the platform provided was invaluable. Every GolfStatus event website includes online registration with secure payment processing, allowing golfers and sponsors to purchase packages directly on the event website, eliminating the need to manually process paper registration forms, handle checks or take credit card information, or track information in multiple spreadsheets. Chris, Brian, or anyone on the planning team could log into GolfStatus and see who had registered or purchased a sponsorship with a few clicks. “Having everything in one place really made my life easier,” he says. “I could focus on the experience and day of things that needed to be handled.” Plus, sponsors can upload graphics and links directly through the event website, saving a ton of time. “Going back and forth with sponsors to get logos and such can really be a time suck,” Chris points out.

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“Having everything in one place really made my life easier. I could focus on the experience and day-of things that needed to be handled.”

— Chris Johnson, Associate Board President at Habitat for Humanity of Chicago

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connecting to the cause

While many people are familiar with Habitat for Humanity, they often have misconceptions about what Habitat does. “People think we give away houses!” Chris says. In fact, families that are selected for a Habitat home are part of the building process and pay a 0% mortgage. “People think it’s a lottery, but it’s a long-term commitment to the neighborhood and community,” Chris says. At the start of the tournament, Chris made a point to speak about what Habitat for Humanity Chicago does and passed out educational materials as folks checked in for the tournament so they had a better understanding of what they were supporting.

Habitat for Humanity of Chicago volunteers help build homes and strengthen neighborhoods across the city.

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second-to-none support & resources

Chris worked closely with the GolfStatus team to build out the event website, which was provided at no cost as part of the Golf for Good program. Qualifying 501(c) organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, and those holding golf tournaments on their behalf, get access to the entire suite of GolfStatus’s tournament management and fundraising solution, in addition to an in-house support team. “The support team was great,” Chris says. “I had a question early on a Saturday morning and someone answered by chat almost immediately.”

Looking to the Future

Having one year of tournament planning experience under their belts has led to a number of things to improve on for next year’s event. First and foremost, Chris, Brian, and the rest of the team plan to get the event website up and running in the spring for the September event. “Chicago starts to thaw out in April and people are thinking about getting outside,” he says. They also plan to rethink the day of the week of the tournament, which was held on a Saturday in its inaugural year. “Saturday is a great day to play golf, but it was harder to get sponsors to commit to sending a team on a weekend or consider entertaining clients on a weekend,” Chris points out.

He hopes the annual golf tournament will become the board’s marquee fundraising event for Habitat for Humanity Chicago. “I love Habitat. I love being on a job site and watching homes come together,” Chris says. “It’s a lot like what they say about golf—a bad day golfing is better than a good day doing something else. Well, volunteering for Habitat is the same. You’ll work hard but the impact is worth it.”

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Golf for Good

GolfStatus’s Golf for Good giveback initiative through GolfStatus.org helps nonprofits and those holding events benefiting them streamline their golf events to save time and raise more money. It starts with a free event website and no-cost access to GolfStatus’s event management and fundraising platform for qualifying organizations and events. Get qualified here or email [email protected].

Organization Snapshot

Marriott Business Councils bring together hotel management and employees from across a region to network and work together to give back to the larger community. The Colorado Marriott Business Council has been active for over two decades, with a strong presence in the Denver area and beyond that engages Marriott hotel brands, its employees, and the community at-large. It formed a millennial/next generation committee to involve future leaders and provide direction to the Council at large as well as an active committee focusing on LGBTQ issues. 

Chad Conrad is currently the chair of the Colorado Council and has been involved in its work for over 23 years. “Marriott believes in taking care of its employees while also taking care of its community,” Chad says. “The goal is to make people feel like you’re at home when you’re not at home. Employees are just the ambassadors of that idea, taking care of each other and expanding it into the communities where we operate,” he explains.

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Annual Tournament

20 years +

Dollars Raised

$35,000

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At the national level, Marriott has been a banner sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals for over 30 years. This support has trickled down to local and regional Marriott groups, including business councils. Across its 675,000 associates in the U.S., there’s strong buy-in to the commitment to CMN Hospitals across the country. “Associates’ kids benefit from these top-notch facilities,” says Chad. The tie to CMN Hospitals is important to him personally, as both his daughters have been in children’s hospitals at one time or another. 

For over 20 years, the Council has hosted an annual golf tournament to raise money for Children’s Hospital Colorado, the local CMN hospital. He and the planning team have made a concerted effort to set their event apart from other fundraisers and offer a different experience each year, working closely with vendors and other partners. One of its hallmarks has been featuring executive chefs from various Marriott hotels cooking a signature dish on each hole. 

Unfortunately, COVID-19’s profound impact on the tourism industry—layoffs, reduced hotel occupancy, and labor shortages—have impacted the Council’s work and people power. “A lot of our committees fell apart as we lost staff,” Chad explains, but notes that as the workforce rebounds these groups can be rebuilt and re-engaged.

The Challenge

For Chad and Marriott employees from across the state, the annual golf fundraiser’s support of Children’s Hospital Colorado resulted in a meaningful tie to the community. He has been involved in the golf tournament since its inception, and has seen it grow and flourish over the years.

But as COVID-19 hit the tourism industry hard, hotels were short-staffed and the golf event was forced to be pared down. The Council lost several members due to layoffs and closures in hotels, including two who helped Chad head up the golf tournament each year, leaving him as the lone organizer. “It fell 100% on my plate to make it happen,” Chad says. Though he didn’t necessarily want to learn a new platform or system, he knew in order to keep the event alive, he needed to employ some type of technology to save time, automate processes, and make planning as simple and efficient as possible.

The Solution

Chad turned to GolfStatus, the official golf event management platform for events benefiting CMN Hospitals, to get the event back on its feet. He saw its easy-to-use technology as an all-in-one solution to promote the event, register golfers, onboard and recognize sponsors, and collect funds. 

With limited manpower and resources, the switch to GolfStatus for the golf tournament couldn’t have come at a better time. Because the event was raising money for a nonprofit—Colorado Children’s Hospital—it qualified for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s platform through the company’s Golf for Good giveback initiative. 

The Results

Though COVID-19 upended the golf tournament and drew fewer golfers than in past years, momentum is building and Chad hopes to get back to a full slate of teams in the next few years. “Since it’s been around for over 20 years, it was important to me to keep it alive,” Chad says. The tournament date was moved from June to August and couldn’t include any extras beyond the round of golf. And while the tournament attracted about half of its historical attendees, the event still raised about the same amount of money for the hospital, around $35,000. “We were thrilled about that,” he says.

Highlighted Platform Features

• Golf for Good program

• Event website

• Online registration

• Secure payment processing

• Messaging feature

Event Website

Because the golf tournament benefited a nonprofit in Children’s Hospital Colorado, it qualified for GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program, which provides no-cost access to the event planning and fundraising platform at no cost. The GolfStatus team built an event website in partnership with Chad, along with custom team and sponsorship packages that people could purchase directly on the website with just a few clicks. The event website also lets golfers, sponsors, and spectators make a donation directly to the cause, raising even more money for Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Online Registration & Payment Processing

When the tournament was organized by a much larger planning team, one member of the planning team handled all the money—processing paper registration forms and checks, sending receipts, and tracking payments. With a one-man show for this year’s event, Chad says the online registration and payment collection aspects of using GolfStatus was the best upgrade for the event. “I barely had to do anything with it,” he points out, as the platform sends automated receipts upon registration. As an organizer, he could quickly and easily see who had registered in the software’s back-end. “The value behind this was priceless,” he says. What’s more, he heard from golfers how easy it was to register and nice to get a receipt immediately. “It’s expected to have online registration today.” he says.

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“The value behind this was priceless.”

— Chad Conrad, Chair of the Colorado Marriott Business Council

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Sponsor Recruitment & Recognition

Chad has worked with a core group of vendors and partners to support the golf event over its 22-year tenure, but has continued to explore new avenues and opportunities to attract additional sponsor support. “When we partner with a new hotel through the Council, it opens doors to a new set of sponsors,” Chad explains. The golf event’s website and accompanying free GolfStatus mobile app gives sponsors a ton of digital exposure for their investment, before, during, and after the tournament. 

Easy Communication

Chad used the platform’s built-in messaging feature to send emails directly to registrants, alerting them of updates and specifics about the event. He used it to share information about the day’s timeline, where folks should check in, and the included breakfast. Since all registration information is stored in the platform, there was no need for him to export email addresses into another service to send a simple email—it could all be handled within GolfStatus. 

CMN Partnership

GolfStatus has partnered with CMN Hospitals to help event organizers—whether they’re passionate supporters, hospitals or hospital foundations, corporate partners, businesses, or other volunteers—put on a golf tournament to benefit member hospitals. A common technology platform makes it as easy as possible for anyone to organize a golf fundraiser and raise even more money. Marriott’s continued commitment to children’s hospitals is evident in its support of this technology for golf events that benefit CMN Hospitals. What’s more, Chad made sure representatives from Children’s Hospital Colorado were able to share information and explain the tournament’s impact on the hospital, making a connection to the cause the tournament was supporting.

Golf & Fundraising Success

In Chad’s 22 years organizing the golf tournament fundraiser, he’s seen the impact it has in raising money for Children’s Hospital Colorado and the benefit for participating hotels. “So much business is done on the golf course,” he points out. “Whether you’re a good golfer or not, you can still make connections and do business while raising money and having fun.” Chad says his number one focus is to bring the hotels together to raise awareness and funds for the hospital. “We could throw a dinner party or do something different but we wouldn’t have the success of a golf tournament,” he says. “A golf tournament has staying power.”

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“Whether you’re a good golfer or not, you can still make connections and do business while raising money and having fun.”

— Chad Conrad, Chair of the Colorado Marriott Business Council

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Growing With the Event

Though Chad was a one-man show in organizing the event this year, his goal is to build the Business Council back and involve more folks in the golf fundraiser again. “The GolfStatus team made it super easy,” he says, explaining that it would be simple to collaborate with a planning team in the future. “I don’t know that I can ever go back to how I used to do it!”

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Golf for Good

GolfStatus’s Golf for Good giveback initiative through GolfStatus.org helps nonprofits and those holding events benefiting them streamline their golf events to save time and raise more money. It starts with a free event website and no-cost access to GolfStatus’s event management and fundraising platform for qualifying organizations and events. Get qualified here or email [email protected].

Niobrara County High School (NCHS) is located in Lusk, Wyoming, a town of about 1,500 people in the state’s Eastern plains. It’s home to open pastures, rolling hills, and a rich history in mining and cattle ranching. When Jason Wasserburger, an attorney living in Cheyenne, attended his 15-year NCHS reunion six years ago, he was disappointed by the lack of turnout. 

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Dollars raised

$27,000+

Annual tournament

6th year

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Each NCHS class typically holds an individual reunion on Friday night of the alumni weekend each June, with an all-class banquet on Saturday night, Jason says, though he points out that recently, these events have garnered lower participation than in the past. He and a few classmates played a round of golf over the reunion weekend, and it sparked an idea to draw more alumni: provide an economic boost to the community, and raise money for the school—a golf tournament fundraiser.

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Launching & Growing a Fundraiser

Jason tapped three other NCHS alumni to get the ball rolling in the tournament’s first year. While two of the four weren’t golfers, they all had a penchant for organization and getting things done. “The first year was mostly an experiment in figuring out how to make this work and getting folks on board with the idea,” Jason says. In its first year, the tournament raised about $7,500, of which $4,000 was donated the rest used as seed money to run the tournament the following year. But perhaps more importantly, the fundraiser gained momentum and buy-in from alumni.

As the years passed, the tournament steadily grew in both the number of teams and the total dollars raised. The tournament’s second year brought in $10,000 and increased to $12,000, $15,000, and over $18,000 in its third, fourth, and fifth years, respectively.

But as the sixth year of the fundraiser approached, the NCHS Alumni Golf Board wanted to find a way to modernize the tournament and reduce the manual labor required to handle registrations, hole assignments, and scoring. Enter GolfStatus, which provided a free event registration website, and—since the tournament raised money for the nonprofit alumni association—access to its golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost through its Golf for Good program.

“We wanted to automate as much of the process as possible, and GolfStatus did that,” Jason says. The switch to online registration was the biggest time-saver, collecting team information and payments via the event website instead of using multiple spreadsheets to process checks and receipts received via email, mail, and social media. 

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“We wanted to automate as much of the process as possible, and GolfStatus did that.”

— Jason Wasserburger, NCHS Alumni Golf Board

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For the 2021 tournament, the Board set an aggressive fundraising goal of $25,000, increasing the cost of team registration packages and add-ons like mulligans to help the event continue to raise more dollars. “Some of us thought we were a few years away from being able to reach that goal,” Jason says. Not only did the tournament meet the goal, it surpassed it, raising over $27,000!

Making the Experience Great

Jason says the tournament has always focused on the golfer experience. As the event grew, it was split into two rounds, with more competitive folks generally playing in the morning round but all teams handicapped and scored together. Because the tournament is played at a small nine-hole golf course, teams were limited to three people to keep a steady pace of play.

One of the ways the Board has aimed to attract  teams, and keep them coming back each year, is to provide a stellar tournament experience. Working with sponsors to secure high-end hole and contest prizes like TaylorMade golf bags and clubs, putters, cash prizes, and Yeti coolers has proven effective. The addition of contests, including closest to the pin, longest putt, and longest drive competitions, keeps folks lingering at the course beyond playing their round of golf, encouraging alumni to reconnect.

A hallmark of the GolfStatus platform is simple, reliable live scoring. Teams submit their scores on each hole via the free GolfStatus app, which syncs with the event’s live leaderboards. Leaderboards can be viewed by anyone, anywhere on the event website or in the app, keeping golfers and spectators engaged and making finalizing the tournament simpler and more efficient. “It’s way better than handwriting it on a big scoreboard like we used to,” Jason says. He points out that rather than waiting until after the tournament to tabulate scores, GolfStatus provided that information in real-time, saving a tremendous amount of time.

The Board was admittedly concerned ahead of the event that there might be resistance to mobile scoring among golfers, but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Teams reported how they liked seeing the standings throughout the event. “Everyone was really happy with the live-scoring app,” Jason says, noting that even the older generation enjoyed it. 

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“Everyone was really happy with the live-scoring app.”

— Jason Wasserburger, NCHS Alumni Golf Board

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Doing Good For the Community

As the tournament has grown and gained momentum over its six-year tenure, it’s increasingly viewed as a viable community fundraiser. Jason notes that people seek out ways to make donations because they know the money is going back to the school and benefits the community as a whole. “Most sponsors have a connection to the community and see the golf tournament as a way to give back,” Jason explains.

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“Most sponsors have a connection to the community and see the golf tournament as a way to give back.”

— Jason Wasserburger, NCHS Alumni Golf Board

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The proceeds from the tournament go to the NCHS alumni association, donated in honor of Jerry and Lynnea Fulmer, longtime teacher, coach, school district employee, and all-around huge supporters of NCHS. The association supports scholarships for NCHS graduates and their families, ensuring the stability of the longtime scholarship fund. Additional donations are made to the NCHS Activity Fund, which supports all students and activities, and the Tiger Pride Booster Club. The Board wants current students to have access to the same activities and opportunities older alumni had when they were in school. The golf tournament helps fill the funding gap from declining enrollment, a decrease in state funding, and lower participation in historic fundraisers like the alumni banquet, providing funds for the extras that NCHS or the Booster Club may not otherwise be able to support, like hotel rooms for a state tournament, tires for a bus, new uniforms, pregame meals for sports teams, and post-prom activities. The Board also established and helped fund the Joseph K. Tully Memorial Scholarship, create in honor of a longtime teacher, principal, and coach.

The Board plans to continue to use GolfStatus to delegate some of the prep and planning tasks in the future so they can focus more on the fundraising aspect of the tournament. The web-based platform makes collaborating among teams and committees super simple; since everything is kept in one easily accessible place, everyone is working with the same up-to-the minute information, instead of relying on spreadsheets that quickly become outdated. 

The Board is also training new members on best practices for running the tournament (including getting them looped into the GolfStatus platform) to keep the tournament’s planning team fresh and energized. “Overall, for the size of our event and community, we’re able to raise a ton of money and we continue to need go-getters to make the tournament happen,” Jason says. He’s excited about the future and how GolfStatus will continue to create efficiencies and pave the way to raise more money for the association.

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“Overall, for the size of our event and community, we’re able to raise a ton of money.”

— Jason Wasserburger, NCHS Alumni Golf Board

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Through GolfStatus.org and the Golf for Good program, nonprofits and those holding golf fundraisers that benefit one can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s event management and fundraising technology. Get started with a free event registration website and a platform that keeps you organized, handles the golf-specific details, and provides time-saving automation. Click the link below to get qualified or email [email protected]. 

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a rare congenital heart issue that affects one out of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S. Cameron Morgan Steinberg, daughter of Sam and Mel Steinberg, was diagnosed with the condition before birth. Knowing the challenges ahead, the first-time parents worked with their team of doctors to put a plan in place for Cami to be treated at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor immediately after birth.

Mel, Cami, and Sam Steinberg

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In babies with HLHS, the left side of the heart doesn’t develop properly in the womb. In a normal heart, red blood returns from the lungs and flows through the heart’s upper chamber (atrium) through the mitral valve to the left ventricle, where it’s pumped through the aortic valve and out to the child’s body. But with HLHS, the left side of the heart isn’t strong enough to pump the required blood for the body’s needs.

Dr. Michael Gaies, a pediatric cardiologist, associate professor, and one of the doctors who treated Cami at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, developed a strong bond with Cami and her parents. “They were remarkable advocates for Cami,” Dr. Gaies says. “They pushed us to turn every stone for Cami, and truly made us better healthcare professionals.” 

In addition to Cami’s heart issues, she also battled a lung disease that was, ultimately, untreatable. On November 23, 2018, Cami passed away in her parents’ arms at just two months old. Though they were shattered by the loss of their daughter, they turned that heartbreak into an effort to honor Cami’s short life, launching the Cameron Steinberg Foundation to raise money to help other families affected by congenital heart disease. 

“This is a special family, to take a tragedy like this and turn it into something good in the world,” says Dr. Gaies. He believes so strongly in what Mel and Sam are doing that he nominated the Cameron Steinberg Foundation’s newly established golf fundraiser to receive a $10,000 donation from the Dormie Network as part of a charitable giving effort with GolfStatus.org, and it was selected as the winner.

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“This is a special family, to take a tragedy like this and turn it into something good in the world.”

— Dr. Michael Gaies, pediatric cardiologist at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital

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“It’s hard to describe the sadness we as Cami’s doctors and nurses experienced when we came to the conclusion that we couldn’t help her,” Dr. Gaies says. “The work this family is doing to honor her short life and help other kids and families have a better outcome is nothing short of incredible, and it’s so meaningful to be able to contribute to that.”

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“The work this family is doing to honor her short life and help other kids and families have a better outcome is nothing short of incredible, and it’s so meaningful to be able to contribute to that.”

— Dr. Michael Gaies, pediatric cardiologist at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital

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Shortly after Cami’s passing, Sam and Mel used the proceeds from shirts that were sold bearing the #CamiStrong logo to donate 100 copies of the book Zipline (written specifically for kids who have undergone open heart surgery to help them feel comfortable with themselves and their surgical scar) and almost 400 stuffed animals to the hospital for current and future heart patients. In addition, a Comprehensive Single Ventricle Clinic was created at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Cami’s honor. The clinic provides support for patients and families leading up to and after open-heart surgery. “Thirty years ago, kids born with single ventricle heart conditions like HLHS didn’t have much in terms of treatment options,” says Dr. Gaies. Now, he explains, kids are generally expected to survive through childhood. Though Cami had other complications that made that impossible, Dr. Gaies says this clinic was established to help other pediatric heart patients deal with the unique medical and behavioral needs they’ll face over the long-term. 

The second annual Cameron Steinberg Foundation Charity Golf Classic will be held on May 23, 2022 at Tartan Field Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Gaies describes how he chatted with Cami’s family about golf on many occasions throughout her stay at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and how it was a natural progression to using the sport to raise money for the Cameron Steinberg Foundation. “Golf is an easy way to rally support for a great cause,” he says. He admires the Steinbergs’ commitment to making a direct impact on families grappling with the challenges of congenital heart conditions with every dollar raised through the Foundation.

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“Golf is an easy way to rally support for a great cause.”

— Dr. Michael Gaies, pediatric cardiologist at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital

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“I couldn’t be more thrilled to help this family,” says Dr. Gaies. “This donation is going to help them do great things!”

Mel and Sam Steinberg pose with Dr. Michael Gaies at the Cameron Steinberg Foundation’s first annual golf fundraiser.

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ABOUT THE CAMERON STEINBERG FOUNDATION

The Cameron Steinberg Foundation was established in memory of Cameron Steinberg, who lost her battle with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) as an infant in 2018. In honor of Cameron and other families that have lived through similar pain, her parents established the Foundation to increase awareness for all congenital heart defects and raise money that makes a difference for HLHS patients and their families.

Fun was at the heart of Pat Neal’s personality. A natural jokester and all-around personable guy, Pat loved playing in golf tournaments or playing a round of golf with his buddies whenever he could. “He had a good short game,” says Katie Little, Pat’s youngest daughter. Mostly, she says, he played golf for fun.

In early 2017, Pat was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive, incurable form of brain cancer. He was treated by Dr. Nicole Shonka at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, who was researching new therapies for brain tumors. Because of the nature of this type of cancer, treatment is often difficult, and more research is needed into new and better treatment methods and advances in early detection. 

Pat Neal

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dollars raised for brain cancer research

$24,000

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After battling glioblastoma for 16 months, Pat passed away in 2018 at the age of 67. The family chose the Brain Cancer Research Fund at the University of Nebraska, which helps fund Dr. Shonka’s work, as the beneficiary of memorial gifts—not only to remember Pat and celebrate his life, but to help further this important research for other glioblastoma patients. Dr. Shonka’s research into glioblastoma continued while she was treating Pat, which made the Neal family’s connection to her work even stronger. 

Yet the family wanted to do even more. According to Katie, the Neal family likes any reason to get together—whether it’s a birthday, helping with a project on a house, a barbecue, or a round of golf. “We all show up for each other,” she says. So when Pat’s nephew, Frank, threw out the idea of a golf tournament to raise money for brain cancer research, the family was all in.

Pat’s family in Hawaii in 2017

Getting a Tournament Off the Ground

In just a few short weeks, and thanks to some heavy lifting from GolfStatus’s golf event management platform, the first annual Pat Neal Memorial Golf Tournament was held in October of 2020. A friend of the family created the tournament’s logo based on a photo of Pat mowing the lawn in his bucket hat. 

The event sold out almost immediately. “So many people loved my dad and wanted to play for him,” Katie says. But with such a short time to plan due to golf course availability, Katie credits GolfStatus with making the event a reality. “It was crazy, but somehow it all came together and worked because of GolfStatus.” 

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“So many people loved my dad and wanted to play for him.”

— Katie Little, Pat’s youngest daughter

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With one year under their belts, planning for the second annual tournament was much smoother. Because they knew what to expect, Katie and the other family members helping to plan the tournament had a better idea of how to prepare for their July 2021 event, when things needed to be done, and how to make the event run smoothly. And above all, to keep fun as the focus of the tournament. 

Katie says that in its second year, people who didn’t even know her dad played in the tournament. “They saw it on GolfStatus,” Katie says, referring to the tournament’s listing in the GolfStatus mobile app and on events.golfstatus.com, a website that lists upcoming golf events in the user’s area. “It was great that so many more people heard about my dad and learned about glioblastoma.”

In its first two years, the memorial tournament raised more than $24,000 for brain cancer research. Beyond a sold out tournament field, the tournament benefited from the involvement of so many extended family members and family friends who personally knew Pat. Family members reached out to local businesses they had connections with to solicit sponsorships and donations to glioblastoma research. “We love being able to support research into this specific type of cancer,” says Tara Neal, Pat’s wife of 32 years.

Simple Technology Keeps Everything Organized

Katie’s first exposure to GolfStatus came through the mobile app, which she used when she played golf. The app not only provides live-scoring capabilities for fundraisers and other tournaments, but lets golfers record their scores for rounds played at any golf facility, track advanced statistics, and use GPS to gauge distances to the front, back, and center of every green. The app also lists tournaments in the user’s area, which makes it an especially easy avenue to reach avid golfers looking to play in a tournament. Golfers and sponsors can also register for tournaments right in the app.

For folks who want to start a fundraiser or are already charged with planning one, GolfStatus offers a program called Golf for Good that provides access to its golf event management and fundraising platform to events raising money for a nonprofit or cause at no cost. The web-based software makes it easy to plan an event, streamlining some of the most time-consuming tasks of golf fundraisers. “The best part of GolfStatus was how simple it made everything. We just shared the link to the website where people could sign up, and it was great to keep track of everything in one place,” Katie says. “It couldn’t have been easier!” She notes how they used their free event website not only for registrations and sponsorship recognition, but to share some information about glioblastoma and her dad, and where the money raised was going.

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“The best part of GolfStatus was how simple it made everything. We just shared the link to the website where people could sign up, and it was great to keep track of everything in one place. It couldn’t have been easier!”

— Katie Little, Pat’s youngest daughter

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The tournament also took advantage of GolfStatus’s mobile scoring capabilities. Each team in the four-person scramble recorded their score via the GolfStatus mobile app, which automatically synced to the tournament’s overall leaderboard. Not only can anyone follow along with the tournament’s progress, but donations to the cause can be made directly from the live leaderboard. “The mobile scoring was so great,” Katie says. “People really liked seeing how their scores stacked up against everyone else throughout the day.” She heard from golfers how it added even more fun to the day, and because the scores were already calculated, there was no waiting around at the conclusion of the round to announce the winners—it was all handled in real-time by the software.

Pat’s three kids, from left: Hank, Katie, and Emily

A Legacy of Fun & Generosity 

The focus of the Pat Neal Memorial Golf Tournament is simple—to have fun. “That’s exactly how he always played golf, just for fun,” Katie says. The tournament was a scramble, which is the most common format used for charity golf tournaments. A scramble is ideal for tournaments looking to attract a wide range of abilities and golfers who just want to have a good time. In a scramble, each player on a team (typically of four) has a chance to hit the ball; the team then determines which ball was hit in the best position. The team then plays the ball from that spot, and so on until the ball is holed. One person then submits the team’s score to the GolfStatus leaderboard through its live-scoring app for each hole with a few simple taps. 

“I know Pat would be the first one out there having a good time!” says Tara, noting how thankful they are that the tournament has a bigger purpose for a cause that’s so important to the entire family. “Dr. Shonka was so amazing to my dad, and the whole family is grateful to be able to contribute to her work,” says Katie.

As for the future, the golf tournament is another excuse to get the close-knit family together. “I think we’ll definitely keep this an annual tradition,” Katie says. “It’s too much fun not to!”

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“Dr. Shonka was so amazing to my dad, and the whole family is grateful to be able to contribute to her work.”

— Katie Little, Pat’s youngest daughter

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Want to Launch a Memorial Golf Tournament?

GolfStatus can help! Its event management platform is built specifically for golf, and streamlines prep and planning. Events that raise money for a charity or cause can qualify for GolfStatus.org’s Golf for Good program, which includes a free event website and access to GolfStatus’s golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost. Click below to get qualified or email [email protected].

When there are golf ball cannons, giant dartboards, air guns, and other crazy games in addition to a round of golf, it’s not your typical tournament. The annual Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic in Nashville, which over its 12-year tenure has raised almost a half million dollars for Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, has always tried to add extra fun. “We want to embody the spirit of the kids we’re supporting,” says JR Jernigan, AVP of Special Projects at US Community Credit Union. The tournament is a joint effort between US Community Credit Union and Enbright Credit Union.

Credit unions are not-for-profit financial institutions, with a motto of “People helping people.” JR says there’s really no better way to live out their purpose than to help kids through Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals. “Kids deserve the best medical care and we want to be a part of what CMN Hospitals is doing,” he says. CMN Hospitals, which encompasses 170 member hospitals across the U.S., including Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, are equipped to handle any issue a child may face, from the simple to the complex, and maintain the lowest cost ratio possible to help families that need care but are struggling financially. 

“As a financial institution, we see how money can impact people’s lives,” JR says of credit unions. He says that in raising money for the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, where both of his own kids have received care, they’re truly impacting the community where they live and work. In the past six years, funds raised by the tournament have gone to hospital expansion, including a children’s cancer wing.

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Dollars Raised

$45,000

Sponsors

43

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The CMN Hospitals Connection

Credit Unions for Kids (CU4Kids) is part of a broader partnership between credit unions nationwide and CMN Hospitals, fulfilling the industry’s charge to connect with and give back to communities. In fact, over 1,500 credit unions across the country are part of the cooperative fundraising effort that has raised $195 million in aggregate over the past 25 years.

CMN Hospitals’ work with CU4Kids is unique in that it’s a partnership with the entire industry. While it’s common for larger nonprofit organizations to forge relationships with major corporations and individual businesses, CU4Kids represents broader support from credit unions as a whole. The partnership grew organically from local efforts spearheaded by credit unions in San Antonio and Portland over 30 years ago, notes Nick Coleman, Director of Corporate Partnerships at CMN Hospitals. The idea started to spread across the country and in 1996, the CU4Kids brand was created and a formal partnership established. “The industry motto of credit unions is ‘people helping people’ and it's remarkable to see how they care about making a difference in their community,” says Nick.

Nick notes that one of the credit union industry principles is “cooperation among cooperatives” and that golf tournaments held as part of the CU4Kids initiative are a way for them to fulfill this charter. “Credit unions really love this opportunity because golf is a fun way to make a difference in the community,” he says, noting that credit unions often collaborate with other credit unions on shared goals and objectives, as was the case with the Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic.

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“Credit unions really love this opportunity because golf is a fun way to make a difference in the community.”

— Nick Coleman, Director of Corporate Partnerships at CMN Hospitals

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The Challenge

Over the year, JR has always looked for ways to enhance and grow the annual Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic, and provide an even better experience for players and sponsors. This year, tapping into the national CU4Kids and CMN Hospitals brands allowed him to reap the benefits of a partnership with golf technology company GolfStatus and its social impact division, GolfStatus.org. The partnership provides individuals, businesses, and major partners such as CU4Kids with access to event management technology that helps credit unions harness the charitable giving power of golf. “The golf tournament is my favorite day to go to work every year,” says JR. “It’s hard not to find purpose in what we’re doing to give back to the community and kids.”

The Solution

CMN Hospitals’ partnership with GolfStatus, the leading event management and fundraising platform for golf fundraisers, makes it easy for programs like CU4Kids and third parties like individual credit unions to launch a first-year golf fundraiser or enhance and streamline an existing tournament. Its web-based software is incredibly powerful but easy to use, helping tournament organizers like JR save time, and providing tools and avenues to simplify registration for players and sponsors, seamlessly spread the word about the event, professionally brand and co-brand the tournament, and ultimately raise more money for children’s hospitals. More broadly, it’s a tool that ultimately makes it easier for CMN Hospitals to empower its existing supporters to grow the success of annual events in addition to making it extremely easy to grow the Play Yellow program as a whole by assisting new supporters in their endeavors to launch a first-year event. The result is a growing network or third parties large and small who hold golf fundraisers all over the country that benefit their local children’s hospital or CMN Hospitals at the national level.

To get started, JR worked with Ben Parker, Senior Director of Play Yellow at CMN Hospitals, to connect with GolfStatus’s in-house support team and build a professional event website ahead of the tournament. As an event benefiting CMN Hospitals, the Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic was listed alongside Play Yellow tournaments and other major golf fundraisers benefiting CMN Hospitals happening all over the country and hosted and supported by third-party individuals and corporate entities, including the likes of Costco, Ace Hardware, and Marriott.

The Results

The GolfStatus platform paid dividends right away, helping JR and his team raise additional dollars by selling the premium technology sponsorship, which provides sponsor recognition on the event website and through the mobile scoring and live leaderboards the day of the tournament. A built-in donation feature opened the door for golfers, spectators, and other supporters to support the tournament via monetary donations to the hospital before, during, and after the event directly from the website and leaderboards, which JR says was a great addition to the fundraiser. In total, the event was able to reach its goal of raising $45,000 for the local children’s hospital!

Highlighted GolfStatus Features:

• Event website

• Secure online registration for players and sponsors 

• Mobile scoring with sponsor exposure 

• Live leaderboards with premium sponsor exposure 

• Additional fundraising revenue from sale of technology sponsorship

Online Registration & Secure Payment Processing

“We had never taken card payments online before, but it really saved time and made it easy for people,” JR says. What’s more, everything was organized in one place in the software’s web-based backend, making it easy to keep track of teams and sponsors without having to pull information out of one system and into another. Since the tournament attracts credit unions from around the state and vendors from all over the region, the ability to securely and responsibly collect golfer and sponsor information is important to the continued growth of the tournament. It also allows for a simpler, more modern registration experience for players and sponsors, who can browse available support opportunities and reserve their spot in the tournament with a few quick clicks or taps.

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“We had never taken card payments online before, but it really saved time and made it easy for people.”

— JR Jernigan, AVP of Special Projects at US Community Credit Union

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Easing the Administrative Burden

Switching to a central, web-based, golf-specific event management platform saved JR and the planning team a ton of time and effort by automating and streamlining most of the administrative tasks associated with the golf tournament. When it came time to print cart signs, scorecards, and alpha lists for example, JR simply used the pre-formatted professional printouts in GolfStatus. “It was really nice to hit a button and be done with it,” he says. He points out that online card payments, auto-generated receipts, and the ability to manage paid registrants in one place also eliminated the need for a lot of the usual administrative paperwork and follow up. “It was all taken care of in the GolfStatus platform,” JR says.

Sponsorships & Recognition

One major benefit of using GolfStatus is the ability to sell a technology sponsorship, a premium sponsorship opportunity that offers exposure in multiple areas, including the event website, within the live-scoring app, on the event’s live leaderboards, and on the event’s cart signs, scorecards, and other printouts. This premium exposure opportunity was an immediate draw for the state’s credit union trade association. “From a visibility standpoint, the tech sponsorship was a great way for the Tennessee Credit Union League to show that they’re standing behind what credit unions are doing across the state to support children’s hospitals,” JR says.

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“From a visibility standpoint, the tech sponsorship was a great way for the Tennessee Credit Union League to show that they’re standing behind what credit unions are doing across the state to support children’s hospitals.”

— JR Jernigan, AVP of Special Projects at US Community Credit Union

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The steady outpouring of sponsor support for Vanderbilt Children’s from vendors has been especially rewarding for JR and the planning team. “Most of our sponsors have been with us since the tournament’s beginning,” he says. He explains that in many cases, a credit union new to the event comes on board, has a great experience, and the next year gets another involved, creating a snowball effect of support. What’s more, sponsors loved the digital exposure they saw on the event website and mobile scoring app. JR and the planning team were also able to send push notifications with sponsor messages throughout the tournament, which added an extra layer of exposure to sponsorship packages.

Sponsors of the Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic were listed on the sponsorships page of the event website, giving them digital exposure before, during, and after the tournament.

Mobile Scoring & Live Leaderboards

This was the first year the tournament had used mobile scoring or live leaderboards, and from the feedback JR and his team received, it was a hit. “Everybody thought it was really cool,” he says, pointing out that the ability to see what folks were shooting also gave him an opportunity to kickstart conversations with golfers as he made the rounds throughout the course. Wrapping up the tournament and finalizing the results was also much simpler with the majority of the field using the app to score. Because scores automatically populate the live leaderboards, there’s no need to wait around for scorecards to be turned in or golf staff to tabulate final results.

Matching Dollars

The Credit Union for Kids Golf Classic raised even more money as a result of the Miracle Match program from CO-OP Financial Services. The program encourages credit unions and others to create and participate in fundraisers for local CMN Hospitals and supplements the dollars raised with additional funds. “CO-OP matched $10,000 of what we raised,” says JR, noting that they’ve donated at least $100,000 in total over the tournament’s 12-year tenure.

Tournament Extras & Cause Connection

One of JR’s goals for the tournament has always been to have fun and keep people coming back because of it. The event has grown from just 12 teams in its first year to 35 total teams, thanks in part to the event’s memorable games and extras. “We do what we can to be a different golf tournament and people love it,” says JR. In fact, 17 of the tournament’s 18 holes include some type of additional activity, like teeing off on a toilet or amid noisemakers, kicking velcro soccer balls on a giant inflatable dart board, and using an extra-long or extra-short driver. Prior to COVID-19, patients from Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital also attended the fundraiser, which created a powerful cause connection for golfers and sponsors. Hospital staff and leadership teams have also been in attendance to share the impact that the tournament has helped make.

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Nonprofits and charities—as well as individuals and businesses holding golf fundraisers that benefit them—can qualify for an event website and no-cost access to GolfStatus’s event management and fundraising technology through the Golf for Good program. Learn more and get qualified here or email [email protected].

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The Hook-N-Slice golf tournament is a longstanding tradition, raising millions of dollars to support Tucson Medical Center for Children (TMC for Children) over the last three decades. Now in its 31st year, the two-day event will be held October 1st and 3rd at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson. Over its long history, the tournament has strengthened the connection between the hospital and the surrounding community, as evidenced by an outpouring of support that looks to make this year’s event bigger than ever.

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Supporting Local Kids Through Golf

TMC for Children is focused entirely on caring for sick and injured children and their families. As Southern Arizona’s Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospital, TMC for Children strives to deliver the best care possible for children, from its comfortable, child-centered facilities to a dedicated team of expert pediatric caregivers. 

The TMC Foundation supports the charitable mission of TMC HealthCare to improve the health and quality of life of its community. The Foundation’s primary function is to raise money for TMC HealthCare as a whole, partnering with CMN Hospitals to bring in funds specifically for TMC for Children.

The Hook-N-Slice golf tournament is fueled by an outpouring of support from the community. Megan Bucnis, Donor Relations and Events Manager at the TMC Foundation, explains that the Hook-N-Slice event has grown over time from a one-day standalone tournament into a combined corporate outing before further evolving into a two-day weekend event for the first time in 2021. 

“We want to bring people together to have fun, make connections, and raise as much money as possible to support TMC for Children,” she says. All proceeds from the golf tournament go to TMC for Children, providing funds for necessary equipment, treatments, and programs, like scholarships for therapy sessions, child-friendly surgery prep videos, the TMC for Children mobile app, an in-patient therapies gym, and non-invasive testing equipment. 

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“We want to bring people together to have fun, make connections, and raise as much money as possible to support TMC for Children.”

— Megan Bucnis, Donor Relations and Events Manager at the TMC Foundation

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“Like all CMN Hospital fundraisers, all dollars stay local to help kids in our local community,” says Bruce Ayers, CMN Development Manager at the TMC Foundation. 

In 2019, the event raised over $52,000. After being forced to cancel in 2020 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases at TMC, Bruce and Megan are excited to get back to golf in 2021. This year’s two-day event is expected to attract over 300 players, along with a number of dedicated community sponsors. “Golf has been so popular over the last year that people are really excited to get back out there and support TMC for Children through golf,” says Megan.

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“Golf has been so popular over the last year that people are really excited to get back out there and support TMC for Children through golf.”

— Megan Bucnis, Donor Relations and Events Manager at the TMC Foundation

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Community Support

The support of the area community has been vital to the Foundation and TMC for Children, which emphasizes strong partnerships with businesses, corporations, and individual supporters. “We have dedicated sponsors who want to support these kids year after year. It means a lot to them and to us,” says Bruce.

“We kick off our fall event lineup with the golf tournament,” says Megan, noting that fall is peak time for fundraising events, with the golf tournament followed by a gala and radiothon in subsequent months. “We’re excited for this fall’s fundraising events, particularly this year since we had to pivot nearly everything to virtual in 2020,” she says. Beyond the annual golf tournament and other event-based fundraisers, the TMC Foundation raises money throughout the year in TMC for Children in partnership with CMN Hospitals, including corporate partner support, workplace campaigns, and round up campaigns. 

In 2021, the planning team has been very intentional about connecting the golf tournament to CMN Hospitals as a Play Yellow event. “Being able to tap into the power of Play Yellow and the connection to Jack and Barbara Nicklaus is huge,” Megan says. “Play Yellow is an easy way to show what we’re working towards and who we’re supporting through this golf event.”

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“Being able to tap into the power of Play Yellow and the connection to Jack and Barbara Nicklaus is huge!”

— Megan Bucnis, Donor Relations and Events Manager at the TMC Foundation

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Incorporating Technology

As the official technology and golf event management partner for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals golf fundraisers, GolfStatus worked with Bruce, Megan, and the planning team to build an event registration website for the Hook-N-Slice event, thanks to the pledged support of longtime Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals partner Marriott Vacations Worldwide. “We’ve started sharing the website broadly to attract the most people possible to the golf tournament,” says Megan. In addition to selling customized team and sponsor packages, they’re offering add-ons like VIP player’s bags, mulligans, and raffle tickets to raise additional dollars at the time of registration. People can even sign up to volunteer via the event website’s registration process. Supporters can also make a direct donation to TMC for Children through the site.

Bruce, Megan, and the planning team are excited to also offer live scoring at this year’s tournament. “Golfers are going to love it,” Megan says. They’ll also capitalize on opportunities to raise even more money throughout the weekend, using GolfStatus’s built-in messaging and donation features. “We want to make it as easy as possible for folks to be philanthropic,” says Bruce. “It’s going to be great that people won’t have to wait in line for transactions—they can buy mulligans or raffle tickets right from their phones!” 

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“We want to make it as easy as possible for folks to be philanthropic.”

— Bruce Ayers, CMN Development Manager at the TMC Foundation

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The golf tournament is one of the Foundation’s most lucrative fundraisers. Bruce and Megan hope to continue to significantly grow the event in the coming years, further engaging golfers and corporate sponsors. “We really want this to become an epic event that people really want to participate in,” Bruce says.

Get Involved

If you’re in the Tucson area and want to be part of the Hook-N-Slice golf tournament as a player, volunteer, or sponsor, register here. Not in the Tucson area or unable to play in the tournament? You can still support TMC for Children by making a donation.

If you’re interested in organizing a golf tournament that benefits your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, contact GolfStatus to get started with no-cost technology that streamlines planning and prep, securely collects donor data, and handles the golf-specific details to raise more money.

Learn more about:

• TMC for Children

• TMC Foundation

• The Hook-N-Slice Golf Tournament