The golf fundraiser is an ideal avenue for outreach and stewardship, and given the sport’s tendency to attract affluent businesses professionals, it’s a huge opportunity to fundraise and forge or advance corporate partnerships. Here’s what you need to know to maximize your outing’s sponsorships and raise more dollars for your cause.

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Approach the right businesses.

Keep golf’s affluent demographic in mind when approaching sponsors. It’s much easier for marketing teams and decision makers to make a business justification for investing in a sponsorship if it provides direct exposure to their ideal customer. Consider car dealerships, homebuilders, jewelers, insurance agencies, real estate firms, accountants, beverage distributors, mortgage brokers, banks, travel agencies, financial service providers, and other businesses offering services that appeal to this audience.

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Consider what matters most to sponsors when making asks.

There are a number of reasons for sponsors to support fundraising events, especially golf fundraisers. In addition to providing direct exposure to an affluent and influential audience, sponsorship aligns brands and companies with good causes. The golf tournament also serves as an ideal place for sponsoring businesses to entertain clients, partners, and other business associates—not to mention the value of focused networking opportunities that are especially unique to golf outings. Be sure to tout these selling points when you reach out to sponsors to make asks.

Create appropriate sponsorship packages.

Be cognizant of how you build sponsorship packages. Consider player demographics, the caliber of the golf course, and the reputation your event has garnered. If supporters tend to return year after year and spots fill up quickly, don’t be afraid to edge up prices, add another sponsorship level, or offer additional premium packages. Look for opportunities to add recognition, exposure, and value, especially for top-tier sponsorships. Consider custom-branding pin flags with a sponsor’s logo to sell a flag sponsorship. They’re common at professional Tour events, and great as a stand-along sponsorship package or as a value-add for premier-level sponsors.

Make sponsors look good.

Sponsors want to support events that are well-organized with clear communication, simple registration, and a high level of professionalism. These events attract affluent participants who invite business colleagues and clients—the ideal audience for your organization to engage. It’s no secret that higher-end events pave the way for higher-level sponsors, creating a snowball effect that benefits your organization across the board.

Once sponsors are secured, be vigilant about handling logos, messaging, links, and other info and requests quickly and professionally. Pay close attention to details, like how the sponsor logo looks and prints, where it appears, and whether it displays the supporting organization prominently and positively. Use a web-based platform so sponsor assets are all stored in one place and easy for multiple members of your committee, team, or volunteer task force to manage.

Live-score the event and sell a leaderboard sponsorship.

When it comes to sponsorship opportunities, the leaderboard is as premium as it gets. It captures the attention of players, spectators, and other supporters (both at the event and following online) for the duration of the event and afterward. Live scoring also makes the event more fun, competitive, and higher-end, and streamlines scoring for the golf facility staff (who would typically be rushing to enter scores after the round during an awkward lull while golfers wait for teams to finish). Be sure to utilize a live scoring platform that’s reliable, sleek, and easy-to-use and offer the leaderboard sponsorship at a premium.

Make it easy to spread the word.

When you spread the word not only about available sponsorship opportunities but that they’re going quickly, there’s a domino effect that begins to happen. The easiest way to both recognize sponsors and spread the word about businesses that are on board is through a registration website for your event, which provides a place for you to send interested sponsors and display those who have already pledged their support. A registration website also offers other key advantages, like saving you tons of time and keeping everything organized (and qualifying nonprofits can get one for free through GolfStatus.org’s Golf for Good program).

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Make it easy for sponsors to commit.

You’ll certainly want to promote the event to existing supporters through email, social media, and possibly even direct mail. The key advantage of using an event website is that you can provide a clear call to action on all promo items—not matter their medium—that provides a quick and easy way for sponsors to commit on the spot without the fuss of mail-in forms and checks. They head to your golf event’s website, choose a package, and submit payment instantly.

Call on your networks.

Chances are, your board members, most engaged donors, and committee members have connections to businesses. Instead of making a vague request for folks to ask around, be intentional about rallying your troops. Ask board and committee members to participate in making a list of target sponsors, then divvy out a plan of action for contacting them based on relevant connections. Follow up at your next meeting to be sure board members are following through.

Get local media involved.

Reach out to your local newspapers, TV stations, support organizations like regional nonprofit associations, and other outlets to let them know about your golf event. Be ready with details like date, time, and location, and remind them about the cause the event supports. Ask them to direct interested players and sponsors to your event website for more information and to register and purchase sponsorships.

Steward sponsors appropriately.

When sponsorships sell, reach out to let sponsors know you appreciate their support. Follow up with a social media post from your organization to share that they’ve committed to supporting the event, thank them for doing so, and remind other sponsors that there are more opportunities available (be sure to link your registration website).

Run a flawless event.

The better your event goes off, the more support it will garner year after year. Now’s the time to take a look at the systems and processes behind your event and look for opportunities to streamline, simplify, and upgrade.

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Looking to streamline all your golf fundraiser’s logistics to save time and attract more players and sponsors? GolfStatus.org’s simple, powerful platform has everything you need—and it’s free for qualifying nonprofits.

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To learn more, submit an inquiry here, or email us directly at

[email protected]

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Whether your association has run a golf event for years or is just getting started, its benefits are numerous, and when you have the right tools, reaping those benefits requires a small investment of time and resources. Here are four key goals to explore ahead of your 2020 golf outing.

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1. Generate Non-Dues Revenue

The golf outing is an ideal way to generate NDR (non-dues revenue). Whether your outing channels its fundraising dollars solely back into the association, or parts them with a nonprofit beneficiary (or several), fundraising dollars can be collected from registrations, sponsorships, add-ons like mulligans and raffle tickets, on-course games, and other donation asks. The golf event can also be paired with a luncheon, dinner, more formal gala or auction.

Pro tip: When planning your golf event, consider the venue, price points, sponsorship options, and other key items on the front end and be sure they align with your goals. If your association has the opportunity to attract high-capacity members and big-time sponsors, be sure the caliber of the event is aligned with that opportunity. Be aware that positioning your outing as a high-end corporate entertainment event ensures that members gain substantial value from attending, making them willing to invest in supporting and participating in the event.

2. Ramp up Member Recruiting & Retention

Golf outings require participants to field a team, which encourages them to reach out to their networks and naturally leads to new member prospects. If membership growth is a primary goal for your organization, let your tried-and-true golf event participants know so they can build their teams accordingly. You can also make the event a member guest-style outing, so teams include both members of your association and non-members (i.e. prospects). Because of the inherent networking value golf events offer, and the fact that attendees tend to genuinely enjoy them, outings are a great way to keep members engaged and invested in supporting your organization year after year.

Pro tip: Be sure your event has a website and offers online registration. Association members are busy and need (and even expect) a no-fuss way to get registered for any event. They don’t have time to fuss with forms, checks, and mail-in registrations. Plus, everyone’s online these days; it’s the fastest and easiest way to reach both existing and future members and supporters.

3. Forge & Steward Corporate Partnerships

The golf outing is a great opportunity to secure corporate support and further existing relationships. Golf’s inherent connection to business keeps it on the radars of business professionals and in the sponsorship and marketing budgets or corporate entities large and small. The outing itself provides focused exposure to your members—which offers a great value to corporate partners looking to sponsor and particpate.

Pro tip: Offer high-end sponsorship opportunities, like branded pin flags, hole sponsorships, and leaderboard sponsorships. Provide exposure through physical and digital channels so sponsors get quality, cross-channel impressions that drive tangible results like web traffic and genuine inquiries.

4. Build Goodwill & Spotlight Community Efforts

Golf is a fun community event that brings people together to enjoy a great day outdoors. It’s also inextricably linked to charity. As an association, your goals are to align interests and support causes that matter to your members, and you can leverage your annual golf outing to do both while also building goodwill for your organization and advancing its positive reputation in the community.

Pro tip: When you designate a specific cause or nonprofit organization as the beneficiary of your event, let players and sponsors know how much of their investments will go to this cause and what kind of impact those dollars make. Not only are you raising mission-critical funds for a great organization, you’re building your association’s reputation and brand as a whole.

Take the Next Step

GolfStatus.org is uniquely aligned to streamline all the (sometimes complex and time-consuming) component parts of planning and executing a golf outing—no matter your goals. And it’s available at no cost to qualifying nonprofits.

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Submit an inquiry or contact us at

[email protected]

to learn more.

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The Legend & Lore of Project Greek Island

Image courtesy of @vgagolf

This week, 95 golfers representing U.S. military veterans and their families grace the pristinely groomed golf greens of the Greenbrier Resort. Ranked among the top public golf courses in the country, the Greenbrier’s Old White TPC is a championship-caliber track tucked into the scenic backdrop of West Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Crisp and classic in its luxury, the Greenbrier itself is the perfect intersection of public extravagance and private practicality—service and sport, legend and lore. Thirty years it spent as a completely classified precautionary emergency hideaway for the U.S. federal government first commissioned as Project Greek Island. In all, the structure tells two distinct yet intertwined stories: one the pinnacle of golf and hospitality; the other a large-scale preparation for the unfathomable.

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A Storied Past

The legendary Greenbrier was a marvel long before its prime. With nearly two and a half centuries of history, the 11,000-acre site’s natural mineral sulphur springs made it attractive to early 18th century colonists. In the time since, it has been dubbed America’s Resort with a premier spa experience, a corridor of retail boutiques, gourmet dining, and a destination golf experience quite unlike any other.

The course is steeped in history, having hosted its fair share of legends—from golf’s Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, and Tiger Woods to dukes, duchesses, prime ministers, kings, and presidents, including Woodrow Wilson (one of the first golfers to ever play its greens). Opened in 1914, the 7,286-yard, par-70 track was constructed by Charles Blair Macdonald on the grounds of a historic hotel built in 1858. The strikingly white hotel’s pillared entry and grandiose archways stood beside the property’s original Grand Central Hotel until the latter was demolished in 1922. A point of distinction, its stark white complexion earned it the nickname The Old White, a name later adopted by the course itself (now officially called The Old White TPC). Its undulating greens are a complex blend of Old World design with New World influence, landing it among Golf Digest’s top 100 public facilities for the last decade. Its accolades include the honor of hosting the 1979 Ryder Cup as well as an annual PGA Tour event.

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The Classified Version

Image courtesy of @vgagolf

Beyond its perfectly manicured grounds and striking exterior—or rather below—is a piece of history you almost have to see to believe. Seven hundred and twenty feet under the west wing (fittingly), behind a 25-ton reinforced steel door is a facility that once served as plan B: the emergency headquarters for the U.S. federal government in the event of a nuclear strike on our nation’s capital. Commissioned by President Eisenhower in 1955, the series of chambers includes a decontamination corridor, a makeshift Senate floor large enough to host joint sessions, and 18 dormitories, each consisting of 60 metal bunk beds. The site also held a full-service kitchen and a 400-person-capacity cafeteria that, at one point, included a series of fake windows decorated to mimic scenic outdoor views.

In its heyday, the site included a two-month supply of foodstuffs, a self-sustaining power plant, an air intake system capable of filtering out radiation, and a water purification system consisting of three, 25,000-gallon tanks. In all, the facility now affectionately referred to as the Bunker could accommodate every member of the U.S. Congress and then some (with sleeping quarters for a total of approximately 1,100 people).

Image courtesy of @vgagolf

Perhaps even more striking than its scale, or even the contrast of its circumstances juxtaposed against the Greenbrier’s sustaining luxury, is the fact that the compound remained completely top secret for so long. White Sulphur Springs, which folds into the Blue Ridge foothills about two hours southeast of Charleston, is only about two square miles in total with a couple thousand residents. It has a handful of stoplights and one elementary school. Every spring, the town celebrates the beginning of another season with an annual dandelion festival. Of course, there was a documented and well-known history between the U.S. government and the Greenbrier that spanned decades ahead of the construction of the Bunker. The resort served as an internment facility for Japanese, Italian, and German diplomats during World War II; it was then transitioned into a temporary military hospital, where Eisenhower himself was once a patient. But after the war, it returned to its original function as a luxury resort, until construction began on the west wing in 1957. While the two-level, 112,000-plus-square-foot bunker was not designed to survive a direct nuclear strike, it can withstand the force of a blast as close as 15 miles. While contractors, construction workers, and locals asked plenty of questions about the mysterious construction project and the circumstances surrounding it—why it required a seemingly endless amount of concrete; why its restrooms included so many partitions; and why a town of roughly 2,500 people required a 7,000-foot landing strip—its true function was (thankfully) never needed, and the Greenbrier’s secret remained safe for decades. Once constructed, the bunker was maintained by a small team of government employees who worked as undercover audio-visual staffers servicing the hotel’s TVs. The bunker remained top secret until the Washington Post revealed its true function in a 1992 story. The facility was swiftly decommissioned.

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Image courtesy of @vgagolf

Today, it welcomes a fitting group of golfers: 95 members of the Veteran Golfers Association—a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to impact the lives of U.S. military veterans and their families through the game of golf. The organization provides opportunities for veterans to remain physically active and connect with other servicemembers during their crucial transition back to civilian life and beyond. After regional league play concludes at the end of season, players move on to regional qualifers, where they earn the chance to play in the national championship. Today marks round one of this very special event. For these players, it’s more than just a game—and the Greenbrier is more than just a venue.

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GolfStatus is honored to partner with the Veteran Golfers Association. Follow live leaderboards for the 2019 VGA Championship online:

2019 VGA Championship Leaderboards.

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It’s certainly not uncommon for children to follow in the footsteps of their parents—especially in military families. In fact, military children are twice as likely as their civilian counterparts to join as adults. Recently separated U.S. Army veteran Colter Kautzmann is no exception. The Montana native was born in Bozeman, where his dad spent three years teaching and coaching high schoolers and his mom worked as the assistant director of the Montana State University Alumni Association. He was introduced to the military at a young age when his dad returned to MSU as an AFROTC cadet after watching a Thunderbird airshow. Colter would eventually make the same decision to enter the military, but not before developing a passion for competitive golf that would shape much of his future.

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MILITARY UPBRINGING

Left: Colter and his dad at 1st Envoy First Officer Flight in Texas in 2018. Right: Colter (age three) with dad at 1st T-18 AF flight in Texas in 1987.

A self-proclaimed military brat, Colter spent much of his childhood in quite unlikely places. The family’s first assignment was Germany. “We probably moved 14 or 15 times over the 20 years that my dad was in the military,” he explains. “But I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. We lived in Hawaii for a couple years, all over the U.S., even in Egypt.” It was during that time that Colter was introduced to golf at the age of 14. “Dad was finishing up his remaining few months in Egypt, and my mom took me out with a friend to play a shorter course—a par 67 executive course,” recalls Colter, who took to the sport quickly. “My parents saw the potential and they saw that I enjoyed playing, but they had a different way of approaching things with me. Lots of junior golfers had been playing since they were toddlers—so I was a little behind, and they made me work for it. I started out with an old set of irons and a putter, and they’d say: If you can shoot in the mid-80s, we’ll get you a new driver. Then, if you can shoot in the mid-70s, we’ll get you a new set of clubs.”

But it wasn’t just about instilling discipline and determination; it was about teaching respect for the game and the importance of maintaining grace and composure, even through challenges. “ Dad was a huge fan of David Duval. Duval was so even-keeled—it didn’t matter if he was shooting 80 or 59,” says Colter. “He expected me to play and behave the same whether I was having a good day on the course or a bad one. That stuck with me, and I learned respect, poise, and composure.”

As a teenager, Colter also earned his pilot’s license and began taking an interest in aviation—but golf held his attention. He competed through high school, winning the Arizona 4A State Championship as a senior. His success on the course landed him a golf scholarship at the University of Idaho. After graduation, Colter competed in local, state, and national tournaments as well as on the mini professional tours. At this point, golf had become a 24-7 occupation. Having met his future wife, Sara, and looking to provide more stability and a future for his soon-to-be family, Colter took a step back. In pursuit of his second passion—aviation—he applied for the Army Warrant Officer Aviation program. It's especially competitive, with few slots, but Colter had an advantage with a pilot's license and a college degree in hand, plus the focus and determination he'd cultivated as a competitive golfer. The Army recognized his talent and, at age 27, Colter started his military career as an Army aviator. With his first assignment set for Germany and his now-expectant wife, Sara, in tow, Colter was officially following in his father’s footsteps in more ways than one.

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SERVICE & VALOR

Meanwhile, Colter’s mother had fallen ill. “When I joined, my mom had been diagnosed with a very rare type of cancer called Leiomyosarcoma,” he explains. “She had been fighting it on and off for a few years and I spent all the time I could with her,” he adds, recalling the three months he lived with her in a cancer center in New Orleans before leaving for basic training at Fort Leonard Wood.

After training, Colter received his wings and was assigned to Germany as a UH-60 Medevac pilot. His unit was charged with weekly Medevac rotations, overseeing high-risk training missions at Germany’s Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas, where his company worked alongside NATO forces. The work was demanding and challenging; crews worked a one-week-on, one-week-off schedule and had to be prepared to respond to anything. “The military does phenomenal safety training,” notes Colter, “but that training involves risk and can be very dangerous. We had everything from jumpers getting stuck in trees to Humvee rollovers and injured soldiers and civilians. We flew real-world, life-saving missions in one of the world's largest training areas.”

After four years in Germany, including missions in the Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, and a fourmonth deployment to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Colter was tasked with a move to a different unit when the news that his mother’s condition had become terminal brought him back to the states. “My mom was a key piece of my life.” He pauses and takes a breath. “My daughter was born in Germany, and the nature of my assignments and deployments meant that she hadn’t spent more than a couple weeks with my mom.” He submitted a formal request to the Army to spend the rest of his time with the military with the Arizona Army Guard, which was quickly granted. The move meant a substantial change of scenery, both for Colter and his family, but it also meant a chance to be close to family and fulfill the desire for his daughter to get to know her grandmother.

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BACK IN THE STATES & ON THE COURSE

The return to the U.S. brought something of a change of pace. While most states experience the turbulence of natural disasters, Arizona is quite mild, demanding little in the way of emergency orders. At the same time, a small force meant that Guard members saw a wider variety of missions. “On active duty, my job was solely Medevac missions, but with the Guard, units are somewhat understaffed—so, if you’re available and qualified, you can get sent on just about any mission.”

With a controversial climate at the U.S.-Mexico border, Colter found himself in the cockpit once again, this time facilitating border missions. “We spent a lot of time flying senators and press members down to the border to get a first-hand look at a situation that a lot of people don’t fully understand,” explains Colter. “We were able to show them major cities where people cross the border in cars and other vehicles, and the areas where infrastructure is in place as well as areas where it’s not. We take them down there to show them the reality of the situation, and then let them make their own decisions on what needs to be done.”

Meanwhile, Colter also continued to golf and was looking to return to competitive play. “I have a friend—an Air Force guy up in Montana that I met in Germany—and we were looking to play some events and just get out more,” says Colter, who quickly found the Veteran Golfers Association after an ad for an upcoming event happened to be at his home course in Great Falls, Montana (his dad's second Air Force assignment location). The VGA event was actually scheduled to be held at the first golf course his dad ever took him to at age 11—not to play, but to ride along.

A nationally recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the VGA’s mission is to impact the lives of U.S. military veterans and their families through the game of golf. With chapters all over the country, the VGA provides opportunities for veterans to play great courses at a subsidized price point. They compete all seaosn long in a local series of events culminating in regional qualifiers and, ultimately, a national tournament. Run by veterans, for veterans, the organization provides opportunities for veterans to remain physically active and connect with other servicemembers during their crucial transition back to civilian life and beyond.

“The VGA is really a special organization,” says Colter. Though a relatively new member, he's already made a name for himself as a competitor, winning the central regional championship held in August at Nebraska City’s ArborLinks (part of the prestigious Dormie Network) to qualify for a spot in the VGA Championship at West Virginia’s renowned Greenbriar Golf Club. But it’s not just about the golf; it’s about returning to the relationships and camaraderie unique to military service.

“I’ve heard some phenomenal stories and met some amazing people,” says Colter, noting that the values behind the organization extend from the players and regional directors all the way to the organization’s president. “He would drop anything to do anything for any member of the VGA, or just if you need to talk. It’s crazy having someone that high up in the organization willing to drop everything and give you a call at any second.”

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Today, Colter is Envoy Regional Jet First Officer on the EMB 175. He recently moved to Dallas to be closer to family, and is settling into civilian life with Sara, the kids, and plenty of golf. While his path has certainly been his own, in many ways, it mirrors his family’s values and traditions, many of which were instilled at a very young age. For Colter, it all came full circle when he was able to take his dad—a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who flew the F-16 and is now a test pilot for Gulfstream Aerospace—on his last Black Hawk flight before separating from the Army. Of course, Colter still flies his dad as an airline passenger, one who gets a few extra cookies from the cabin attendant (airline perks!).

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Learn more about the VGA at

www.vga.org.

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The Easy Way to Upgrade Your Golf Fundraiser

Live-scoring and leaderboards are the standard at professional, high-end golf tournaments, displaying scores and rankings for teams and players both in person and online during the event. It used to be that live leaderboards were only feasible for professional-level pro-ams and Tour events. Not anymore.

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Live Scoring & Leaderboards From GolfStatus

1. Golfers use the free GolfStatus app to keep score and access live leaderboards during the golf outing.

2. Scores update in real-time, and golf courses display them on TVs in the clubhouse and at comfort stations.

3. Spectators, donors, sponsors, and others follow and share live and final results online.

Why It Matters

Players love live leaderboards because they make golf outings more competitive and memorable. Facilities love that live scoring saves them tons of time at the end of the event; everything is automated and there’s no need to spend hours painstaking tallying scores by hand at the end of an event. Sponsors love them because they’re a great exposure opportunity—the place everyone’s looking during the entire event and after.

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How It Works

GolfSatus makes live-scoring super simple through a free mobile app that players or scorekeepers use to input scores during the event. Scores feed into an in-app leaderboard in real time that players can check at any time (another great exposure opportunity for sponsors). The golf facility can also display live leaderboards on clubhouse and comfort station TVs, as well as online on the event website and on social media.

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How to Do It

Live scoring and leaderboards are part of the deal when you leverage GolfStatus.org, which streamlines everything from event setup to online registration, hole assignments, and all the other logistics involved in planning a golf fundraiser.

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Interested in learning more about live leaderboards for your golf fundraiser?

Submit an inquiry here
or
email us directly at [email protected]

Whether you’re a golfer looking for tournaments to play in, a sponsor looking for opportunities to align your brand with community efforts and great causes, or a tournament organizer spreading the word about an upcoming fundraiser—the events page from GolfStatus helps everyone get connected.

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Easy Exposure for Event Organizers

Spreading the word about your organization’s golf outing is crucial to its success. Whether you’re using the event to grow your donor base, steward existing donors, or facilitate corporate partnerships, don’t forget that golf fundraisers are a chance to raise the mission-critical funds needed to sustain and expand your capacity to serve. When you take advantage of GolfStatus.org, your organization is able to leverage our user base (thousands of avid golfers nationwide) and networks to reach more players and engage more sponsors. The result is outreach that requires zero additional effort on your part, a better turnout the day of the event, and better outcomes overall.

On-the-Spot Registration for Golfers

Golfers looking for golf tournaments to play have a couple easy ways to find them. Golfers use the free mobile GolfStatus app to track their rounds on the golf course and earn rewards and exclusive offers from partner facilities and sponsors; when they’re looking for a tournament, they simply tap the tournaments icon to browse listings for upcoming events. Registering—including purchasing teams, mulligans, raffle tickets, and other package add-ons—is quick and easy. Golfers also visit https://events.golfstatus.com to browse and search events by name or facility. The reality is that people are busy, and when they have to take extra steps like mailing in forms, writing checks, or picking up the phone, they’re less likely to do so. With the right promo and simple registration channels, golfers can find your event and register right from their computer or mobile phone.

A Time-Saving Convenience for Sponsors

These platforms also make it easy for brands and businesses to find events to support and to purchase sponsorship packages and teams instantly. Golf tournaments provide focused exposure to a high-value demographic in an environment that casts businesses in a positive light—making these events an ideal sponsorship opportunity. Sponsors can browse sponsorship packages customized by the tournament organizer and purchase them instantly and securely from a smartphone or computer without hassle. Sponsors then become eligible to display their branding on the sponsor page for the event—which is seen by players and other sponsors searching for events—as well as on live leaderboards, on the course, and through a number of other channels the day of the event.

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Interested in promoting your upcoming event through GolfStatus? Contact us at

[email protected]

to learn more.

A Timeline & Checklist for the First-Timer or the Veteran Event Organizer

Maybe you’ve been tasked with organizing a golf fundraiser for the first time, or you’re thinking about pitching the idea. You’ve heard horror stories, but you know the benefits—the fact that golf events are an ideal way to reach new donors, that they’re a great way to get face time with key supporters and connect with corporate partners and sponsors, and that the funds raised can be huge. In fact, for many organizations, the golf tournament is one of two or three key annual fundraising events. Even so, the thought of planning and executing a successful charity golf outing can be a bit intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s a breakdown of considerations to make, and an outline to help you kick-start a game plan.

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1. Outline your goals.

Start by considering your goals, which might include: raising funds, raising awareness, attracting prospective donors, engaging or stewarding current donors, forging or strengthening sponsor relationships, connecting your donor and sponsor networks, teeing up larger initiatives and outreach efforts, or others. Your goals will dictate key details like the type of event you hold, the committee or volunteer help you’ll need, the event schedule, who you invite, your budget and revenue projections, and the facility you choose.

2. Outline cost and revenue projections and set a preliminary budget.

Consider your goals, revenue projections, and available resources to outline a budget for the event. Expenses might include: golf facility usage (green fees, cart usage, range balls, banquet space, service fees and gratuity), food and beverage, player and sponsor gifts, team prizes, marketing materials, shirts, and signage. At the same time, consider revenue sources, including entry fees, mulligans, raffle tickets, donations, and sponsorships. Note that sponsorship packages can be tiered to attract supporters large and small, or created in an a-la-cart fashion. Consider price points for sponsorship packages based on the demographic you expect to attract, the quality of the venue, past years’ price points, and the expenses you’ll need to cover. Note that using the GolfStatus.org platform opens the door for branded pin flag sponsorships (the kind you see at professional-level events) as well as a special Technology Sponsorship category that includes online and live leaderboard exposure, as well as in-app exposure opportunities.

3. Designate a point of contact, committee, or task force and delegate.

Outline available resources and consider how you’ll engage and collaborate with peers and volunteers. Whether you’re on your own, working with a team of volunteers, borrowing time from well-connected and influential board members, or a combination of all three, you’ll need to stay on the same page so it’s easy for folks to lend a hand. That’s especially easy when you use web-based tools. Take advantage of user access permissions so you can delegate the component parts of organizing a golf fundraiser (sponsor management, registration oversight and event promotion, and even details like hole assignments) to specific members of your organization or volunteers as needed. GolfStatus.org checks each of those boxes, and makes it super easy to pass information to the golf professional staff at the facility, who can use it to do hole assignments, print tee sheets and cart signs, and perform other time-consuming tasks in the days leading up to and on the day of your event. When everything is in order, staff are calm and collected, and available to provide assistance and service to event attendees.

4. Choose a date and golf facility.

Reach out to your networks to leverage connections that might make it possible to play a private facility or get in at an attractive price point. Consider the membership or customer demographic for the facility and the surrounding area and be sure it aligns with your goals. Work with the facility to coordinate a date, taking into account course conditions and scheduling, holidays (especially travel holidays), competing local events, and other factors that might affect turnout. You’ll also need to finalize the time and format, as well as pricing, sponsorship packages, and schedule so you can start promoting the outing.

5. Set up your event and registration website.

This takes about 15 minutes when you use the GolfStatus.org platform. Simply plug in event details (format, number of participants, start time, et cetera), give your event a name, and create it instantly. It’s a good idea to include campaign and outreach efforts in your event information, which provides players and sponsors with the information they need to join your cause. The key advantage of an event website—one that’s tailored specifically to the golf fundraiser—is that it provides a central platform for accepting and organizing team and individual registrations, collecting sponsorships, processing payments, and staying informed about the event. That includes details ahead of the event, live leaderboards the day of, and final results displays and keep people talking and sharing your event even after it’s over.

6. Promote the event to attract participants and sponsors.

Promote the event instantly by making it public in GolfStatus’s tournament marketplace, where players can search for and find events, then register for them from a mobile device in minutes. Also be sure to share and promote your event (linking to your event website as the call to action for player and sponsor registrations) on social media, via personal emails and blast campaigns, through texts, and even in flyers, post cards, and other print materials. Create a Facebook event page for your event and add GolfStatus.org as a co-host (click here for a step-by-step guide on how to do it); we’ll share your event across our networks to help spread the word. Be sure to connect with the golf facility and encourage cross-promotion through your social channels and theirs. It’s also a good idea to reach out to local media outlets (newspapers, local news channels, and even local blogs and influencers) to let them know that your event is in the works, and update them when a major sponsor joins your cause.

7. Leverage your networks.

Encourage staff, board members, and volunteers to reach out to their networks and share registration information. Whether you simply brainstorm prospects or segment them automatically from your database, create a list of players and corporate supporters to reach out to. Pro tip: Consider asking board members and highly engaged volunteers to each list five to 10 prospects at your monthly board meeting, then report back on their registration status at each meeting in the months leading up to the event; this provides a small but concrete and actionable list that each member can act on and a little accountability with the understanding that follow ups are impending.

8. Coordinate with sponsors to manage assets and messaging.

As sponsorships are purchased, you’ll need to keep the brand assets for each (logos, imagery, and messaging) organized and be sure they are always displayed nicely and in the proper locations. GolfStatus.org makes this easy with a sponsorship management interface that keeps track of everything. It’s super easy to use and access, and access permissions let you delegate easily to one or more staffers or volunteers. You can pop in and check things out as needed, or let them run with it. When you’ve sold the Technology Sponsorship for your event, give GolfStatus a heads up so we can order branded pin flags and coordinate with the facility to get them up for the event.

9. Coordinate with vendors, get quotes, and fill in cost details.

Track and manage costs and details in a simple spreadsheet as you call on and finalize vendor orders. You may only need to consider a few vendors depending on the size and scope of your event: a print design company for your t-shirts; a food and beverage provider (if the clubhouse isn’t full-service), décor and signage as needed; and a tee gift provider.

10. Touch base with the golf facility.  

In the weeks and days ahead of the event, you’ll need to coordinate some final details with the golf facility—including the number of players you’re expecting, vendor deliveries, setup times, and other key details. They’ll also want to dig into team pairings and hole assignments, which can be done right from the GolfStatus.org platform. The golf professional staff can also instantly format and print all the materials they’ll need the day of the event (including cart signs, tee sheets, and alpha lists) right from the software. This time savings is huge, as it keeps staff free to assist you and your event participants—instead of tied up in a back office with paperwork.

11. Get ready for the next round.  

One key advantage of using the GolfStatus.org platform is the ability to copy a previous event, pulling in format and other specifics with the ability to edit details like date and time. This means that your next event is already set up and basically ready to go. You just login when it gets a little closer, update any details, and start spreading the word.

A Return To Vietnam

On February 24th, 2019, a group of graying Vietnam War veterans boarded a plane to return to Vietnam—a place many of them swore they’d never go back to. Their smooth faces and freshly pressed fatigues have been replaced by weathered expressions, creased t-shirts, and ball caps. This tour, nearly 50 years later, isn’t about duty, weapons, and war; it’s about offering 53 Northeast Wisconsin veterans a chance at reconciliation, healing, and peace. Conducted by Old Glory Honor Flight—an all-volunteer northeast Wisconsin organization dedicated to serving war veterans—this once-in-a-lifetime trip takes veterans to locations they occupied during the Vietnam War. From the sweltering swamplands of the Mekong Delta in South Vietnam to the remains of North Vietnam’s Hoa Lo Prison, dubbed the “Hanoi Hilton” by American prisoners of war, the trip offered the veterans a chance to heal old wounds and build new relationships with the land and people of Vietnam.

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Courage & Survival

One of the veterans on board was George Dexter, who served in the Army’s 9th Infantry Division during the war. George enlisted at the start of his lifelong career as a mail carrier, just after his best friend was killed in combat in Vietnam. During the War, George’s primary duty was delivering mail to the troops. “I was still a mailman, just a heavily armed one,” George chuckles before drawing in a deep breath. “I did whatever it took to get our guys their mail.”

Two or three times a week, George brought mail—whether by jeep, truck, or helicopter—to troops wherever they were, even on the war’s most dangerous battlefronts. “One time, I went to bring mail to our mechanized unit, and they weren’t where they usually were,” recalls George, who himself was injured in combat and awarded a number of honors for his bravery, including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. “I came back to base and did some digging around, and I finally located them in Cambodia, so I requisitioned a C130 transport plane to fly me to the Cambodian border. From there, I unloaded the mail into a truck, and went with a six-vehicle convoy to where our guys were. They started their mission with 18 vehicles, and when I found them, they were down to one.” He pauses. “When I finally caught up with them, they were a mess. But I found what was left of them and got them their mail.”

George’s service in Vietnam—and that of many of his fellow soldiers—centered on a single philosophy. “Survival,” says George. “Any given day could be our last.” Such grave circumstances demand bonds between soldiers that can never be broken. “In a lot of cases, we didn’t have to say any words to know what the others were thinking,” he says.

The Trip Of A Lifetime

The Old Glory Honor Flight to Vietnam gave veterans the opportunity to revisit some of those bonds, as well as forge new ones. Exploring significant military sites together—places where many of them spent time in battle—brought intense, cathartic emotions quickly met by brotherly understanding and support. “They told us when we started the trip that things were bound to get emotional for each and every one of us,” says George. “We were there for each other through all of those moments. We had each other’s backs.”

George was especially inspired by how well-received he and his fellow veterans were by the local people. “We were treated with such kindness and respect,” he says. “We even met a former enemy who was a fighter pilot for North Vietnam. We all shook hands and gave hugs. He was someone’s father, son, and brother just like we were. It felt really, really good to do that after 50 years.”

A Well-Deserved Return

The week-long trip was packed with laughter and tears to be sure, but perhaps the most powerful experience was the return home, especially when compared to the return from Vietnam nearly 50 years ago. 

Amid a particularly treacherous political climate, many American soldiers returning stateside after surviving unspeakable horrors were greeted with scorn. Spitting, vulgar gestures, and even violence toward returning soldiers was commonplace, adding yet another layer of trauma to the soldiers’ already life-altering experiences. And because of the war’s longevity and resulting deployment logistics (a soldier completed a year-long tour of duty and was then replaced by another), soldiers often returned home alone rather than with their unit.

50 years later, the veterans on the Old Glory Honor flight finally received the welcome home they deserve. After a long flight and bus ride back to Menasha, Wisconsin, the group was greeted by a law enforcement escort. “When I saw the flashing lights and heard the sirens, that’s when the tears started for me,” says George. At their destination—Menasha High School—the veterans were met by their spouses and families, tenacious embraces, and tears of joy and healing.

The heartfelt homecoming only intensified as the veterans entered the school’s gymnasium, which erupted into raucous cheering from over 3,000 supporters. It was a moment that could bring even the hardest soldier to tears. “I cried like a baby,” says George.

Finding Peace

George’s return to Vietnam brought him peace, healing, and camaraderie—things that are crucial to veterans as they adjust to civilian life. In life after war, George has found another source of solace: golf.

When he started golfing at 60, it was love at first swing. “I fell in love with the game the first time I held a club in my hands,” says George, who is today an active member of the Veteran Golfers Association, a nonprofit committed to enriching the lives of U.S. military veterans and their family members through the sportsmanship and camaraderie of golf. “You’re out in God’s creation, and you’ve got nature and wildlife at its best, and it’s you and a little white ball,” says George through a smile. “It’s hard to beat that.” 

The Veterans Golfers Association has taken George’s love for the sport to the next level. When George heard his home course Thornberry Creek at Oneida (the official course of the Green Bay Packers and the home of the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic) was holding one of eight qualifying tournament events for the VGA Championship, he joined the association immediately. Along with participating in the VGA qualifying event held at Thornberry, he also earned a spot as one of 83 golfers to qualify for the VGA Championship held in Pinehurst, North Carolina. George was tickled to have the opportunity to play Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5 with fellow veterans—an experience he ranks as one of his most memorable.

George’s successful golf career with the VGA has continued; he’s qualified for regional and championship events several times. But his on-course successes are secondary to the relationships he’s built in the VGA because for George, the real, heart-healing reconciliation happens when he builds unbreakable bonds with other vets who have given so much to our country—whether on the course or through experiences that meet life-altering turmoil with peace. “I love meeting people from all over the country who have put on a uniform and served this great nation,” says George. “Being out on the course with fellow vets—it doesn’t get better than that.”

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This article first appeared in the spring 2019 edition of GolfStatus magazine. Learn more about the Veteran Golfers Association at

www.VGAGolf.org

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(It’s super easy!)

Setting up a Facebook event for your fundraisers is an easy (and free!) way to keep them in front of attendees, participants, sponsors, and other supporters. Event pages are easy to share and follow, they make it easy to communicate info to participants and supporters, and they pop up when folks within your supporters’ networks follow and share them. They’re also free, and only take a few minutes to create. If you’re organizing a golf fundraiser, be sure to create one. Here’s how to do it.

1. Create an event. From the Facebook business page for your organization, select events, then create event.

2. Fill in details. Add a title for your golf fundraiser, upload a photo, fill in additional details, and select a date and time. Choose the golf facility that will host your event in the location field. Choose an event category and add keywords, which will make your event easier for potential participants and supporters to find. Keywords also help Facebook determine where and how to recommend your event to people who might be interested.

3. Add GolfStatus.org. Under co-hosts, begin typing and select GolfStatus.org. Adding us to your event keeps it on our radar, so we can promote it to our followers—many of whom are avid golfers and involved in nonprofit work. As you post and share your event, we’ll do the same to help spread the word.

4. Add your event website. In the ticket URL field, paste the link to your GolfStatus registration website. This directs Facebook users right to your event’s online registration page, where they can instantly purchase an individual or team registration and/or sponsorship.  

5. Share and engage. Once set up, share your event page regularly, tagging GolfStatus.org, sponsors, the golf facility, and other supporters. Tagging these folks is a great way to show appreciation and recognition for their support; it also ensures that your posts reach a larger audience.

6. Promote. As the event draws closer, consider boosting your posts as you make one last push to attract supporters. The day of the event, be sure to share live leaderboards on your organization’s page so spectators can follow along and stay engaged.

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Get your event website up and running and start promoting your golf fundraiser today.

Contact us at [email protected].