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

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

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

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Dollars Raised

$45,000

Sponsors

43

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The CMN Hospitals Connection

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

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

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

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

— Nick Coleman, Director of Corporate Partnerships at CMN Hospitals

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The Challenge

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

The Solution

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

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

The Results

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

Highlighted GolfStatus Features:

• Event website

• Secure online registration for players and sponsors 

• Mobile scoring with sponsor exposure 

• Live leaderboards with premium sponsor exposure 

• Additional fundraising revenue from sale of technology sponsorship

Online Registration & Secure Payment Processing

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

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

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

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Easing the Administrative Burden

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

Sponsorships & Recognition

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

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

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

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

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

Mobile Scoring & Live Leaderboards

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

Matching Dollars

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

Tournament Extras & Cause Connection

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

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

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If the past 18 months have taught fundraisers anything, it’s the importance of being nimble. Indeed, fundraisers have had to find new ways to pivot over the past 18 months, a theme that looks like it’ll continue into the planning season for Spring 2022 events. Fundraisers will need to stay nimble if changes in local circumstances necessitate modifications to in-person gatherings and create approaches to event fundraisers. Options and flexibility are perhaps more important than ever.

Golf tournaments can be easily adapted for distancing and reduced contact, giving event organizers more flexibility than perhaps any other fundraising event, while attracting the right donors and sponsors to effectively help your organization expand its donor network. Here’s a look at six distinct advantages of a golf tournament fundraiser, plus tips for launching a first-year tournament or adapting an existing event (ahead of time or at the last minute).

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1. Golf is something many donors genuinely enjoy.

Golf saw a sustained rise in popularity throughout 2020 and so far in 2021, attracting both veteran and first-time players and amassing over 24 million active, on-course golfers, according to the National Golf Foundation. The surge is expected to continue, particularly given golf’s innate social distancing, which gives donors the opportunity to safely participate in your fundraiser through an activity they enjoy. Charity golf events are unique in that they attract everyone from serious golfers to loyal supporters of your organization. These supporters often use their personal and professional networks to field a team and end up coming back year after year because they enjoy the chance to play a round for your cause.

2. Golf tournaments can be easily adapted for health and safety concerns.

It’s no surprise that golf has been dubbed the official sport of social distancing. The fact that golf is played outdoors and is an individual sport makes it possible to easily remain distanced while still convening. In fact, rounds are up nationwide for the second straight year; overall, play is up 22.8% through June of 2021 compared to 2020. With broad support from the golf industry as a whole via its 2020 Back2Golf initiative aimed at organizing a safe return to play at courses nationwide, event organizers have taken several steps to maintain distancing throughout golf tournaments. This includes using tee times instead of a shotgun start, adapting or foregoing post-golf banquets, limiting carts to one golfer, adequately spacing tables for check in, and switching from paper scorecards to mobile live scoring and real-time leaderboards.

3. A contact-free event is easier than you might think.

Converting to a contact-free in-person event is quite simple with the right technology. You’ll need an event website to market your event and collect registrations, eliminating the need for paper registration forms, checks, and receipts. You’ll also want to get rid of paper scorecards, making live-scoring a must. Doing so gives you more sponsorship options and sets your event up for a seamless transition to a virtual round (where participants can play at the course on their own time in support of your cause instead of gathering for a formal event) should you have to pivot last-minute. If you’re already set on a virtual golf fundraiser, online registration and live-scoring are crucial, ensuring that supporters commit to the virtual round and submit their scores to the leaderboard, which you can also use to keep supporters following your event and submitting online donations before, during, and after the virtual event.

4. Golf events attract high-capacity donors.

Veteran fundraisers and event planners know that it’s not always about attracting supporters to a fundraising event, but the right supporters. The golfer donor is especially important for many organizations because these supporters typically belong to an affluent and influential demographic. The average golfer’s net worth is over $768,000 with a household income exceeding $100,000 (nearly double the national average). These folks also have noteworthy ties to potential sponsors: one in three golfers are top level managers and 90% of Fortune 500 CEOs are golfers. These are the types of supporters who can move the needle for nonprofits in terms of major gifts, and who organizations want to have in their donor database. They can also help organizations connect with local, regional, and even national brands and businesses, making the golf event a seamless entry point to corporate donors and partnerships.

5. Golf tournaments are both fundraisers and outreach opportunities.

Most charity golf events are scrambles, which means that players must tap a few friends or colleagues to join them in participating, making the event a natural outreach effort. If you’re planning an established annual event, you’ll of course want to start by engaging participants from years past. If your field tends to sell out each year, consider adding a virtual round to the traditional in-person event to involve more supporters and give folks who might not feel comfortable playing in the event an opportunity to still participate on their own time. Golf tournaments also tend to attract coverage by local media outlets, which spreads awareness for your cause throughout the community. It’s a good idea to reach out to newspapers, online news outlets, radio stations, and television stations with information about your event and invite them to cover it.

6. Virtual tournaments give you a built-in back-up plan.

Whether you decide ahead of time or need to pivot to virtual leading up to your event, it’s easy to add a virtual option for a hybrid event or go completely virtual with your golf tournament if necessary. Flexible technology makes it simple to collect registrations online, provide touch-free mobile scoring during the event, collect donations, and share live leaderboards to keep golfers and spectators engaged with the event and your cause. Not only does a virtual round give golfers the choice of when and how they play to support your organization, it also provides an avenue to grow your fundraiser. Best of all, you have options, including a completely virtual tournament, a hybrid event that includes an in-person round as well as a virtual round, or a completely in-person event that’s touch-free and safely distanced.

How to Get Started 

The right technology is key to a successful fundraiser, whether it’s a distanced in-person event, a virtual round, or a hybrid tournament. Launching an event website is a great place to start—simply outline a few key details like date and facility and get it on your supporters’ calendars sooner rather than later. 

You’ll need to be aware of any guidelines or regulations that courses are requesting to keep golfers safe, such as not touching the pin flag, wearing masks in the clubhouse, and restricting carts to one golfer or those in the same household. In addition, be cognizant of capacity limitations at the golf facility and adjust accordingly. You’ll also want to be ready with a back-up plan if local conditions change. Having a virtual round in your back pocket is a great option so you’re ready for changing circumstances. Technology makes it easy to adapt and pivot and keep your golf fundraiser moving forward.

GolfStatus’s golf event management software is designed specifically for fundraisers (including traditional and virtual outings). It’s available to qualifying nonprofits at no cost through GolfStatus.org and the Golf for Good program. Get qualified by clicking the button below or email us directly at [email protected].

Nonprofit event organizers are used to finding ways to squeeze every cent out of limited budgets. When it comes to your golf fundraiser, whether you’re planning an event for the first time or looking to level up an event that’s been going on for years, there are a number of tools available at no cost that help make planning, prep, and promotion easier and more impactful. Best of all, these tools won’t affect your budget or event’s bottom line.

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1. Golf Event registration website

An event registration website is one of the simplest—and most impactful—tools you can have for your golf tournament. A event website makes it easy to promote your event and collect player and sponsor information, saving you a ton of time and effort. You can use it to share more information about your organization’s mission, what the golf tournament is raising money for, and keeps golfers and spectators involved before, during, and after your event. (Through the Golf for Good program, qualifying nonprofits can get a free website for their golf fundraiser built by the GolfStatus team.)

golfstatus.org

2. Social Media

If your organization isn’t already on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to engage with constituents, recognize donors and sponsors, and raise awareness for your mission. Promote your golf fundraiser (with a link to your event website where folks can purchase teams or sponsor packages) in the months and weeks leading up to your event and invite your constituents to share with their personal networks. It’s a good practice to give sponsors shoutouts on social media, providing additional exposure and a bigger return on their investment. You can also share pictures, impact stories, results, and donation appeals from your golf event.

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

3. Canva

Canva is an online design and publishing tool. The free version has a number of built-in templates and features that make it easy for anyone—even if you don’t have any graphic design experience—to create attractive imagery for your golf tournament. Use it to design a tournament graphic, resize logos, or create promotional images to share on social media. Canva also has learning opportunities and resources on design, marketing, and branding.

canva.com

4. GIF Maker

This no frills, simple tool lets you create animated gifs, slideshows, and video animations for your event’s website, social media, or organizational website with just a few clicks. Upload images, set the size and animation speed, determine if the slideshow should loop, and even add music.

gifmaker.me

5. QR Code Maker

A QR (quick response) code makes it easy for people to use their phone’s camera function (or other QR code reader) to quickly get to your event website. Simply include the code on all printed tournament materials likeflyers, personal invitations, save the date postcards, and sponsorship requests for easy access to purchase team and sponsorship packages and make a donation to your organization. Customize the appearance of your QR code with frames, color, and even your organization or event logo.

qr-code-generator.com

6. Any Video Converter

This free tool helps you use video effectively on your event website, organization website, and social media. Need to download a video you own from YouTube? Check. Reduce the size of a video file? Check. Convert a video to a different format? Check.

Any-video-converter.com

7. Golf Event Management Software

Most event management technology isn’t built to handle the nitty gritty details of a golf fundraiser. Organizers need one specifically designed for golf events, with features that help spread the word, collect registrations and payment, recognize sponsors and offer premium sponsor exposure, coordinate with the golf facility, communicate with golfers, avoid hours of duplicative data entry, and keep everything organized in one space. GolfStatus provides all this and more, plus, qualifying 501(c) organizations and those holding events that benefit them can get access to GolfStatus’s golf event management platform at no cost through the Golf for Good program.

golfstatus.org

Get Started With Golf for Good

Through Golf for Good and GolfStatus.org, the social impact division of golf technology company GolfStatus, nonprofits and organizations doing social good can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s full-featured golf event management software. Get a free event website built by the GolfStatus team plus features that save time, keep you organized, and help you handle all the golf-specific details. 

From small, local fundraisers to massive charity tournaments, golf is a great way to bring people together in support of a cause. This summer, GolfStatus.org is teaming up with our giving partners at Dormie Network and Dormie Network Foundation to celebrate those who are doing exactly that.

This is a unique opportunity to “play” it forward: You nominate a golf fundraiser to receive a $10,000 donation and get a chance to win a one-year honorary membership to Dormie Network, plus a $10,000 stipend to spend on golf and lodging at its exclusive private destination golf resorts.

The golf fundraiser can be anything from a memorial tournament commemorating a loved one to an alumni golf event and from a celebrity pro-am to a corporate golf outing raising money for a favorite charity. As long as the golf tournament raises money for a charitable cause, it’s eligible! Nominate a tournament by telling us about the mission and cause it supports, and why that cause is important to you.

Designed by famed golf course architect Tom Fazio, Dormie Network’s Victoria National Golf Club boasts gorgeous views amid challenging holes.

The winner will be announced on social media, so make sure you follow GolfStatus.org (Facebook and Instagram) and Dormie Network (Facebook and Instagram) for the latest.

You don’t want to miss out on this chance to make a difference and use golf for good. The entry deadline is Labor day (September 6) so nominate a golf fundraiser today!

Golf may be the medium, but the mission of First Tee extends far beyond the sport itself. Its approach uses golf as a metaphor for life—a game with unexpected challenges and ups and downs that help build strengths beyond the technical skills to play the game. “That’s what sets us apart from someone just offering junior golf lessons,” says Jeff Porter, PGA, First Tee Omaha’s Executive Director.

Part of the larger First Tee network with chapters in all 50 states, First Tee Omaha focuses on resiliency, building self-confidence, and a sense of belonging through golf. Its nine core values of honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment serve kids well beyond the golf course. 

The Steve Hogan Memorial Golf outing is held annually to raise money for the First Tee of Omaha’s Golf and Life Skills youth development programming, but also to remember the contributions of founder Steve Hogan. A passionate advocate for junior golf in the area, Steve was the first African American PGA professional in the Nebraska Section and had a vision of using golf as a way to instill the values of being a good person, citizen, and student in kids from all walks of life. He founded Hogan’s Heroes Junior Golf Heroes, which later became First Tee Omaha.

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Sponsor contributions

20% increase

Revenue

30% increase

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Elevating the Event and Maximizing Fundraising

The 11th annual Steve Hogan Memorial Golf Outing was originally planned for July 2020, but precautions related to COVID-19 prompted it to be rescheduled for September. Jeff had already signed on to use the GolfStatus platform for the event, but credits the technology with helping them quickly adapt. “Like everybody else, we rolled with the punches and made the best of the situation that we couldn’t control,” says Jeff.

Like many other nonprofits, First Tee Omaha’s golf event is a huge part of its fundraising portfolio. One of Jeff’s goals for upgrading the outing with technology was to be more efficient while still offering the best possible experience for golfers and sponsors. “We want to honor Steve’s legacy with a great event,” he says. “That meant looking at what we have been doing for years and what we can do differently and do better.” 

As a nonprofit organization, First Tee Omaha qualified for a free event registration website, along with no-cost access to the GolfStatus platform through the Golf for Good program. The GolfStatus team built the site and worked with Jeff to set custom team and sponsor packages. The built-in online registration capabilities saved the planning team a ton of time. Instead of dealing with piles of mailed in registration forms, checks, and hand-written credit card numbers, folks registered online where their information was securely captured and stored in the software’s back-end. “It was great not to have to deal with checks, processing credit cards, and handling receipts for those that registered online,” Jeff says. “This was just another way to maximize the technology to make things easier and more efficient.”

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“This was just another way to maximize the technology to make things easier and more efficient.”

— Jeff Porter, PGA, First Tee Omaha’s Executive Director

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Jeff notes that the simple, attractive website made it easier for sponsors to want to sign on to support the event, and digital exposure added even more value to their investment. “For sponsors and potential sponsors to see their options and purchase them right there on the website was huge,” he says. The 2020 event saw an increase in sponsor contributions by 20% over previous years, much of which Jeff credits to the broad digital exposure provided by GolfStatus.

Organizations can build custom sponsorship packages and sell them right on the event website.

Saving Everyone Time

Jeff has been in the golf business for years. He spent 10 years as a golf course general manager before becoming First Tee Omaha’s Executive Director. His years of experience running golf events from the facility side makes him uniquely qualified to understand the work that goes into running a successful golf tournament. He points out that golf staff often have to do tedious, time-consuming tasks leading up to a golf event. But GolfStatus automates much of that work, freeing up staff to assist event organizers and golfers the day of the tournament. “GolfStatus is basically another pair of hands to help with event prep and execution,” he says, noting that the software eases their burden. Instead of having to enter golfer information for cart signs, tee sheets, and alpha lists, the pre-formatted printouts in the software were ready to go. “Really, there’s no downside to using it. It saves everybody time and manpower, elevates the event, and provides a great experience.”

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“It (GolfStatus) saves everybody time and manpower, elevates the event, and provides a great experience.”

— Jeff Porter, PGA, First Tee Omaha’s Executive Director

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The outing used GolfStatus’s reliable live-scoring feature to not only reduce the touchpoint of paper scorecards, but provide real-time standings throughout the day. “Having the standings ready to go on the live leaderboards literally cut an hour off the end of the day,” Jeff points out. Teams used the GolfStatus mobile app to record their score with a few simple taps, which automatically synced to the live leaderboards that anyone could follow on the event website.

Not only did live scoring and leaderboards provide digital sponsorship exposure during the tournament, but they saved golf facility staff, event organizers, and even golfers time when the event was wrapping up. “People are anxious to get to the outing and play, but they’re also anxious to go home,” Jeff says. He points out that thanks to the live scoring functionality, the results were available as soon as the last group finished their round. “This is just one more way we can streamline the process to be most efficient, and people liked checking the standings over the course of the day,” Jeff says.

Better Outcomes Thanks to Better Tech

Jeff credits GolfStatus’s premium features with elevating the overall professionalism of the annual outing. “GolfStatus did everything that we wanted it to as far as elevating the product and experience that we are offering,” says Jeff.

What’s more, the event saw an impressive increase in revenue—up 30% from previous years. “The overall workload on the fundraiser went down and our revenue went up. That’s a win-win!” Jeff says. “We were really excited that we saw an increase in proceeds from the golf event and I credit that to GolfStatus.”

To learn more about First Tee Omaha, visit firstteeomaha.org.

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“The overall workload on the fundraiser went down and our revenue went up. That’s a win-win!”

— Jeff Porter, PGA, First Tee Omaha’s Executive Director

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Planning a memorial tournament or other golf tournament fundraiser? Get qualified for our Golf for Good program and get a free website and no-cost access to GolfStatus’s golf event management technology.

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Spring may have just sprung, but it’s already time to start looking ahead to fall. While restrictions on gatherings are beginning to loosen, social distancing is likely to linger. This puts nonprofit event organizers looking to plan fall fundraising events in a bit of a conundrum when it comes to gathering safely to hold a lucrative fundraiser. The answer? A golf tournament.

In general, fall is a great time for golf. Favorable weather, appealing course conditions, and lower facility costs make it an attractive time of year for a golf tournament fundraiser. Throughout the pandemic, golf has provided a reprieve for folks looking to get outdoors and safely participate in an activity they enjoy. And given the lingering uncertainty of the months ahead, the golf outing—with its outdoor setting and built-in social distancing—provides easy adaptability and flexibility. Here’s why a golf tournament is the best option for a fundraising event this fall (and how to get started at no cost).

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the Flexibility to Change Course

Golf fundraisers proved their flexibility and adaptability over and over throughout the challenges of 2020. A few simple modifications, along with technology, made it possible to hold contact-free in-person gatherings and even virtual and hybrid tournaments. As we move closer to fall of 2021, event organizers continue to need options that let them swiftly and easily change course last minute if needed.

One type of golf tournament in particular has seen a great deal of success among nonprofits—a hybrid event. With a hybrid outing, a traditional in-person tournament is held with social distancing and contact-free protocols built in to keep everyone safe with a virtual round that runs in tandem. The virtual option can be held over an extended period (the whole month of the in-person tournament, for example). This approach is advantageous for several reasons. First, it gives folks who may not feel comfortable gathering in a group, albeit safely, the opportunity to participate and golf a round in support of a nonprofit or cause. Second, technology makes it easy, low or no-cost, and risk-free. Since people play on their own time, you don’t incur the expense of renting a facility for the entire day. Live scoring technology is crucial; you’ll need a reliable platform that can aggregate scores from an extended outing at one or more golf courses.

Third, it’s a built in backup plan. If things go sideways when the date arrives for your fall fundraiser and the in-person tournament has to be canceled, the virtual round can go on without missing a beat. Finally, a hybrid event lets you grow your fundraiser. If yours is a tournament that typically sells out or if teams are tied to sponsors, adding the virtual round lets more supporters, staff, and board members support your mission through golf.

Great Weather & Course Conditions

A fall golf tournament is a nice alternative to the summer months. Fall typically brings favorable weather conditions—the heat of the summer has passed, which means cooler temps that are perfect for golf. Add in excellent playing conditions—in some cases the best of the entire year—and golfers get a great day on the course at your tournament. You’ll want to keep the shorter days fall brings in mind when it comes to setting the tournament’s schedule and format to maximize playable hours, but this can easily be addressed with a shotgun start, a shorter nine-hole event, or nontraditional format. Golf-specific event management technology will be able to accommodate these factors, making them a non-issue for holding a fall event.

Book a Great Golf Facility

You’ll want to try to hit the sweet spot of the “shoulder season,” that is, the time period between peak and off-peak times of year for the golf industry. This time period varies from region to region, but in general, courses are less crowded in the fall than they are during the height of the summer months. You typically won’t have to pay the high costs that come with events during prime golf season, and because courses aren’t as busy (including high-end courses), they’re more likely to give you a good deal to host your tournament as they try to bridge the gap between summer and winter. Golfers jump at the chance to play at a top-tier golf course, which helps attract new donors for your organization.

What’s more, fall presents the opportunity to approach sponsors who may have funds left in their sponsorship and donation budgets for the year. You’ll want to highlight the broad exposure and brand lift they’ll gain by sponsoring such an event. The right golf event management technology has premium digital sponsorship exposure built in—from the event website to live leaderboards and mobile scoring, they’ll glean impressions throughout the tournament. If you opt for a hybrid event, sponsors will get the benefit of this digital exposure in addition to any on-course signage and traditional exposure from the in-person side of the overall event.

Add a Second Golf Event

Adding a fall golf tournament to your organization’s event lineup is a good chance to bookend the fundraising year. It doesn’t have to be on the same scale as a spring or summer tournament, but opens the door to more supporters getting involved to champion your cause.

It’s easy to add a second event when you use the right technology that lets you simply copy a previous event so it’s basically set up and ready to go. A second event is also the chance to try out a hybrid format and add a virtual option. You’ll be able to see how your constituency and sponsors respond to the concept and if they’re willing to jump on board for this type of unconventional tournament for your main spring or summer golf fundraiser.

Start Planning

If you haven’t already, now is the time to start planning your fall golf event. GolfStatus’s golf event management technology makes the process simple and straightforward, with tons of time-saving and fundraising features.

Nonprofit organizations (or those holding a fundraiser that benefits one) can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s software through the Golf for Good program. Click the button below to get qualified or email us directly at [email protected].

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From opportunities to engage with vendors, partners, and clients to positive public relations and community outreach, a corporate golf event offers tons of benefits. It’s also an especially ideal way to gather as restrictions loosen, but social distancing and crowd limitations linger. But if you’ve ever put on a tournament—a first-year event or an established outing—you know there are a number of component parts to manage, and they don’t always function in sync. Here are some upgrades that can save you time, cast your brand in a positive and professional light, and make the experience all-around better for players and sponsors.

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1. Launch a website for the tournament.

An online presence for your event makes it easier to spread the word across all your marketing channels. The site should feature all pertinent information about your golf event, including available team packages and sponsorships. It should also show off sponsors, include a place for leaderboards during the event (and final results after), and pull in information about the course (namely its location and scorecard). In fact, a well-comprised event website can even typically replace most printed materials (mailers, paper registration packets, and other collateral that must be designed and managed). Instead, simply link directly to the site in event communications and invites, so potential participants can quickly and easily find the information they need and commit to participating in the tournament.

2. Process registrations online.

The registration process is one of the most important touchpoints for any event. A clunky process soaks up your time, increases the likelihood of embarrassing errors, and can be especially frustrating. Having an event website sets you up to upgrade your registration platform and side-step issues. Be sure to choose a platform that functions seamlessly with the website, securely processes payments, and can accommodate needs specific to the golf event (such as the ability to collect handicaps and apparel sizes and the option for registrants to purchase add-ons like raffle tickets and mulligans). As the organizer, you’ll need to be able to access player and sponsor registrations in real-time, and you’ll want a platform that makes it easy to pass that information to the golf facility in the day or so leading up to the event. There’s bound to be last-minute changes, so you’ll want something that makes it easy for staff at the facility to track those and swap out names on cart signs and other materials so every player has a premier experience. 

3. Display your brand professionally. 

When it comes to showcasing your brand, think beyond tee gifts and goodie bags. Display your company logo (or the event’s logo, if it has one) across materials—starting with your event website and including the leaderboards, scorecards, cart signs, and other on-site materials. These subtle and professional impressions continuously associate your company and brand with the great experience of participating in a fun, well-run event.

4. Put the benefitting charity on display. 

Be sure to include information about the charity your event is supporting on your event website. This should include impact imagery and information that tells the story of the cause and the organization. Take a page from the nonprofit sector’s playbook and look for ways to quantify the impact of specific purchases so supporters know how their dollars make a difference. For example: The purchase of one team provides three meals per day for a child in need for three months. This shows people what they’re supporting and, more importantly, why it matters, and encourages them to give generously.

5. Include on-course contests. 

Adding the opportunity to win prizes is a fun and easy way to make a tournament more memorable. A putting contest is a simple addition. Players simply putt for a chance to enter the contest, where they win an exclusive prize if they ultimately sink the final putt. Hole-in-one contests are also worth considering. For these, one or more holes is designated for the contest, giving players the chance to win a prize if they ace that hole. If your event will be hosting vendors, partners, or B2B clients, consider offering a contest sponsorship that covers the costs of facilitating the package. Be sure to take the opportunity to recognize sponsors as well as folks who qualified for the putting contest, and look for opportunities to acknowledge them with on-course signage and other exposure. 

6. Offer live-scoring and leaderboards. 

At a typical golf event, players and/or teams tally their round, turn paper scorecards in at the end, and then congregate around the clubhouse until the final team finishes and scores can be tallied. Live-scoring improves this flow, allowing teams to input their score into a mobile app in real-time on the course; meanwhile, leaderboards display live scores. The upgrade makes the event more engaging; players check their standings and enjoy poking fun at other teams. Be cognizant that the live-scoring platform you choose is clean, sleek, and easy to use, so inputting a score is simple and not distracting for players. Leaderboards should provide an opportunity to showcase your branding as well as the benefitting charity’s branding—tying everything together professionally. It’s also a good idea to inform staff at the golf facility so they can plan to set up scrolling leaderboards on clubhouse TVs and at the on-course comfort station or halfway house.

7. Add the option to participate remotely. 

With social distancing lingering, it’s a good idea to continue to provide options for folk to support your event in both the traditional format and virtually. Essentially, you’ll plan your traditional in-person, one-day outing at the course, then tack on a virtual option that extends over the week, two weeks, or the whole month in which the traditional event occurs. Folks who aren’t comfortable coming out for the one-day event can register for the virtual round and come out to the course on their own time with their own group or alone. This way, they’re still able to participate, experience the outing, and support the cause, while also feeling safe and comfortable. You’ll need to employ some technology here, but—with the right platform—adding a virtual round is very simple and costs nothing. A hybrid event is also a nice option if you’re wanting to allow more participants, but traditionally have a sold-out field.

8. Collect and manage player information.

It’s often the case that the person who is tasked with running the golf event gets to know the people who attend over the years. When the event has been handed off to someone new, or there’s an effort to expand or evolve it in a more intentional and organized fashion, player and sponsor information becomes especially crucial. Who has supported the event in the past and how can they be contacted? The right technology helps you securely and responsibility collect player and sponsor information, so you know exactly who attends and in what capacity. After the event, that information should be imported back into your company’s CRM.

9. Follow up. 

Knowing who is participating and how allows you to follow up and continue to steward meaningful business relationships: thank employees for joining and supporting the event and the cause it supports; reach out to partners with follow-up communications and gifts; leverage the experience to advance and steward relationships with clients. When the time comes to plan next year’s event, the information you need is at your fingertips, and everything is infinitely easier.

Get Started 

GolfStatus provides all the above and more, making it especially easy to upgrade corporate events from start to finish. This includes a professional event website (that can seamlessly be integrated into your business’s site), secure online registration, the ability to manage teams and sponsors, premier branding opportunities, ways to showcase a cause, live-scoring and leaderboards, secure data collection, and much more. It also includes options for virtual events and rounds—so you’re ready for anything.

Best of all, if your event benefits a nonprofit, your business likely qualifies for no-cost access to GolfStatus through GolfStatus.org and the Golf for Good program.

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Uncertainty has many nonprofits wondering what to do with in-person fundraisers in the upcoming event season. Golf events have proven to be especially important amid COVID-19, giving organizations the flexibility to quickly adapt to local circumstances and comfort levels to hold a successful fundraiser. Socially distanced in-person events as well as virtual and hybrid tournaments provide event organizers with options and the flexibility they need to move forward one way or another. Here’s how they work and what you need to know to start planning.

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WHAT’S A VIRTUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT?

A virtual golf tournament isn’t a video game, Zoom call, or online experience—it’s real golf that’s played remotely and leverages technology to collect registrations, scores, and digital sponsorships. Rather than gathering at the same golf facility at a specific date and time, golfers or teams play when it’s convenient for them and essentially donate their round to a good cause.

Virtual golf events have several innate advantages, safety and social distancing being key in the age of COVID-19. But the appeal of virtual events goes well beyond the pandemic. They present substantial fundraising opportunities, they attract more supporters, there are little to no overhead costs, and there’s essentially no limit to the number of people who can golf in support of your organization’s mission. With the right technology, virtual golf tournaments are easy, lucrative, and fun.

how a virtual event works:

1. One or more courses are chosen for the event and a duration is set (typically a weekend, week, or month).

2. Players and teams register online. Their registration is essentially a donation directly to your cause, and you collect their information to add to your donor database. 

3. Sponsors purchase packages online and get broad digital exposure, all through the event website.

4. Golfers book their tee time directly with the course and play when convenient.

5. Players and teams check in to the tournament via a mobile app and submit their scores using the app’s scorecard. Aggregate leaderboards appear on the event website, which can be shared through your organization’s digital channels to keep supporters engaged throughout the event.

6. Winners are announced. Use this opportunity to thank players and sponsors and perhaps even make an additional ask.

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WHAT’S A HYBRID GOLF tournament?

A hybrid event gives you the best of both worlds. It’s as simple as running a virtual round alongside your in-person event, perhaps the week or weeks before or after the tournament or over the whole month. The hybrid option gives golfers who would rather support your organization by playing a round on their own, have a scheduling conflict, or missed registering for the on-site event before it sold out the chance to participate. 

The hybrid approach also gives your organization a built-in backup plan. Best case scenario—both events move forward and you attract even more players and sponsors than a traditional one-day outing. But if the in-person event needs to be canceled or modified, the virtual round can proceed without interruption. Further, adding a virtual round to a traditional event gives you another way to grow your golf fundraiser. If your event typically sells out, adding a virtual round lets more supporters play for your cause without having to add a second day to the traditional fundraiser and incur additional costs.

Here’s how a hybrid event works:

1. One or more courses (including the course being used for the traditional event) are chosen for the event and a duration is set (typically the weekend or week before or after the event, or the whole month in which it occurs).

2. Players and teams register online. When the field for the traditional event sells out, players and sponsors can still support the event via the virtual round. Those interested in only the virtual round also register online.

3. Sponsors purchase packages in support of the traditional event, virtual round, or both with broad exposure. 

4. Virtual round golfers book their tee time directly with the golf course and play when convenient. 

5. Those participating in the traditional event play their round on the specified date with social distancing protocols in place. Folks registered for the virtual round play on their own time and submit their score via mobile app to the aggregate leaderboard.

6. Winners are announced for both the traditional event and virtual round, keeping the overall event fair and competitive.

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WHY SHOULD MY ORGANIZATION CONSIDER A VIRTUAL OR HYBRID EVENT?

If 2020 taught event organizers anything, it’s that they need to be able to seamlessly pivot events and that backup plans are more valuable than ever. The beauty of a virtual round, whether it’s the primary focus of the tournament or held in tandem with an in-person outing, is that it gives you options, flexibility, and the ability to quickly change formats if it becomes necessary. 

A virtual event is also low risk, with the potential for high reward. Golf is more popular than ever, and a virtual round allows you to engage more supporters over an extended period of time. The ability to offer broad digital exposure makes sponsorships attractive to a wide variety of companies who want to get their brands in front of an affluent demographic of golfers. What’s more, the costs of a virtual round are minimal because there is often no need to rent the entire golf facility and incur green fees.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

Technology is crucial to a successful virtual or hybrid event. It all starts with a professional event website, where you can collect registrations, list and sell digital sponsorships, and easily communicate information and updates to supporters. You’ll also need live scoring functionality, online leaderboards, and the ability for supporters to make donations before, during, and after the event. 

With golf event management technology available to qualifying nonprofits through GolfStatus.org’s Golf for Good program at no cost, it’s simple and low-cost to add a virtual option or go completely virtual. Get qualified for Golf for Good by clicking below or email us at [email protected] to get started.

Corporate support is key to moving the needle for nonprofits of all sizes. From development staff seeking national program sponsors to local organizations looking for an in at businesses in their communities, these relationships are vital to increasing exposure—and funding—for nonprofits’ missions. The introduction to these relationships is often the hardest part, but the golf event presents an especially attractive entry point to corporate entities. Indeed, the golf fundraiser often opens the door to high-level donor relationships that can be stewarded to secure support for programs and future events and developed into strategic long-term partnerships. It’s a snowball effect quite unlike any other.

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Why the Golf Event is Attractive 

There are many factors that make golf tournaments especially popular among sponsors. Golf offers people the chance to be outdoors and participate in an activity they genuinely enjoy while supporting a worthy cause, making the golf outing a fun community event with a ton of brand lift for corporate sponsors. Charity golf tournaments, particularly longstanding events that benefit a well-known organization, also tend to attract press coverage, giving sponsors even more mileage for their investment in your golf event, and subsequently, your cause.

It’s also no secret that business gets done on the golf course. Business professionals are keenly aware of how much can be accomplished in the four hours they have with potential partners and clients on the golf course. These opportunities are priceless from a networking standpoint, so be mindful when assigning teams to holes for the event. You might, for example, pair a board member from your organization with an executive from a business that is a potential corporate sponsor to help advance the relationship.

Soliciting Event Sponsors

Businesses are looking for a win-win when it comes to sponsoring events. They want to get in front of potential clients and customers with premium brand exposure. What makes golf events unique is their demographic: golfers are generally affluent and influential members of the community. Target businesses in industries like food and beverage, healthcare, sports and fitness, business and financial services, home services, luxury brands and services, and travel. Start with existing relationships and lean on your volunteers and board members. Local businesses are great, but don’t be afraid to reach out to regional and national companies, particularly those that may be headquartered or have offices in your area.

While brand exposure is certainly important, it’s not always the driving factor in why a sponsor chooses to invest in your event. In many cases, they simply want to support a community event and a great cause. Keep this in mind when seeking sponsors. Look for organizations with a track record of community involvement or give-back initiatives. Use your network and contacts for a first contact if possible, but if you’re making a cold ask, look for individuals in public relations, communication, human resources, community engagement, or marketing positions at larger businesses.

Collect Donor & Sponsor Data

There is a great deal of power in the donor data that comes from players and sponsors supporting your golf event. The simple reality is this—you can’t onboard and steward the donors and sponsors that are introduced to your organization from your golf event if you don’t know who they are. Collecting this data is imperative, and luckily, doesn’t have to be a headache. Technology can make this simple and painless. An event website with online registration and secure payment processing makes capturing each golfer and sponsor’s information easy. Look for a platform that allows you to track and manage registrant and sponsor information in real-time, with an option to export data to your donor CRM and/or donor database. Consider using tags or notations to track the years donors and sponsors participated in your golf event and at what level. This background will be helpful in the future, when you return to these relationships to make asks for future events and steward them into larger corporate partnerships.

Event Follow-up & Stewardship

One of the best—and easiest—ways to steward corporate donors is through a genuine thank-you. Publicly thank your event sponsors on your event website, your organization’s social media, in promotional emails about the golf event, and at the event whenever possible. You can also express appreciation for sponsors in press releases and media interviews; be sure to mention them by name.

In the weeks following the event, be sure to send a sincere, personal thank you to your contact at the sponsoring business. Recruit board members, planning committee members, or other volunteers to hand-write thank you notes and make phone calls that also express the impact made by their support. This personal touch goes a long way in establishing a foundation for a longer-term relationship.

The next step is to follow up about working with the sponsor in other ways. Depending on the work your nonprofit does, this could include in-kind donations, employees volunteering with your organization, or exposure for your cause to employees and partners. Ask if they have a workplace giving program and if your organization could be designated as a recipient or if there are matching opportunities for donations. Aligning their business with your cause helps lift their brand, so be generous in sharing their contributions on social media, your website, in newsletters, and other appropriate places. Invite them to participate in other events, programming, and fundraisers, setting the stage for future commitments.

It All Starts With a great Golf Event

The foundation for long-term corporate relationships starts with a well-organized, professional outing that businesses want to put their name on, sponsorship tiers that encourage them to do so, and a process that’s easy, sleek, and professional.

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Get qualified for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s event management technology through the Golf for Good program.

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