Certainly teams and sponsorships make up the bulk of the fundraising revenue for your golf outing, but let’s not forget day-of efforts. Whether you’re keeping things traditional or planning a modified or virtual outing, the funds raised in the moment can quickly take an event from good to great. Digital options keep costs low, minimize extra work for organizers, and provide more opportunities to engage players, sponsors, and their networks. Here are some often-overlooked day-of digital fundraising options to consider for your upcoming outing.
1. Skins Games
Skins games are a great way to encourage friendly competition among golfers while simultaneously raising more dollars for your cause. In short, skins games create mini-competitions where teams (or individuals, depending on the event’s format) opt to compete against each other based on their score on a given hole, in addition to their overall score. Event organizers can use skins games to fundraise by setting a dollar amount where participants can buy in to compete. Displaying skins results on real-time leaderboards keeps things competitive and provides an easy way for participants and online spectators to instantly donate from their mobile device.
2. Live Leaderboards
Whether your event is traditional, virtual, or a hybrid format, be sure to promote and display the live leaderboards for the outing online. This is as easy as posting a link to your organization’s social channels and sending an email to your supporters the day of the event or during the week of an extended play/virtual tournament. This opens the event up to a broad audience of online spectators, who can not only follow the event in real time, they can make a donation to your cause directly from the online leaderboard with the click of a button.
3. Consider extended play in comms plans
If you’re planning an extended play and/or virtual outing, be sure to outline a communications plan that capitalizes on the fact that the event will occur over a longer duration—so you can raise dollars the whole time. Start in the months and weeks leading up to the event by explaining the modified format. Leverage social media, your organization’s website, and the event registration website to keep players and sponsors informed and clearly outline when, where, and how they can participate and support the event in other ways. Leverage opportunities to thank sponsors and acknowledge their commitments. Put out a press release and aim to engage local media in the creative approach your organization is taking to the golf fundraiser. Time a communication in the days leading up to the event announcing its kickoff, and periodically share news about rankings as the event happens over multiple days/weeks. The key here is to get people engaged and following the outing; certainly, the easiest way to do that is with live, shareable leaderboards. Unfamiliar with live leaderboards and how they work? Check out this article on live scoring.
4. Mobile Sweepstakes
The mobile channel is the most viewed and, when utilized properly, the most effective exposure avenue for brands. Work with sponsors to go mobile with on-course prizes that add a little excitement and help bring in more dollars. With the right technology, you can time in-app, sponsor-branded exposure to engage participants at specific moments during the round. When you’re working with sponsors, ask them for in-kind donations of services or gift cards that can be given away through mobile sweepstakes the day of the outing. Use this as a way to further engage with sponsors and raise more dollars through digital placements.
5. Timely Asks & Thank Yous
Remind participants to make a donation during the event through in-app messages either delivered to all participants at a certain time or triggered during a key moment in the player’s game. In app messages are also a great way to thank participants for supporting the cause and remind them of the impact their generous donations make. When you post final results, be sure to link players directly to the event’s leaderboard, where they can instantly make a donation from mobile with a few simple taps.
Get Started
GolfStatus offers all the technology event organizers need to capitalize on each of these opportunities, and it’s backed by an in-house customer success team that can help you get any and all of these options up and running quickly and easily.
Through GolfStatus.org’s Golf for Good program, this technology is available to qualifying nonprofits at no cost. Follow the link below to learn more.
Submit an inquiry here to get qualified or email us directly at
