Organization Snapshot

Sarah Valentine’s vision for Riverside Ranch was simple—combine her love of horses with her innate desire to help people with special needs. She grew up riding horses, but after her grandfather passed away, she discovered therapeutic riding and felt called to create a nonprofit dedicated to using this medium to help people coping with challenging circumstances in their lives.

After intensely fundraising for over a year and a half, and a postponement due to COVID-19, Sarah opened the Ranch’s doors in July 2020. “We literally built this from the ground up, with dirt and a dream!” Sarah says. She’s grateful for the strong community support and dedicated volunteers who help empower clients dealing with autism, Down syndrome, vision impairment, cancer treatment, grief, and other conditions through therapeutic riding. Most of their riders aren’t able to participate in traditional recreational activities, so therapeutic riding not only lets them have fun, but helps with muscle strength, cognitive skills, and confidence. “At Riverside Ranch we empower different abilities and give them an opportunity to shine,” Sarah says. “When they ride, they build strength and belief in themselves and walk away feeling celebrated.”

Riverside Ranch empowers kids and adults coping with autism, Down syndrome, vision impairment, cancer treatment, grief, and other conditions through therapeutic riding.

The Challenge

Because Riverside Ranch opened during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sarah knew her options for traditional fundraising events would be limited. The idea for a golf fundraiser came simply from observing the golfers that flocked to the golf course near where Sarah lives. “The golf course never closed,” she says, leading her to team up with the organization’s board president to explore launching a new charity golf tournament. Beyond raising mission-critical funds, Sarah says the idea for a golf tournament meant they could spread the word about what the Ranch does and who it serves.

Neither had planned a golf fundraiser before, and though both were concerned about COVID-related restrictions, they felt confident moving forward with a golf event. Unsure of where to start or how to make the process less cumbersome, they initially tried setting up registration through Riverside Ranch’s website. “That ended up making things way too complicated and not at all user-friendly,” Sarah says. They decided to seek out simpler, more efficient options.

The Solution

A Google search led them to GolfStatus as the solution to online registration and streamlining planning. “We saw GolfStatus and knew it was just what we needed,” Sarah says. In the golf tournament’s first year, the software helped give the tournament some structure and saved hours of time on administrative tasks. As a nonprofit organization, Riverside Ranch qualified for GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program, which allowed them to use the platform at no cost, which was a huge selling point for Sarah and her team.

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“We saw GolfStatus and knew it was just what we needed.”

— Sarah Valentine, Executive Director at Riverside Ranch

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The Results

In the tournament’s first two years, Riverside Ranch raised over $40,000. These funds help support the Ranch as a whole and add a third horse to its stable, allowing them to serve even more riders. Over 40 teams and sponsors supported the tournament in its two year tenure. 

Tournament format

Four Person Scramble

Dollars raised

$40,000

Additional fundraising

Mulligans, red tees, silent auction

Managing Registrations & Sponsorships

The event website was the home base for the golf fundraiser, and where all promotional materials sent golfers and sponsors. With just a few clicks, folks could purchase teams and sponsorship packages right on the spot. Sarah says creating custom sponsorship packages and being able to carry those over from year to year was super helpful, and the software made it easy to manage sponsor logos and assets. Sarah approached local businesses and contacts from families and friends as sponsors and sent them directly to the event website. “When people hear about our mission and what we’re doing at the Ranch, they want to be a part of it!” she says. The tournament involved 40 sponsors over two years

What’s more, online registration meant no dealing with multiple platforms, spreadsheets, checks, or receipts. “Online registration was so great,” Sarah says. “It’s the expectation for events anymore and made everything so easy.” She could log into the tournament management system’s back end and see who had registered, which sponsorships had been sold, and manage all the details in one easy-to-access place.

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“Online registration was so great. It’s the expectation for events anymore and made everything so easy.”

— Sarah Valentine, Executive Director at Riverside Ranch

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An event website makes it easy to promote the tournament, share information about the event, and sell team and sponsor packages.

An Easier Year Two

The first year of the golf tournament came with building the event’s infrastructure, including processes, sponsorship and team packages, pricing, designs, and promotional materials. Because Sarah employed GolfStatus from the get go, she didn’t have to manage multiple spreadsheets, process a ton of checks and receipts, and spend hours and hours doing administrative busywork. Instead, she could focus on promoting the event to attract teams and sponsors and making the tournament experience top-notch.

In year two, Sarah says the entire process was easier from start to finish. She worked with the GolfStatus team to simply copy the 2021 event for 2022, so there was no need to start from scratch. A few quick updates to the event date, course information, team and sponsorship packages, and the event website was up and running and ready to accept registrations.

GolfStatus and Dormie Network

After Sarah signed on to use GolfStatus for the tournament’s first year, she discovered the connection between GolfStatus and its sister company, Dormie Network, where her husband, Matt, and several of his friends are members. Dormie Network is a network of private destination golf clubs across the U.S. The Dormie Network Foundation donated a Stay and Play Package for the golf tournament’s auction, which helped raise several thousand dollars both years.

Connecting to the Cause

Though Riverside Ranch already had deep, meaningful connections with the community, the golf fundraiser was another opportunity to share its mission, attract new volunteers, and steward new donors and supporters. “I’m truly in awe of the positive impact therapeutic riding makes on the amazing individuals we serve. We want to share that excitement with our supporters,” Sarah says. 

To help make this connection, a father of one of the riders, Addy, spoke at the tournament’s luncheon and shared what the Ranch meant to his family. He described how riding has helped Addy gain confidence and the joy she experiences while on her favorite horse, JaRule. 

The Riverside Ranch Charity Golf Tournament was listed on GolfStatus’s master event listing, where avid golfers go to find and play in tournaments in their area. Sarah was pleasantly surprised at several teams finding the fundraiser in this way. “That meant some brand new people learned about and supported Riverside Ranch!” Sarah says.

Tournament volunteers were able to chat with golfers and sponsors about Riverside Ranch’s mission.

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Get Started With Golf for Good

Through the Golf for Good program, GolfStatus serves nonprofits and provides access to its entire golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost. Qualifying nonprofits get an event website, with online registration and secure payment processing, plus golf-specific tools, robust reporting, and the ability to collect donations to save organizers a ton of time and raise even more money for organizations’ missions. Want to learn more and get qualified? Click the button below or email [email protected].

Play It Forward seeks to reward those who are using golf for good.

LINCOLN, Neb., June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GolfStatus, the leading technology platform for nonprofit and charity golf fundraisers, is teaming up with its giving partners at Dormie Network and Dormie Network Foundation for the Play It Forward campaign to give back to organizations that are using golf to make an impact.

Now in its second year, the campaign is a unique opportunity to "play" it forward. Individuals nominate a golf fundraiser to receive a $10,000 donation and have the chance to win a one-year honorary membership to Dormie Network, a national network of private golf clubs, plus a $10,000 credit toward onsite golf and lodging.

"From small, local fundraisers to massive charity tournaments, golf is a great way to bring people together in support of a cause," said Brian Schenk, Chief Philanthropy Officer at the Dormie Network Foundation. "Play It Forward celebrates organizations golfing for good and doing incredible work in their communities and beyond."

The 2021 Play It Forward nonprofit winner was the Cameron Steinberg Foundation's inaugural golf fundraiser, which was nominated by Dr. Michael Gaies. The Foundation honors the life of Cameron Steinberg, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and tragically passed away at just two months old. Cami's parents, Mel and Sam, created the Foundation to help families affected by congenital heart disease. The $10,000 donation was made to the Foundation's second annual golf tournament, held May 23, 2022. The event's second year utilized GolfStatus's golf event management platform—which is available at no cost to qualifying nonprofit organizations through the Golf for Good program—and more than doubled the dollars raised from its first year.

The giveaway launched May 31 and nominations will be accepted through July 4. Winners will be announced via press release and on GolfStatus's and Dormie Network's social media channels in August.

Visit www.golfstatus.com/play-it-forward for official rules and to submit a nomination.

About GolfStatus

GolfStatus is golf's premier tournament management solution and golfer engagement platform. Its full-service tournament management software streamlines outings from start to finish, yielding professional, high-end events that add value for golfers, sponsors, and golf facilities. Through GolfStatus.org, we make our powerful technology accessible to nonprofits to streamline fundraisers and help charitable organizations engage more supporters, raise more mission-critical funds, drive impact, and do more good. Learn more at golfstatus.com.

About Dormie Network and Dormie Network Foundation

Dormie Network is a national network of private destination golf clubs that includes ArborLinks in Nebraska City, Nebraska; Ballyhack Golf Club in Roanoke, Virginia; Briggs Ranch Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas; Dormie Club in West End, North Carolina; Hidden Creek Golf Club in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey; Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Indiana; and a seventh course built from the ground up in the Nebraska Sandhills, with a planned opening of 2024. Each offers a premier golf experience in a relaxing and accommodating environment ideal for business or leisure. The Dormie Network Foundation supports nonprofits through in-kind donations and direct cash grants, and seeks to build long-term relationships with its nonprofit partners to help them raise the bar on fundraising opportunities. Learn more at dormienetwork.com.

Media contact:
Ashley Watson
[email protected]

Source: PR Newswire

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Golf is an incredible force for good. Whether it’s a brand new tournament or decades old tradition, a small golf fundraiser or a massive charity event, or anything in between, golf brings people together to support the important work nonprofits are doing in their communities and beyond.

GolfStatus is once again teaming up with our giving partners at Dormie Network and Dormie Network Foundation for the Play It Forward campaign to give back to organizations that are using golf to make an impact.

For the second year, the Play It Forward campaign will award a $10,000 donation to a nonprofit or cause raising money through golf. Individuals nominate their favorite golf fundraiser and get the chance to win a one-year honorary membership to Dormie Network, a national network of private golf clubs, plus a $10,000 credit toward onsite golf and lodging.

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

2021 winner

The 2021 Play It Forward nonprofit winner was the Cameron Steinberg Foundation’s inaugural golf fundraiser, nominated by Dr. Michael Gaies (who was the recipient of a year-long membership to the Dormie Network). The Foundation honors the life of Cameron Steinberg, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and tragically passed away at just two months old, and helps families affected by congenital heart disease.

The $10,000 donation was made to the Foundation’s second annual golf tournament, held May 23, 2022. The event’s second year utilized GolfStatus’s golf event management platform (which organizers used at no cost through the Golf for Good program) to manage registrations, sponsorships, and live scoring, and saw an increase of more than 66% in dollars raised when compared to the tournament’s first year.

Mel and Sam Steinberg post with Dr. Michael Gaies at the inaugural Cameron Steinberg Foundation’s golf fundraiser in May of 2021.

nominate a fundraiser today!

The golf fundraiser can be any size or format—a memorial tournament raising money for a favorite cause, alumni golf event, celebrity pro-am, nonprofit fundraiser, or corporate golf outing. The event simply must be raising money for a charitable cause to be eligible for the $10,000 donation. Tell us about the event, what it’s raising money for, and why it’s important to you.

The campaign launched May 31 and nominations close July 4.

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

Don’t miss out on this chance to make a difference and use golf for good!

Until recently, live scoring was something only the highest caliber golf tournaments enjoyed. But thanks to golf-specific event management technology, charity golf tournaments can employ live scoring, where players plug in their scores to a central leaderboard similar to those displayed for pro-Tour events. Live scoring lets players track and share scores in real time via a mobile app that syncs with live leaderboards, keeping players and spectators engaged, both in person and online. Organizations can leverage this tech for another premium sponsorship opportunity, and live scoring expedites finalizing the tournament’s results while increasing the event’s professionalism.

Here are six best practices for live scoring at your golf fundraiser, plus what to look for in a live scoring platform and other tips to help you maximize live leaderboards to engage supporters and drive fundraising revenue.

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1. A User-Friendly Platform is a Must.

Any mobile scoring option should have a super easy-to-use interface for players, without glitches or complications. When it’s easy to enter scores, players actually do it and aren’t distracted by having to fuss with technology. They simply enter scores with a few taps and can remain focused on their golf game and enjoying the outing. The last thing you want to do is frustrate players with a complicated platform—or worse, an unreliable one.

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2. Sell a Leaderboard Sponsorship.

The live leaderboard is the cream of the crop when it comes to sponsorships. It captures the attention of players, sponsors, and spectators during and after your tournament, making it the ideal display medium for top-tier sponsors. If your live scoring platform doesn’t accommodate a leaderboard sponsorship, you’re leaving substantial dollars on the table and missing out on a crucial opportunity for a high-capacity donor.

3. Use Live Leaderboards to Engage Spectators and Solicit Donations.

A platform with a sleek, professional leaderboard lets spectators track the overall event or even specific players online via your event website. And when these leaderboards are displayed on your website, sharing them with supporters in the context of your event is as easy as sharing a link in your organization’s newsletter, website, and social media channels. Leaderboards are also a key touchpoint and opportunity to make donation asks, so be sure your live scoring platform has a donation function built in.

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4. Add a Virtual Round or a Virtual Only Event.

Live scoring and leaderboards make it possible to hold virtual events—either a virtual only tournament or an additional round for supporters that aren’t able to participate in the in-person event—where play is extended over a period of a few days or even a month or more. Since a virtual round or tournament is held across several golf courses, you’ll need a platform that provides live scoring plus aggregate and individual leaderboards. You’ll also need the ability to post and share those leaderboards online, so you can keep participants and sponsors engaged despite the non-traditional format.

5. Share the Tournament’s Final Results.

It’s a good practice to recap your event with folks who support and are connected to your organization and its mission. Leverage the ability to post the tournament’s final results in your organization’s newsletter, website, social channels, and more. It’s also a great way to make a final donation ask from participants—send each player their score with a link to the final leaderboard along with an ask for them to match their score (or the winning team’s score) with a gift. When it comes time to send save-the-dates for next year’s event, you can also use historical results to easily re-engage participants.

6. Employ Golf-Specific Event Management Tech

Live scoring is great on its own, but when it’s combined with tools and tech that can easily handle the specific nuances of a golf event, the tournament runs seamlessly. The event’s live leaderboard lives within an event website, where folks can register for the event or purchase a sponsorship before the event and check in on the standings or even make a donation during or after the tournament. What’s more, you’ll elevate the overall event experience for golfers and sponsors so not only will they have a great time, they’ll want to come back year after year.

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Get Started—No Cost, No Risk

Ready to add live scoring to your golf outing? GolfStatus.org makes it easy with sleek, simple live scoring technology and everything you need to get the most out of it. Best of all, it’s available at no cost—along with GolfStatus’s full suite of golf event management and fundraising tools—to qualifying nonprofits through the Golf for Good program. Get qualified by clicking the button below or email us directly at [email protected].

Originally published June 2020

LINCOLN, Neb., April 9, 2022 /Nonprofit Tech for Good/ --

Organization Snapshot

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

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

The Challenge

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

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

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

The Solution

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

The Results

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

Massive Time Savings

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

Connecting to the Cause

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

Second-to-None Support & Resources

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

Looking to the Future

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

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

Golf for Good

Through GolfStatus and the Golf for Good initiative, qualifying 501(c) organizations and those holding events that raise money for one can get access to GolfStatus’s full-featured golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost. Get started at golfstatus.com/demo or email [email protected].

Source: Nonprofit Tech for Good

Let’s be honest—golf fundraisers are a lot of work. There are lots of balls in the air starting months ahead of time, plus committees, volunteers, and sponsors to manage. Maybe you’re tracking everything by hand, working across multiple spreadsheets, or even trying to make a standard event management platform work for your golf event (when it’s designed for a gala or auction). Or maybe you’re looking at a mountain of work and wondering if there’s a way to make your golf event simpler and more efficient. 

Whatever the case may be, now is a great time to re-evaluate the systems and processes behind your golf tournament. Whether you’re in the thick of planning your tournament or just getting started, it’s worth a deep dive into your fundraiser’s systems and processes to find ways to save time, improve coordination, and improve outcomes. Here are key questions and considerations to get you started.

Registration

Key questions: Are you still relying on hard copy, mail-in registrations? How much time do you (or your volunteers) spend processing these forms and payments? How does that information get transferred to your donor database?

The easier it is for people to find and register for your event, the more likely they are to do so. Processing paper registration forms and handling checks, cash, and receipts are time-consuming and cumbersome to track and manage. This inherently makes the event more work, not only by creating duplicative work but a call to action that puts the onus on the registrant or sponsor to remember to print off a registration form, fill it out, write a check, find a stamp, and mail it in. An online, mobile-friendly registration process is much easier for participants and sponsors to complete with a few clicks or taps. It’s also simpler for staff to process and manage, saves a ton of time, and leads to a seamless hand off to the golf facility. What’s more, online registration allows you to collect important donor data for inclusion in your organization’s donor management system to steward for future support.

Promotion

Key questions: How easy is it for staff, volunteers, and board members to spread the word about the tournament? Is there one place folks can find more details about the event, the cause it supports, sponsorship packages and pricing information, and logistical info (date, time, course, etc.)? Can players and sponsors register quickly and easily on the site? 

With an event website, spreading the word about your event is as simple as sharing a link with past supporters and casting a wide digital net to attract new golfers and sponsors. Folks can find the information they need in a clean, sleek, and easy-to-find place, plus the call to action is clear so players and sponsors can commit right then and there. Golfers often tap into their personal and professional networks to field a team for charity tournaments, so you automatically raise awareness about your cause and expand your donor base. This is amplified even further by connecting with potential sponsors and businesses interested in getting their brand in front of the golfer demographic.

Sponsorship Management

Key questions: How do you reach out to new sponsors to share sponsorship opportunities? How are sponsors handled once they transition from prospects to committed supporters? How are logos and assets collected and shared? Do your sponsorship packages align with the types of sponsors you want to attract and retain?

Sponsors are looking for opportunities to align their brand with well-run events that support great causes and community efforts, so it’s important to consider the professionalism of your event and whether it shines supporters in a positive light. Higher end events quickly become an opportunity for sponsors to entertain clients, vendors, and other business associates—ensuring that you’re able to retain existing sponsorships while attracting new ones at increasingly higher levels. However, where professionalism is crucial, systems and processes must ensure timely service and organized communications so sponsors’ expectations are always met and exceeded. The most successful golf outings offer title sponsors and top-tier supporters exposure through digital avenues like live leaderboards and mobile apps, pin flags, and other premium opportunities specific to golf. Consider where and how you can incorporate these offerings to align your event with the best and what tools you have in place to sell and manage sponsorships.

Delegation & Coordination

Key questions: Is everyone able to access the information they need? Is that information up to date? Can registrations, sponsor information, event specifics (flights, hole assignments, handicaps, et cetera), and other key information be accessed in a central system? How easy is it to delegate tasks (especially the tedious ones)? How easy is it to check on a specific detail like a certain donor’s registration or a specific hole sponsorship?  

Between committee chairs, board members, staff, volunteers, vendors, sponsors, and golf facility staff, golf fundraisers require easy coordination. Organizers need to be able to automate tedious tasks and delegate them so every member of the team is able to contribute as effectively as possible. From calling on and engaging previous supporters and leveraging networks to spread the word to managing teams and sponsors and coordinating with the golf facility, it’s important to leverage tools that keep everyone organized. A platform that’s accessible to everyone that needs it and contains current and accurate event information makes handling the details so much simpler.

Coordination with the Golf Facility

Key questions: How do you facilitate the handoff of information to golf staff? Are club staff scrambling the day before and the day of the event? How free are they to assist players and provide the kind of high-end service experience that makes donors feel acknowledged and attended to? How would the outing improve if you could streamline this coordination and reduce it from days and weeks of work to under an hour? 

Depending on the systems and processes in place at the golf facility, coordinating a golf event with an event organizer can be a substantial amount of work for staff there. The head professional must coordinate with food and beverage, grounds staff, and event staff to get everything in order ahead of the event. They must also work with your organization (and any planning teams or volunteer committees) to prepare teams, hole assignments, tee sheets, cart signs, and other day-of documents. This can require hours or even days of work. What’s more, when course staff are stuck in a back office somewhere the morning of the event, they’re unable to provide great service and attention to detail that wows your players and sponsors. The bottom line is this: The easier it is to coordinate information and automate logistics between your staff and the golf facility’s staff, the smoother things go for everyone. A common technology platform ensures a seamless handoff.

Time Savings & better Outcomes

At the end of the day, it’s about measuring outcomes against inputs. There’s no doubting the positive impact a golf outing can provide, but if outcomes are negated by huge time and resource requirements, it’s probably time to consider better systems and processes. GolfStatus’s event management platform designed specifically for golf outings makes information available and accessible in one centrally-accessible location (with access permissions where you need them) so you can automate and streamline the tricky, time-consuming logistics so your team can focus on donor outreach, sponsorship sales, promotion, press, and more.

Want to learn more about streamlining your golf outing and how you can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s tech? Click the button below or email us directly at [email protected].

Originally published October 2019

The benefits of a golf fundraiser are many, including being ripe with opportunities to make additional donation asks of participants, spectators, and other supporters before, during, and after the event. While teams and sponsorships will bring in the majority of the fundraiser’s revenue, there are multiple ways to bring in additional dollars by leveraging the generosity of golfers. You certainly don’t want to interrupt the fun of the day, so your asks should be strategic, well-timed, and not intrude on the golfer’s round. The key is to be equipped with a mobile-friendly event website with a simple and easy way to make a donation to the event. 

Here are six things to consider when making a donation ask at your golf tournament.

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1. Connect Attendees to Your Cause

While some attendees may be loyal supporters of your organization, they often tap into their personal and professional networks to fill a team for the golf tournament, and these folks may not know much about your organization or what you do. Share an impact story at the tournament’s kickoff or post-event gathering, have a beneficiary on site to share their experiences, and/or set up banners or posters that describe the impact of what your organization does. Follow these up with an ask that helps attendees understand how their donation makes a difference.

Pro tip: Use your event website to tell your organization’s story with text and imagery. GolfStatus event websites include donation buttons right on the site’s home page (and on live leaderboards).

2. Use Email, In-App & Push Notifications

You need an easy way to get in touch with donors at the right moment during the fundraiser. The right event management technology will have built-in communication tools that let you quickly and easily communicate with event registrants without having to use multiple platforms. Determine when you will send messages and set a schedule for the day. At events powered by GolfStatus, a free live-scoring mobile app is used to track each team’s round. When golfers use their phone to enter their score, they’ll see the in-app and push notifications.

Pro tip: Be strategic about when you send messages. Don’t inundate golfers with emails or notifications or they’ll tune them out. Space them out and consider coupling them with important information and announcements.

3. Set a Day-of Fundraising Goal & Keep People Updated

A day-of fundraising goal can motivate donors to make an additional contribution to your cause. A well-timed update on the progress towards this goal reminds folks what they’re playing for. What’s more, when the overall event experience is top-notch, they’re even more likely to chip in to help you reach the day’s goal.

Pro tip: Make the goal something tangible that donors can connect with. For example, set a goal to raise an extra $2000 the day of the tournament, which will provide 10 underserved schools with new books or feed 200 shelter dogs for two months.

4. Have a Donation Station

Set up a donation station at one or more locations at the golf tournament. It’s a good idea to have one in a visible (but unobtrusive) location near the registration area. Have volunteers at the station ready to talk about your organization and its mission, and help folks make a donation via the event website if they need it. You could also have a station at the turn or somewhere on the golf course. A par three hole that’s likely to get backed up is a great option—you’ll have a captive audience! If your event has a post-golf gathering, set up an additional station in the event space (near the bar is a good idea!).

Pro tip: Include a QR code on any flyers, posters, or handouts that links directly to the event’s donation page so folks can quickly make a contribution without hassle.

5. Leverage Live Leaderboards

Anyone, anywhere can follow along with a tournament via GolfStatus live leaderboards. Share these links in the days leading up to the event via email and social media and challenge spectators to make a donation. Be creative and have fun with this! If folks are following a certain team, you could ask them to donate if there’s a birdie, eagle, or even a bogey on a specific hole or offer a prize drawing specifically for online donors.

Pro tip: Give social media shoutouts to those following along that make a donation, and be sure to follow up after the tournament with a thank you.

6. Ask Golfers to Donate Their Final Score

A common appeal at the end of each team’s round is to ask for a donation that equals their final score. So if they shot a 72, they would donate $72. Another option after the scores are finalized is to ask golfers to donate an amount equal to the winning team’s score—or even the last place team’s score.

Pro tip: If your event includes an awards ceremony, it’s a great time to make this particular ask. When you announce the winning team and score (or multiple teams and scores, if your event includes different flights or divisions), challenge attendees to get out their phones and donate the amount of the winning team’s score via the leaderboard.

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Raise More Money With Your Golf Event

It’s easy to collect donations when you have the right technology for your golf fundraiser. GolfStatus’s intuitive, full-service golf event management and fundraising platform streamlines the process. Its attractive event websites include online registration, the ability to collect donations, and secure payment processing. Qualifying 501(c) organizations and those holding golf tournaments that benefit one can get full access to GolfStatus’s tech—at no cost through the Golf for Good program. Click the button below to get qualified or email [email protected].

LINCOLN, Neb., Jan. 28, 2022 /The NonProfit Times/ -- Marriott Business Councils bring together hotel management and employees from across a region to network and work together to give back to the larger community. The Colorado Marriott Business Council has been active for over two decades, with a strong presence in the Denver area and beyond that engages Marriott hotel brands, its employees, and the community at-large.

Chad Conrad is the current chair of the Colorado Council and has been involved in its work for over two decades. “Marriott believes in taking care of its employees while also taking care of its community,” Chad says. At the national level, Marriott has been a banner sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals for over 30 years. This support has trickled down to local and regional Marriott groups, including business councils.

For over 20 years, the Council has hosted an annual golf tournament to raise money for Children’s Hospital Colorado, the local CMN hospital. For Chad and Marriott employees from across the state, this support of Children’s Hospital Colorado has resulted in a meaningful tie to the community. He has been involved in the golf tournament since its inception and has seen it grow and flourish.

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

Turning to Technology

Chad turned to GolfStatus, the official management platform for golf events benefiting CMN Hospitals, to get the event back on its feet. “Since it’s been around for over 20 years, it was important to me to keep it alive,” Chad says. The switch to GolfStatus couldn’t have come at a better time—it gave Chad an easy-to-use, all-in-one solution to promote the event, register golfers, onboard and recognize sponsors, and collect funds.

GolfStatus’s partnership with CMN Hospitals helps event organizers—passionate supporters, hospitals or hospital foundations, corporate partners, businesses, or other volunteers—put on a golf tournament to benefit member hospitals. Because these events benefit a nonprofit, they qualify for GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program, which provides access to its full-featured golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost.

The GolfStatus team worked with Chad to build an event website where people could purchase team and sponsorship packages or make a donation with just a few clicks. When the tournament was organized by a larger planning team, one person handled all the money, processing paper registration forms and checks, sending receipts, and tracking payments. With a one-man show for this year’s event, Chad says the online registration and secure payment processing features were priceless. “I barely had to do anything with it,” he says, as the platform sends automated receipts upon registration and he could quickly and easily see who had registered in the software’s back end.

Chad used the platform’s built-in messaging feature to send emails directly to registrants, alerting them of updates and specifics about the event. He used it to share information about the day’s timeline, where folks should check in, and the included breakfast. Since all registration information is stored in the platform, there was no need for him to export email addresses into another service to send a simple email—it could all be handled within GolfStatus. “I don’t know that I can ever go back to how I used to do it!” Chad says.

The Impact of Golf Fundraising

Chad has seen the impact the golf tournament has had for over 20 years, not only for Children’s Hospital Colorado but for participating hotels. “So much business is done on the golf course,” he points out. “Whether you’re a good golfer or not, you can still make connections and do business while raising money and having fun.”

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

While the tournament attracted about half of its historical attendees, it still hit its benchmark goal of around $35,000 for the hospital, thanks in part to the time savings GolfStatus provided that allowed Chad to pursue new sponsorships. “We were thrilled about that,” he says. Chad says his number one focus is to bring the hotels together to raise awareness and funds for the hospital. “We could throw a dinner party or do something different but we wouldn’t have the success of a golf tournament,” he says. “A golf tournament has staying power.”

Golf for Good

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

Source: The NonProfit Times

GolfStatus caught up with Rita Tateel, President at The Celebrity Source, a full-service celebrity sourcing agency and new GolfStatus partner, to talk about the value that having a celebrity at a golf fundraiser brings to the event and cause.

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Q: First off, what exactly do you mean when you say “celebrity”?

A: Really, who is deemed a “celebrity” is defined by the audience. It’s not necessarily an actor or sports figure; it’s anyone in the public eye within their field or discipline. So it’s a very broad definition—anyone from a famous scientist, writer, or astronaut to a reality television star, football player, YouTube star, performer, or movie actor.

Q: What does having a celebrity at a golf fundraiser bring to the event?

A: Everyone, whether they admit it or not, gets excited about meeting someone famous. There’s an excitement that a celebrity brings to an event that simply can’t be duplicated. Celebrities raise visibility, not only for the event itself, but for the cause it’s connected to. There’s also the credibility factor—people see that if a celebrity is participating, they assume the tournament must be worthwhile. You’re likely to see more press interested in covering the tournament (and you should definitely alert the media about the event) because a celebrity is attending, which means even more exposure for sponsors, the benefiting organization, and/or cause. What’s more, a celebrity presence opens the door to new, lucrative sponsorships as well as attracting more teams with the option of charging a higher registration package price.

Q: What should an event organizer consider when determining whether or not to pursue having a celebrity participate in their golf fundraiser?

A: There are a number of questions organizers should ask themselves before going down this road. First and foremost, what do I hope to accomplish by having the celebrity there—media coverage? Credibility? Increased awareness? Higher income potential? Next, can I cover the standard expenses (or do I have a sponsor I know will cover the costs)? Third, what do I want a celebrity to do at my golf event and what are the highest priorities? Determining the “why” will help organizers decide if it’s something worthwhile to pursue.

Budget is perhaps the main consideration. If an event is hoping to secure a celebrity, expenses need to be covered, even if the celebrity isn’t being paid to attend. At a minimum, they’ll need to cover two first-class airfares, ground transportation to and from the airport to the event, first-class hotel accommodations, and a per diem to cover meals. Oftentimes these costs can be covered by a sponsor.

Q: How can organizers make the most out of having a celebrity attend their golf fundraiser?

A: Really think broadly about all of the ways a celebrity might be involved. It could be anything from a meet and greet on a specific hole of the golf course, emceeing or performing at the after party, or golfing with a specific sponsor’s foursome. It’s also key to have someone in charge of PR to get the most exposure possible for the celebrity’s participation and, in turn, for the nonprofit or charity. Organizers can solicit a volunteer or volunteers, pay a PR firm (or request pro bono services as part of a sponsorship or donation), or even reach out to PR students at a nearby college or university. And when marketing the event, include the celebrity’s participation everywhere possible—on the event website, promotional emails, social media posts, flyers, postcards, and the organization’s website.

Q: How do you help nonprofits find the right celebrity for a fundraising event like a golf tournament?

A: The Celebrity Source looks at a variety of factors that will get a celebrity to say “yes” to an event. For example, a personal association with a particular cause or the location of the event (e.g. near their hometown or favorite city), what perks/gifts are being offered for the celebrity’s participation, how passionate the celebrity is about golf, and any obvious connections to the event. Being a golfer is often a key factor, but keep in mind that there are different roles the celeb can play at the event, so they don’t have to play golf to still be a good match. The audience’s demographic also needs to be taken into account—both who it is trying to attract to play in the event as well as sponsor it. Our process takes all these factors into account to find the best match.

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Technology For Your Golf Fundraiser

GolfStatus’s industry-leading golf event management and fundraising technology streamlines planning to save time and raise more money. Through GolfStatus.org and the company’s Golf for Good giveback initiative, qualifying 501(c) organizations and those holding events that benefit them can qualify for no cost access to the platform. Get started here or email [email protected].

The Celebrity Source

The Celebrity Source has been in business over 30 years and has access to thousands of celebs from film, TV, music, sports, fashion, digital stars and influencers. Among the company’s specialties is cause-related celebrity outreach and coordination whereby the celebrities may not be paid—The Celebrity Source knows what it takes to get a celebrity to say yes apart from money. The Celebrity Source has helped hundreds of corporate and non-profit clients find authentic celebrity matches for events (live and virtual), PR/marketing/advertising campaigns, corporate meetings and cause-marketing strategies. Learn more about Celebrity Source by visiting thecelebritysource.com, emailing [email protected], or calling 917-626-8368.