The goal of the golf tournament was not only to raise money for a scholarship program, but to build strong connections among the chapter’s alumni.

Partner Snapshot

The Collin County Chapter of the Texas Tech Alumni Association had been defunct for several years when a group of local alums decided to resurrect it. As the chapter began to get back on its feet, the primary goal was to engage alumni and raise funds for a scholarship program. 

Collin County is located in North Dallas, Texas, with a large population base of Texas Tech alumni. The newly active chapter started out by hosting watch parties for Red Raider athletic events, but wanted to do more to build connections and replenish their coffers.

Though Sam Clark wasn’t a member of the initial board, he quickly volunteered to head up a golf tournament that would help the group reach its goals of alumni engagement and fundraising. “It was basically a done deal that we were going to have a golf tournament,” Sam says. “Everyone on the board plays golf or is a member at a country club, and everyone knew it was a great way to raise money.”

The Challenge

Right off the bat, Sam had questions. Though he had played in charity golf tournaments, he’d never planned one from ideation to fruition. “I wondered how we should handle registrations, payments, leaderboards, pin flags, and so many other details,” he says. Much of the initial planning phase was spent determining the overall approach to the golf tournament: target audience, the type of golf facility (public or private), price points (high-end or mid-level), and a budget. 

Next up? Determining processes and tournament operations. Sam knew they’d need a website of some type to collect registrations and handle payments, which he knew could end up being a hassle if they tried to build something from scratch or went with the wrong event management platform. What’s more, Sam wanted a one-stop shop for quality tournament add-ons so there were fewer vendors and moving parts to manage.

The Solution

Another member of the chapter’s board, Russell Hall, had run several tournaments through GolfStatus, and told Sam it was just what he needed. Once the major decisions were made about the host golf facility and team pricing, Sam connected with the GolfStatus team to get an event website up and running. 

“Since we were starting a tournament from scratch, I wanted one place to manage everything,” Sam says. “GolfStatus got us up and running quickly. It would have been a major headache to have to spend hours and hours trying to get a site built and payment processing set up.” Sam worked with the GolfStatus team to build the event website, share access to the software with members of the planning committee, and set up everything in the platform’s back end.

Tournament organizers worked with GolfStatus to get an event site up and running quickly, so they could start promoting the event and taking registrations right away.

The Results

“I honestly don’t know how we would have done it without GolfStatus,” Sam explains. “It would have quadrupled—or more—the work and time that went into the tournament.” The event pulled in 32 teams and primarily targeted local Texas Tech alumni. The nature of the tournament was centered around the Red Raiders in terms of giveaways and messaging, but no one was excluded. “A couple folks showed up that supported rival schools and had to deal with some friendly ribbing from the alums,” Sam laughs.

“For year one, we felt good about how we did,” Sam says about the tournament’s fundraising outcomes. He says they didn’t have a fundraising goal so much as they had a budget to balance with expenses and profit, plus learn from the first year to do it “bigger and better” in year two and beyond. The tournament’s revenue was split between a donation to the Texas Tech Athletic Department and the bulk going to reestablishing the chapter’s scholarship fund. Sam says that connecting alumni, with each other and the chapter, was just as important as the money that was raised.

To recruit sponsors, the planning team leveraged the networks of the chapter’s board and committee chairs and reached out to businesses in the area owned by alumni of Texas Tech. Those connections and relationships helped draw 22 sponsors to the tournament. GolfStatus’ exclusive Technology Sponsorship sold for $3,000 and provided robust sponsor exposure on the event website and leaderboards.

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“I honestly don’t know how we would have done it without GolfStatus. It would have quadrupled—or more—the work and time that went into the tournament.”

— Sam Clark, Golf Committee Chair, Texas Tech Alumni Association of Collin County

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Tournament Add-Ons

From the outset of planning, Sam knew the tournament needed quality add-ons that players expect when playing in a charity event, such as pin flags, hole-in-one contests, and high-end auction items. The fact that GolfStatus was able to provide all of this and more was huge for Sam and his team. “Having one place to get everything meant fewer things to manage,” Sam says. 

They purchased pin flags and hole-in-one insurance directly from GolfStatus, which handled all the details, plus unlocked the platform’s invoicing feature to simplify accounting for sponsors that requested invoices. The sale of the Technology Sponsorship and purchase of add-ons qualified the tournament for a Stay and Play package donation from the Dormie Network Foundation, which was leveraged as a high-end live auction item that brought in thousands of extra dollars. An accompanying silent auction also featured signed memorabilia from the Texas Tech Athletic Department and items donated by local businesses.

The chapter used its relationship with the main Texas Tech Alumni Association to involve some big names in the Athletic Department in the tournament. Head men’s basketball coach Grant McCasland, head football coach Joey McGuire, and the Red Raider mascot were in attendance, which attracted both golfers and sponsors to the tournament and added value and legitimacy to the overall event experience. 

“Incredible” Support

Sam says the support he got from the GolfStatus client success team was second to none, responding to questions and addressing any challenges right away. GolfStatus has PGA Professionals on staff, who provide a unique perspective and know the ins and outs of golf tournaments. Sam says he’s worked in customer service as an account representative before, and he says the service provided by GolfStatus “put me to shame! They were so knowledgeable and responsive.” Sam worked closely with Paul Murcek, PGA on the client success team. Paul helped build the event website and provide guidance on hole-in-one packages, and provided “incredible support, which is huge when throwing a big event like a golf tournament.”

The tournament achieved its goals of raising funds for the chapter and connecting with alumni.

Lessons Learned

As a first-time tournament organizer, Sam says that early on, he worried that he was behind the eight ball with planning, when in reality, many of the details come into place closer to the event date. “I wish I knew that from the get go,” he says. “In reality, getting the golf course booked and the website live are the first major things to check off the list. After that, we had to just wait to finalize a lot of the details.”

He says having a committed group of at least four volunteers was key. “Don’t try to do it by yourself!” Sam says, and make sure those folks are going to be in it for the long haul to make the tournament a success. 

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“I’ve worked in customer service before, and GolfStatus put me to shame! They were so knowledgeable and responsive.”

— Sam Clark, Golf Committee Chair, Texas Tech Alumni Association of Collin County

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The biggest lesson learned Sam says he’d share with other first timers? “Things are going to happen the day of the tournament, but more than likely, golfers and sponsors aren’t even going to notice and it’s not going to ruin the day.” Having a good support staff—including the GolfStatus support team—in place is key, Sam says, to ensure any issues that arise can be handled in a timely fashion and not interrupt the flow of the event. “When you’re bringing 150 people out for the day who are looking to you, it’s nice to know you have people in your corner so it’s not all on you to figure out.”

Building for Future Success

The chapter is excited for year two of the event, especially with the experience they gained with the inaugural tournament. They hope to expand the event to both courses at the host golf facility, Gleneagles Country Club, part of Invited Clubs, and fold in additional contests. “We’ll debate a lot of things about next year’s event, but it won’t be a debate at all over whether or not we’ll use GolfStatus. We’ll be back!” Sam says. 

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Get qualified for golf for good

Texas Tech Alumni Association of Collin County was able to utilize GolfStatus’ golf event management platform at no upfront cost through the Golf for Good program. You can get a free event website with online registration, access to exclusive sponsorships and add-ons, tournament planning guidance, and more at no risk. Click below to book a meeting with GolfStatus and get qualified!

The Klein High School Golf Booster Club helps fill the funding gaps between what the school provides and what the student athletes need to be successful.

Partner Snapshot

Golf may not be the biggest thing in football-focused Klein, Texas, but the boys and girls golf teams are talented, passionate, and growing. “The kids get so much out of being on the golf teams,” says Andrea Vickers, president of the Klein High School Golf Booster Club’s board. Klein High School provides some funding for the teams, but unfortunately, doesn’t have the budget to fully subsidize all the teams’ expenses and needs.

That’s where the Golf Booster Club comes in. The club wants to make sure any student who wants to play golf for the BearKats has the opportunity to do so and has the tools and equipment needed to be successful. The combined team of nearly 30 student athletes is becoming more competitive in local and regional tournaments and getting more kids excited about golf.

The Challenge

Filling the funding gap between what the school provides and what the student athletes need requires significant dollars. “Golf teams can’t just go play in the school gym or football field,” Andrea says. “We have to go to area golf courses and that gets expensive.” Other team expenses include entry and travel costs for tournaments, plus greens fees for practice rounds, uniforms, and balls for each golfer. 

Three years ago, the booster club decided to launch a golf tournament as the best option to raise as much money as possible. The first tournament was successful in terms of dollars raised, but the time and administrative burden on Andrea, her husband, and the rest of the planning team was significant. “We’re all busy parents who work full-time and shuttle kids to and from activities, so we really needed to get away from manual, time-consuming processes,” Andrea says. They used an online platform to manage registrations, but one that required much more time and attention than the team had to give. “It was loosely organized chaos!” Andrea says.

The Solution

After receiving emails about GolfStatus, Andrea connected with Account Manager Ken Boatman close to the inaugural event. “We were already in too deep with another platform to make the switch at that point, but loved what GolfStatus had to offer,” she says. GolfStatus’ no upfront cost through the Golf for Good program was especially appealing, along with an in-house support team, one-of-a-kind sponsorships, and time-saving automations. Soon after that year’s tournament, Andrea and her team saw a full demo and were excited about making the switch to GolfStatus’ tournament management software for the tournament’s second year in 2023. Klein Golf Booster Club qualified for the Golf for Good program, which gave them full access to GolfStatus’ software at no upfront cost. 

The Booster Club launched a golf tournament to help raise funds to cover costs like travel fees, tournament entry, and equipment.

The Results

In 2023, the second annual BearKat Golf Classic raised just shy of $20,000, with a goal to surpass that in 2024. In the event’s first two years combined, enough money was raised to purchase a golf simulator for indoor practice, which, in a rain-prone area, was a necessity to help golfers compete with other larger schools.

Just as importantly, using GolfStatus has lessened the burden in prep and planning for Andrea and everyone involved. “GolfStatus made everything so much easier! The tournament was less of a hassle and less stressful,” Andrea says. The staff at the host golf facility, Windrose Golf Club in Spring, Texas, were just as pleased with the platform—they could log into GolfStatus and simply hit “print” for pre-formatted cart signs, scorecards, and alpha lists, saving hours of office work.

The digital exposure provided by GolfStatus was combined with on-site signage that boosted ROI for sponsors.

Improved Organization & Processes

“Getting everything in one place in GolfStatus has moved us from organized chaos to an organized tournament,” Andrea says. Instead of bouncing around between numerous platforms, importing and exporting data, everything is stored in GolfStatus’ backend, where Andrea can see teams and sponsors who have registered and paid through the site. With the previous platform, “we had to track who would register and manually go in and update the site if a sponsorship was sold,” she says. Sponsors who purchase packages via the golf tournament website submit logos and assets at registration, eliminating the back and forth, and their logo appears on the site instantly and starts earning impressions right away.

Andrea could communicate with registrants with just a few clicks within GolfStatus. “It was all right there, I could send reminders, thank you, a survey. It was nice and easy,” she says.

GolfStatus’ support team was available to help Andrea and the planning team if they ever had a question or issue. “They really took care of us and were so patient, walking us through everything,” Andrea says about her Client Success Rep, Matt Richardson, who helped guide them through setting up the event, making edits to the website, and starting the tournament’s round to enable live scoring.

Easy Promotion & Sponsor Onboarding

Promotional materials linked to the tournament’s website, where golfers and sponsors could commit with a few taps.

Andrea explains that every member of the golf team is required to volunteer at the tournament until their senior year, when they’re eligible to play on their own team in the event. The planning team created promotional flyers that included the link to the event website for team members and families to help market the event and share with local businesses and contacts to drum up teams and sponsors. 

“Mostly we used our personal networks to get sponsors and donations for the silent auction,” Andrea says, mentioning how they assigned folks to reach out to specific area businesses to make the pitch and manage the sponsorship. She says they wanted to make it easy for parents to assist in reaching out to folks, which is why the event website was a great tool for people to send prospects. Sponsors included dentists, orthodontists, consultants, law firms, car dealerships, realtors, fleet services, and more.

GolfStatus’ tech provided immediate ROI for sponsors. “The title sponsor loved getting their name and logo on the homepage of the site, plus the link to their website,” Andrea says. The accompanying logo exposure in the GolfStatus mobile scoring app was an added bonus. “Sponsors loved seeing their logo on the app throughout the tournament!”

Fun & Fundraising

The planning team was adamant about making the tournament fun. Drawing inspiration from traditional golf-centric movies, games were added to three holes to boost fun and fundraising. On the “Tin Cup” hole, golfers draw an index card with a specific club on it and have to play the entire hole with the corresponding club. For the “Caddyshack” hole, golfers play with a tiara and tutu, alluding to the famous quote, “What an incredible Cinderella story, this unknown comes outta nowhere to lead the pack at Augusta.” Golfers can also opt to pay to have a member of the golf team tee off for them on the BearKat hole. 

The BearKat Golf Classic also utilized GolfStatus’ reliable live scoring. Teams submitted and tracked their scores using the GolfStatus mobile app, which synced to live leaderboards where golfers could see current standings and even make a donation to the golf team. “Golfers loved having everything at their fingertips!” Andrea says. 

The tournament gave people the chance to get to know the student athletes the event is supporting.

Connecting With Student Athletes

One goal for the tournament is to help golfers connect with the members of the golf team. “We want people to know who and what it is that they’re supporting with this tournament,” Andrea says. Team members are stationed on every hole, where golfers have the chance to chat with them, hear about their seasons, and just talk golf. “It really does make a difference to everyone to create that opportunity to connect,” she says.

The 2024 iteration of the tournament will raise money to purchase new winter rain gear for the team, replacing the current decade-old versions. “Our school colors are blue and gold, and the current rain gear, which was bought secondhand, is black and white,” Andrea says. “We want the kids to look and feel professional and confident, and the dollars GolfStatus is helping us raise mean they can rock their school colors and feel good on the course.”

Planning a Golf Tournament?

Whether you have a tournament on the calendar or are just exploring the possibility of a golf event, GolfStatus can help! With easy-to-use technology, tournament planning resources, and an industry-leading support team, you’ll be set up for success. Click the button below to book a meeting with the GolfStatus team to learn how you can use the software at no upfront cost.

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!

An offhand comment about a golf tournament in a group text among Adam Sedivy’s friends was the spark for raising over $22,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Adam’s son, Brantley, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a newborn. The longtime friends are all avid golfers, and in a group chat, someone jokingly suggested that they put together a golf tournament. As time went on, the joke became serious, and it turned into the Brantley’s Buddies Golf Classic.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation says that close to 40,000 kids and adults in the U.S. are living with cystic fibrosis. “Brantley is a great kid and such a trooper when it comes to all the medicines and treatments he’s on,” says Adam. Cystic fibrosis is a progressive disease, but thus far, Brantley is taking it all in stride.

Adam and Brantley Sedivy

“We all love to golf and decided we could do it for a good cause,” says CJ Barone, a member of the Brantley’s Buddies board. “We kept thinking, ‘why not us?’ We had nothing to lose and everything to gain with a tournament.”

In April of 2022, the group, consisting of Adam, Brantley’s mom Logan, CJ, Dylan Frank, and Garrett Riley, officially started planning for their first annual event for November. While Dylan has been a PGA Pro at several golf facilities in the area and has experience with golf tournaments, the rest of the group wasn’t sure where to start. They stumbled upon a website for a local tournament in North Carolina that used GolfStatus. “We were originally going to find a way to build our own website for the tournament, but then we found GolfStatus,” says Adam.

TECH DRIVES SUCCESS

Brantley’s Buddies qualified to use GolfStatus’ tournament management software at no cost through the Golf for Good program since it was raising money for a 501(c) nonprofit in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. GolfStatus gave the group an easy way to consolidate everything they needed all in one place—registration, sponsors, teams, hole assignments, and payments. “Especially as a group of guys who hadn’t done this before, it was nice having everything in one central location that we could all access when we needed to,” says Dylan. Adam says having a singular place to collect and hold funds just for the tournament was especially helpful.

Because the tournament was just starting out, the planning group wasn’t sure what kind of sponsor or golfer interest they would see right off the bat. But the tournament was an instant draw, thanks to the support from the surrounding community. “We sold out our teams in just over three weeks, which was incredible,” says Adam. He says they utilized online channels to promote the event, and the interest was very organic. Because they had a GolfStatus event website, they skipped printing flyers or mailers, and used online channels like social media, email, and word of mouth to drum up interest.

An event website made it simple for Brantley’s Buddies to promote the tournament, collect registrations, and sell sponsorships.

Sponsorships had similar success, with the team tapping into their networks to reach out to local businesses and some corporate sponsors. Brantley’s Buddies took advantage of GolfStatus’ exclusive Technology Sponsorship, building it into the title sponsor. They sold a pin flag sponsorship and purchased GolfStatus’ hole-in-one contest package, building the cost into the Par 3 sponsorships. In-kind sponsorships were just as important. Food for the tournament was donated in exchange for a sponsorship, along with silent auction items.

The tournament also utilized GolfStatus’ hassle-free live scoring to track scores for the round. They sent emails ahead of the event reminding golfers about the live scoring feature and asking them to download the free GolfStatus app ahead of time. Most teams used it to submit their scores, which made finalizing the tournament’s results easy and efficient.

Adam says having the right people involved was a huge part of the tournament’s success in its first year. They leaned on each person’s individual strengths to make the tournament happen—from organization, sponsor sales, promotion, and the golf specifics—combined with the infrastructure GolfStatus provided. “GolfStatus helped us find ways to make the tournament so much more professional than we ever could have dreamed out of the gate,” says CJ. “It gave us the platform to be able to raise money for our buddy’s kid and propelled us to success.”

GOLFING FOR GOOD

Every cent raised from the tournament—around $22,000—went directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Adam says the Foundation has been so helpful during their family’s journey and they wanted to contribute to finding a cure. The organization also provides counselors, parent and family groups, and a variety of resources on topics like day-to-day patient care and understanding hospital bills.

The Sedivy family: Mom Logan, dad Adam, big brother Rylan, Brantley, and Fosters the Australian shepherd

The Foundation sent a team to the golf event, where they set up a booth on the first hole and mingled with golfers, passed out materials, and helped bring awareness and connect people to the cause. “They’ve been a great partner, and we’re excited to have them at the event again this year,” Adam says.

building momentum

Brantley turned four this year and started taking golf lessons, so naturally he’s excited to be back on the course at this year’s tournament. And now that they have one year of planning under their belt, Adam and the rest of Brantley’s Buddies are bringing the excitement and momentum from the inaugural event into its second year. In addition to expanding the silent auction, they’re bringing in GolfStatus partner BackSwing Golf Events for a closest to the pin contest on a par three hole, both to drive additional dollars and make the tournament more fun and exciting.

Adam Sedivy, CJ Barone, Dylan Frank, and Garrett Riley

The 2023 tournament sold out in just two weeks, with much of the 2022 field returning for the second year. Because of the high interest and community support, they were able to raise sponsorship pricing to drive more revenue and an even bigger donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. They’re also applying for 501(c)(3) status for Brantley’s Buddies as an official nonprofit organization so they can do even more to raise funds and awareness for cystic fibrosis.

Brantley’s Buddies are once again leaning on GolfStatus to help streamline planning and tournament execution. After a successful first year, it was a “no brainer” to continue to use the software. “GolfStatus was a game changer for us,” says CJ. “We probably said no less than 20 times throughout planning, ‘thank goodness for GolfStatus!’”

Qualify for Golf for Good

Nonprofit organizations and third parties (like Brantley’s Buddies) planning golf tournaments to benefit one can qualify to use GolfStaus’ tournament management tech at no cost. Save time with built-in automations and time-saving tools, and raise even more money with fundraising tools and exclusive sponsorships. Plus, take advantage of GolfStatus’ in-house client success team to coach you every step of the way. Click below to learn more and get in touch with the GolfStatus team!

organization Snapshot

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

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

The Challenge

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

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

The Solution

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

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

The Results

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

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

— Terri Neipert, Executive Director at Ken’s Krew

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

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

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

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

— Terri Neipert, Executive Director at Ken’s Krew

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

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

connecting to the cause

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

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

Looking to the future

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

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

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Get qualified for Golf for Good

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

Organization Snapshot

Melwood’s six decades of serving those with disabilities began with a small group of parents and community supporters who had a bold idea—to create jobs and training for these individuals. They started by teaching plant care to young adults who were thought to be unemployable, and expanded into workforce development services that teach marketable, useful skills to adults with disabilities and provide a valuable workforce to partner businesses.

Based in the Washington D.C. area, the nonprofit advocates for and empowers individuals with disabilities to trans­form their own lives through unique opportunities to live, work, and thrive in their community. Sarah Boynton, Director of Corporate at Foundation Giving at Melwood, says their approach is individualized for each individual’s goals and to overcome the barriers to employment that they might face. “They have a ton of value in the community and are driven to find their purpose,” she says. “We look for ways to transform their lives through unique opportunities so everyone is included.”

The Challenge

The Melwood Champions Golf Tournament was originally an informal gathering of supporters who loved to golf and donated to support Melwood’s work. When Melwood decided to brand the golf tournament as an official fundraiser, they wanted to increase professionalism and elevate the entire event experience. Melwood’s newly-created fund development team heading up the golf tournament needed a way to easily collect registrations and payments, provide exposure to sponsors, and promote the tournament to its supporters.

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The Solution

GolfStatus offered an all-in-one solution for Melwood’s golf fundraiser, from registration and payment processing to tie-breakers and reporting. The nonprofit qualified for GolfStatus’ Golf for Good program, which gave Sarah and the entire planning team full access to the tournament management platform at no cost. After the first year of using GolfStatus, Sarah said it was a no-brainer to continue with GolfStatus. Beyond the software’s ease-of-use, GolfStatus’ in-house client success team was there to walk Sarah and her team through the software and troubleshoot issues every step of the way.

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“I talked to the support team more times than I care to admit, and they were always reassuring, like ‘We got you, don’t worry.’”

— Sarah Boynton, Director of Corporate and Foundation Giving at Melwood

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The Results

Making Everything Easier

When Sarah came on board with Melwood a few months prior to the 2022 golf tournament, GolfStatus was already in place, thanks to her boss, Heather Sherman, Melwood’s Vice President of Fund Development. An event website was actively collecting registrations and sponsorships as Sarah was tossed into the deep end of planning a golf tournament for the first time.

Thankfully, the GolfStatus client success team quickly got Sarah up to speed on the software, walking her through the back end to make sure she felt comfortable using each feature. “They showed us how to download reports and assign holes and what to send to the pro at the golf course,” Sarah says. She says check-in the morning of the event was super easy thanks to the pre-formatted printouts with all golfer information and team codes.

Online registration spared Sarah and the planning team from having to manually process payments and forms, saving a ton of time. “Having golfers and donors cover the fees really helped get us over our goal,” Sarah says. “As a fundraiser that’s huge.” Registrants could also round up their purchases to raise additional dollars. 

Unlike standard event management platforms, GolfStatus is built specifically for golf events, with tools to manage things like handicaps, flighting, and tie breakers. “I had a panic attack about halfway through the event about breaking ties!” Sarah says. She reached out to the client success team, who reassured her that the system is able to break ties automatically. “That was a relief!”

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“GolfStatus makes it easy for nonprofits to be successful. At the end of the day, that’s why we’re coming back.”

— Sarah Boynton, Director of Corporate and Foundation Giving at Melwood

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Carrying On A Tradition of Generosity

The Melwood Champions Golf Tournament had humble beginnings, starting out as some friends getting together to play golf and raise money for Melwood’s mission. The “Melwood Champions” are a group of longtime supporters and friends of the founding families of Melwood, who have supported the organization’s work for close to 60 years. The Champions led the golf event until the fund development team branded it as an official fundraiser in 2020. Since then, the tournament has grown and flourished, and with the help of GolfStatus, leveled up the event experience and raised even more money. In 2022, the tournament brought in $107,000 and is looking to raise even more for the 2023 event.

Proceeds from the tournament benefit different programs each year. For example, the 2022 golf fundraiser benefited the Camp Accomplish Scholarship Program, which provides financial support to attend the inclusive day and overnight summer camp for all ability levels. The 2023 tournament will raise money for Melwood’s Workforce Development and Career Exploration Programs, which supports over 2,800 individuals with disabilities achieve career goals in the greater Washington D.C. area.

Elevating the Event

GolfStatus clients have access to exclusive add-ons and sponsorships that take their tournaments to the next level. For example, Sarah said they knew they wanted to incorporate a hole-in-one contest to the tournament and were pleased when they discovered GolfStatus’ exclusive contest packages. The planning team originally wrapped the Technology Sponsorship into the tournament’s Title Sponsorship, but saw the premium value in the space and decided to purchase it themselves to provide to a longtime sponsor as a thank you, along with an accompanying stay and play package from the Dormie Network Foundation. “Dormie Network has opportunities to play golf at some pretty awesome places, and that just added to the high-end tournament we’re going for,” Sarah says.

The sale of the Technology Sponsorship combined with the hole-in-one contest also unlocked a cash donation from the Foundation. “The extra products and opportunities for our tournament that GolfStatus offered just made it so easy!” Sarah says. 

Sarah looked for other ways to make the event memorable, adding golfer swag bags with player gifts and items from sponsors (giving them even more brand exposure). They also used GolfStatus’ live scoring to give the tournament a professional touch. Sarah’s not a golfer, but says she lost count how many golfers told her how much they loved the live scoring. Teams would submit their scores via the free GolfStatus mobile app, which synced with live leaderboards that were updated in real-time. Golfers could check standings throughout the round in the app and on the screen in the clubhouse. “We sent golfer information ahead of time about where and how to download the app,” says Sarah, as a way to set them up for success. “Everyone loved how easy it was to keep track throughout the day.”

celebrating Success

Melwood is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2023 and 25 years of Camp Accomplish. “We’re celebrating all things Melwood!” Sarah says, and that the golf tournament is a big part of that celebration and a way to connect with donors and partners. “GolfStatus is a big part of making the golf tournament super successful.”

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Golf for Good

Looking to make your next golf event the best one yet? GolfStatus’ tournament management system streamlines and simplifies prep and planning, and exclusive sponsorships and add-ons help raise thousands more dollars for your cause. Best of all, nonprofits (and organizations hosting golf events that benefit one) can qualify to use GolfStatus at no cost through the Golf for Good program. Click below to learn more and get qualified.

Partner Snapshot

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

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

The Challenge

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

The Solution

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

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

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

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

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The Results

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

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GOlf TOurnament Summary

Golf Facility

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

Tournament Name

Let Hope Rise Charity Golf Tournament

Golfers

88

Dollars raised

$38,500

top sponsorship

$10,000 (Title Sponsorship)

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Lessons Learned

Planning & Promotion

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

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

Sponsorships

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

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

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

Tech & Support

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

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

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

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

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

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Cause Connection

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

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

looking ahead

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

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GOlfing for good

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

Surfing is part of the fabric of life in Palm Beach County, Florida. The Surfing Florida Museum was created to preserve and share the history of surfing in Florida. Its collection highlights the area’s rich surfing history through rare archive photos, club jerseys and memorabilia, a collection of historic surfboards, and curated local art.

As a completely volunteer-driven organization, the Surfing Florida Museum relies on donations and events to fund its pop-up exhibits and long-term goal of opening a permanent location. Several board members had been pushing the idea of a golf tournament fundraiser for several years, and finally decided it was time to make it happen.

First annual golf fundraiser

Susan French has a long history in the surfing industry, owning and working in surf shops before becoming the accountant at the Surfing Florida Museum. She worked closely with Scott McCranels, an orthodontist, legendary surfer, and a major backer of the museum, to make the golf tournament a reality. While Scott had played in several golf tournaments, he’d never planned one from the ground up, so they needed some guidance and infrastructure to plan the event.

The Surfing Florida Museum Golf Fundraiser was nominated for Play It Forward, a give-back campaign from GolfStatus and Dormie Network Foundation. Scott and Susan connected with the GolfStatus team and liked what they heard—particularly that the event qualified to use GolfStatus’ software at no cost through the Golf for Good program. They got set up with an event website where people could learn more about the organization, register to play in the event, or become a sponsor, plus access to GolfStatus’ entire golf-specific tournament management platform to handle all the golf details.

Getting a new fundraiser off the ground presented some challenges for the planning team, in terms of creating processes, building a base of golfers and sponsoring businesses, and finding effective ways to promote the event. “Next year will be easier in several ways, especially because people will have heard about it or already played in the tournament and had a great time,” says Susan. She and Scott reached out to companies in the surfing community to sponsor the event, and had a good response, both in terms of purchased sponsorships, playing in the event, or making a monetary or in-kind donation.

Overall, the first-year event raised over $28,000, a great haul for a small, inaugural event. With several team spots still open about a month before the tournament, the planning team decided to switch things up and open registration to single golfers or twosomes, which were then grouped together to create foursomes. “We found that some people didn’t want to commit to a foursome, so this was a good option to get more golfers involved,” Susan says.

Backswing golf events

Scott had chatted with a friend who had played in a golf tournament where they had a “beat the pro” contest featuring a pro from BackSwing Golf Events. BackSwing Golf Events is a group of lady professional golfers who provide on-course activities, contests, and additional fundraising. At the same time, BackSwing helps support female golfers trying to make it on the LPGA tour

The pros at BackSwing Golf Events

The museum board met with BackSwing and were impressed with what they had to offer, so they got on board to have them at the tournament. Pro Michaela Linn, who also plays on the Epson tour, was stationed on one of the course’s holes for a “beat the pro” contest. Golfers essentially bet on whether or not they could hit a better tee-shot than Michaela.

“Michaela was super professional and made the tournament more than just the usual 18 holes of golf,” Susan says. “We were really impressed. It was a fun addition to the event.” Susan says the BackSwing pro helped them raise over $2,000 extra dollars for the museum. BackSwing’s business model is a 50/50 split of whatever is raised through their presence on the golf course.

GolfStatus had partnered with BackSwing Golf Events as a vendor in its Marketplace. Susan says GolfStatus’ backing was a plus in making the decision to use BackSwing. “Knowing that GolfStatus has teamed up with BackSwing lets us know they’re a legitimate option to raise more money.”

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“Knowing that GolfStatus has teamed up with BackSwing lets us know they’re a legitimate option to raise more money.”

— Susan French, accountant at the Surfing Florida Museum

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leveraging technology

Susan and the museum’s CPA used GolfStatus’ reporting feature to track registrations, sponsorships, payments, and donations. Once golfers or sponsors registered via the event website, their information dropped into the software’s backend, where the planning team could see real-time participant information and quickly export reports for financial purposes.

GolfStatus’ in-house support team was available to help Susan, as well as golfers, with any questions or issues. “A couple people reached out with questions about registration and the guys at GolfStatus were there to help right away. The support team was great!” Susan says. She worked closely with her dedicated rep to update sponsor logos and event site content. “I had a million questions, but the support team was so helpful and responsive! GolfStatus was definitely a plus for our golf tournament.”

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“I had a million questions, but the support team was so helpful and responsive! GolfStatus was definitely a plus for our golf tournament.”

— Susan French, accountant at the Surfing Florida Museum

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The Surfing Florida Museum’s golf event was held in late October, with the holidays just around the corner. Because the museum’s website doesn’t have the capabilities to collect donations, Susan worked with the Client Success team at GolfStatus to tweak its event website to help a donation push around the holidays. “That was nice to use since we were already set up to process payments through GolfStatus and the site was there,” Susan says.

Surfing Florida Museum shifted the focus of their GolfStatus event website to collect donations over the holidays.

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Golf for good

GolfStatus’ Golf for Good program gives qualifying nonprofits, charities, and those planning golf fundraisers on their behalf access to its golf event management platform at no cost. GolfStatus streamlines prep and planning to save busy organizers a ton of time and its built-in fundraising tools and exclusive sponsorships help raise thousands more dollars. Whether you’re kicking off a new event or looking for ways to improve a decades old event, GolfStatus can help. Plus, our in-house support team has your back every step of the way. Ready to get started? Click below to get qualified!

Organization Snapshot

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Challenge

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

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

The Solution

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

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

— Nicholas Kristock, founder and CEO of KindKatch

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

The Results

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

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Golf Tournament Summary

Tournament Name

Fleece & Thank You Golf Outing

Golf Facility

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

Fundraising Goal

$30,000

Number of Golfers

120 (sold out event)

Tech Stack:

GolfStatus, KindKatch

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Nicholas Kristock, founder and CEO of KindKatch

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Leaning Into Technology

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

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

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

No Cost Golf Event Management Tech

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

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