Organization Snapshot

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Challenge

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

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

The Solution

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

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

— Nicholas Kristock, founder and CEO of KindKatch

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

The Results

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

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Golf Tournament Summary

Tournament Name

Fleece & Thank You Golf Outing

Golf Facility

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

Fundraising Goal

$30,000

Number of Golfers

120 (sold out event)

Tech Stack:

GolfStatus, KindKatch

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Nicholas Kristock, founder and CEO of KindKatch

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Leaning Into Technology

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

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

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

No Cost Golf Event Management Tech

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

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

Organization Snapshot

Enriching the lives of the visually impaired is at the heart of Outlook Enrichment’s mission. A private, nonprofit agency based in Omaha, Nebraska, Outlook Enrichment empowers people living with vision loss with the skills and tools to achieve their goals. Its core programs serve the visually impaired through adaptive technology training, recreational programs, independent living, employment training, support groups, cultural experiences, and community education.

“It’s really fulfilling for us to see an individual’s arc of life in adapting to vision loss,” says Nina Rongisch, Director of Fund Development at Outlook Enrichment. “They may think they can’t do the things they used to be able to do, but we get them on the right path and see the excitement come back in them and they grow and flourish.”

Outlook Enrichment serves the visually impaired through adaptive technology training, recreational programs (like tandem bike rides, pictured above), independent living, employment training, support groups, cultural experiences, and community education.

Outlook Enrichment is part of the broader Outlook Collaborative that, with three other agencies, serves the visually impired in Omaha. “We help people adjust to vision loss, connecting them to necessary resources and helping them navigate the system that allows them to be as independent as possible,” says Paulette Monthei, Executive Director at Outlook Enrichment.

The Challenge

Outlook Enrichment’s two annual fundraising events bring in dollars for equipment purchases, instructor wages, outreach activities, and program support—an annual gala and a long-standing golf clinic and tournament. 

The sport of golf is important for many visually-impaired individuals. Finding ways to stay involved helps bring a spark back to their lives. “We had one golfer in his 70s who used to be an avid golfer and withdrew from the sport as he slowly lost sight,” Nina explains. “The golf clinic and our other recreation programs help show them that they can still do the things they love, albeit in a different capacity.”

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“The golf clinic and our other recreation programs help show them that they can still do the things they love, albeit in a different capacity.”

— Nina Rongisch, Director of Fund Development at Outlook Enrichment

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Out of its staff of six, only two are sighted. “Those of us who work directly with clients have some level of vision loss,” says Paulette, who has low vision herself. “It’s so important to share that perspective and empathize with them, while providing resources and services to help with job training, mental wellness, transportation, and recreation.” 

Its small but mighty team handles everything from fundraising to program implementation to serving over 300 clients a year. As such, efficiency is key, so when the previous registration process for the golf event wasn’t cutting it, the team sought new options. “We needed something simpler and easier,” Nina says. “We got some complaints about the registration process being too complicated and cumbersome.”

The Solution

Nina knew there had to be a better option to make the user interface easier and more seamless, both on the donor and administrative sides. An online search led them to GolfStatus, a golf-specific event management platform. Naturally, accessibility was a major concern for any tech platform. “It was important that GolfStatus was willing to work with us to improve accessibility and really heard our concerns,” says Nina. The GolfStatus public-facing event site was easily navigable by screen readers and featured a high-contrast color palette to improve readability for those with reduced vision.

Through the Golf for Good program, Nina, Paulette, and the Outlook Enrichment team were able to utilize GolfStatus to streamline their golf tournament at no cost. “It’s hard to find a system for nonprofits that isn’t going to charge you an arm and a leg,” says Paulette. “We loved that it was no cost and easy to use.”

The Results

Between 40 and 48 teams typically play in the golf tournament, which is sponsored by 10-20 area businesses, partners, and vendors. Beyond raising dollars, the golf tournament’s goal is to raise awareness and get golfers and sponsors to further engage with Outlook Enrichment. “We want to fill the tournament, of course, but we also want to reach new people,” says Nina. “Those new people may come for the golf, but they engage with our organization, staff members, and those we serve to better understand where their money is going.”

One of the golf tournament’s main goals is to raise awareness about Outlooks Enrichment’s mission by attracting new golfers and sponsors to the event.

Golfers used their mobile devices to make purchases (i.e. mulligans, raffle tickets, hole challenges,etc.) and donations the day of the tournament. “Having them pay through the event site was so much simpler,” says Nina. “For years we pushed people to bring cash along for things like this, and we missed out on extra dollars if someone didn’t have cash.” The event brought in an extra $3,000 from day-of purchases alone!

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“GolfStatus was hands down one of the easiest and seamless systems we’ve used.”

— Nina Rongisch, Director of Fund Development at Outlook Enrichment

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“GolfStatus was hands down one of the easiest and seamless systems we’ve used,” says Nina, finding it so helpful that she utilized GolfStatus’s registration for the annual Vision Beyond Sight fundraiser (which, unfortunately, was canceled due to rain).

Automation & Support

The event website for the Tee It Up Fore Sight fundraiser was the key to reaping the benefits of the platform. Golfers and sponsors would register and pay securely via the website and their information automatically populated the platform’s backend where Nina could make hole assignments, create and print pre-formatted alpha lists and cart signs, and see who had purchased various add-ons.

Golfers and sponsors registered via an event website, automating registration and giving Nina and Paulette a jump on thanking donors and reconciling payments.

Nina says email notifications and weekly reporting and payouts were invaluable to her in terms of saving time and creating efficiencies. “I set up separate email notifications for registrations and sponsorships,” Nina says. Not only did this help from an administrative perspective, but it allowed the team to stay on top of thanking golfers and sponsors right away, a key part of long-term donor stewardship and retention.

“I didn’t have to live on the platform but could easily get in the backend to see where things stood,” she says.

The GolfStatus customer success team was there to help whenever Nina, Paulette, or anyone on their team had questions or needed assistance. “Everyone was amazing! If there was a hiccup, they got it resolved right away,” Nina says.

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“I didn’t have to live on the platform but could easily get in the backend to see where things stood.”

— Nina Rongisch, Director of Fund Development at Outlook Enrichment

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golf fundraiser Creates Cause Connection

Outlook Enrichment creates a real, tangible connection to its mission for golfers and sponsors by including immersion activities on select tournament holes. “Golfers put on a sleep shade and putt,” Nina explains. “They have to rely on the rest of their senses to make the shot, which really gets them to think about sight from a different perspective.” It’s also a fundraising component, as golfers chip in $5-$20 to try.

Outlook Enrichment also hosts the Stanley M. Truhlsen, Jr. Blind Golfers Clinic for non-sighted golfers in conjunction with the golf fundraiser. Partnering with adaptive sports specialists and volunteers from golf teams at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and local high schools, the golfers learn chipping, putting, and driving, and typically play one or more holes before the round kicks off.

The Stanley M. Truhlsen, Jr. Blind Golfers Clinic pairs visually-impaired golfers adaptive sports specialists and volunteers to learn chipping, putting, and driving.

What’s more, some of the team pairings include a non-sighted player. The rest of the team helps the visually-impaired golfer line up their shot and describe as best they can the terrain of the shot—how much slope, angle, obstacle locations, distance to the pin. “It’s really interesting the techniques the sighted golfers use to help line the golfer up, whether it’s verbal cues or physically lining up the correct angle,” says Nina. When golfers then put on the sleep shades, they’re forced to use their other senses to make the shot.

Accessibility

Given Outlook Enrichment’s mission, accessibility is a must-have when it comes to any software or tech tool. “We won’t use a company if we can’t navigate it,” says Nina. Both sighted staff and staff with some level of visual impairment worked through the front-end of the software before signing on with GolfStatus, and found that the event site was easy to navigate with screen readers and its high contrast color scheme made it more readable. 

“We appreciate how the GolfStatus staff worked with us to make the site as accessible as possible,” says Nina, noting that members of the development team worked with the Outlook Enrichment staff to walk through the site to glean additional feedback on how to improve accessibility. “It was so nice to know that GolfStatus cared and heard us!”

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Helping Nonprofits Leverage Golf for Good

GolfStatus helps nonprofits and charities of all types and sizes leverage golf’s giving power with powerful, user-friendly technology and industry-leading support. Through the Golf for Good program, qualifying nonprofits and events benefiting a charity or cause can get access to GolfStatus’s golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost. Get qualified by clicking below or email [email protected].

End-of-year giving is crucial for nonprofits looking to boost their bottom line and meet the year’s financial goals. Motivated by the holidays and the opportunity to make a tax-deductible donation, donors give (on average) about $48 billion to nonprofits in the last two months of the year. Plus, nonprofits typically see about 30% of annual giving occur in December. Nonprofits, causes, and charities of all types and sizes have the opportunity to end the year on a high note with a targeted giving campaign.

Here are six ideas to increase your nonprofit’s year-end giving results.

1. Set a Goal and Make It Easy for Donors to Track Progress.

Donors appreciate seeing, in real ways, how they’re contributing to mission fulfillment. When you set a specific fundraising goal for your year-end giving campaign—and give supporters a way to track progress toward that goal—they can immediately see how their gift is moving the needle. You don’t have to shoot for the moon; instead, make your target realistic and achievable. 

PRO TIP: GolfStatus event websites have a built-in progress bar feature that updates in real-time when someone makes a donation. Reactivate your event site to seamlessly collect donations and let supporters see how close you are to hitting your goal.

2. Make It Shareable.

It’s the snowball effect—perhaps someone who attended your golf fundraiser learned about your organization and completely bought into your cause. They’re excited to support you and want to ask their friends, family, and colleagues to do the same. An online donation option makes it quick and easy to share a link on their social media platforms, via text, or through an email. If you’re mailing printed appeals, include a QR code with a direct donation link for any printed pieces. It’s crucial to have a giving site that’s mobile-friendly, with an easy payment interface, so folks don’t get frustrated with the process and abandon their transactions before submission.

PRO TIP: Ask your golf event planning committee or volunteers to share the donation link with at least five people.

3. Capture Donor Data.

The importance of this can’t be understated—capturing this valuable information, at the time of donation, not only lays the foundation for additional donor stewardship and long-term support, but reduces stress on you and your staff. Just like with your golf fundraiser’s registration, relying on paper donation forms and having to process checks, cash, or hand-written credit card numbers is tedious and wastes a ton of your staff’s valuable time. Collecting this data online significantly cuts down your administrative time, making the dollars go further. Simply download this information and add batch notations or tags for tracking purposes and include it in your organization’s donor database. 

PRO TIP: Golfers are a valuable demographic to have in your donor database. They’re typically generous, affluent, and influential, with an annual household income twice the national average and a net worth of over $760,000.

4. Make It Tangible.

Help donors make a tangible connection to your end-of-year fundraising. Whether it’s a specific program or effort or unrestricted dollars, use your giving website to share how you plan to use their gift through words, photos, and even videos. Set custom giving amounts and describe what each will help your organization do, i.e. “A gift of $100 will provide books for two underserved classrooms in our community.” 

PRO TIP: Leave space for a custom donation amount if folks want to give more or less than the predetermined amounts—every gift helps.

5. Say Thank You (More Than Once!)

In the busy-ness of the close of a year, this step is easy to overlook or punt until the new year. Automate this process as much as possible, for a couple reasons: 1. Donors are thanked in a timely manner and 2. You save a ton of time. A prompt thank you reassures donors that their gift was received (and they get their donation receipt for tax purposes) and helps solidify the relationship. Think about other, additional ways to express your appreciation in the new year, whether it’s tapping your board or volunteers to make phone calls or send handwritten thank you notes.

PRO TIP: Donations made via a GolfStatus event website automatically receive a receipt via email, where you can input a custom message and images.

6. Use Giving Tuesday to Appeal to Supporters.

Giving Tuesday typically occurs the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving (following the retail-heavy days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday). The idea is to encourage people to do good, and in many cases, that means donating to their favorite nonprofit(s). It’s a great time to connect with your constituents and community members, highlighting what your organization is doing to address important issues and ask for their help in the form of a donation. Start by appealing to those that attended your golf fundraiser (those that played in it, attended as guests, or sponsored the event). 

PRO TIP: Social media is a great way to drum up support on Giving Tuesday, as well as targeted emails to your golf tournament attendees (or other donor segment) leading up to and on Giving Tuesday.

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How GolfStatus Can Help

Even if your golf event was months ago, your GolfStatus event website can help drive and easily collect end-of-year donations with the donate button. You can easily set and display progress toward your fundraising goal right on the site’s home page, as well as at checkout. You can choose to reframe the event website’s content to focus on the goals for the donation appeal or even create a new event site (that way, you retain the original golf site for future reference). 

Get in touch to find out how GolfStatus can help with your golf fundraiser from start to finish, from our powerful, user-friendly tech to industry-leading support and vast experience. Through our Golf for Good program, 501(c) organizations (and those planning golf events that benefit a charity) can qualify for no-cost access to the platform. Click below to get started or email us directly at [email protected].

The value of golf fundraisers was never more apparent than during the pandemic years. Many organizations initially leaned on golf tournaments to help them weather the storm of COVID-related restrictions but soon discovered that golf events are a strategic, engaging, and lucrative option that belong in an organization's fundraising portfolio. At the same time, those with existing charity golf tournaments looked for tools and efficiencies to cope with fewer staff and reduced budgets and found solutions for an even more successful golf event.

So whether you’re launching a brand new golf fundraiser in 2023, reigniting a past golf event, or just looking to refresh your existing golf tournament, here are eight trends and predictions for golf fundraising in the year ahead.

1. Golf’s Popularity Will Remain Above Pre-Pandemic Levels

The exponential growth that golf saw in 2020 and early 2021 has slowed, as predicted. That being said, the sport is still more popular than it was pre-pandemic and golfers will remain eager to play in 2023. Golf fundraisers are often played in a scramble format, which allows golfers of all skill levels—from beginners to advanced players—to play in support of your mission. What’s more, golfers often tap into their personal and professional networks to field a team, which expands your tournament’s reach and donor pool and opens doors for further stewardship and partnerships.

2. Sponsors Will Look For New Options

Golf tournaments give sponsoring businesses unique exposure to an affluent audience. Consider the following: 

• Golfers have a household income roughly twice the national average.

• Golfers have a net worth of over $760,000. 

• One in three golfers are top level managers and one in four golfers own their own business. 

Getting in front of this group is a priority for a variety of businesses and companies. To that end, golf tournament sponsorship packages will need to provide a ton of value and options. Digital sponsorships offer a ton of ROI and are mutually-beneficial for both the organizer and the sponsor: Sponsors get broad exposure and high visibility before, during, and after your tournament; organizers get easy-to-manage sponsorships with no additional costs (uploading a logo versus designing, ordering, and installing signage). Tournament organizers that use the right management platform get access to a unique set of top-tier golf sponsorship opportunities, including technology sponsorship, leaderboard sponsorship, in-app hole sponsorships, and even TOUR-caliber pin flag sponsorships.

Broad exposure throughout any event management platform is critical to offering sponsors return on their investment in your event.

3. Organizers Will Focus on Add-ons & Experiences

The overall experience is what elevates a good charity golf tournament to an exceptional charity golf tournament that keeps golfers and sponsors coming back year over year. There are a ton of options for tournament planners to build-in revenue enhancers that add fun and excitement without incurring prohibitive costs. 

For example, adding hole-in-one or other contests (putting, closest to the pin, etc.) or on-course entertainment (long drivers, beat the pro, etc.) make the event more fun and more memorable for golfers. These add-ons also present new, premium sponsorship opportunities that give sponsors visibility and cover the add-on’s hard costs, ultimately driving more revenue for your mission. Other easy event add-ons include mulligans, raffle tickets, skins games, and auctions. Live scoring, where golfers enter their score on a mobile app that populates a live leaderboard, also gives your tournament a more professional feel and can even expedite finalizing scores at the conclusion of the event.

4. Tournaments Will Be Business As Usual

Thanks to technology and some creative (and relatively easy) modifications that reduced contact and large gatherings, golf tournaments were able to be held safely amid COVID precautions. Organizers have largely returned to pre-pandemic protocols, including shotgun starts and pre- and post-golf gatherings and events. This return to “normal” should continue in 2023 as more nonprofits look to jump into golf fundraising for the first time, resurrect old tournaments, and find ways to enhance an existing golf event. The technology that helped nonprofits figure out how to plan a golf tournament fundraiser in 2020 have proven to be helpful well beyond just eliminating touchpoints, but also in creating efficiencies, time and resource savings, more sponsor options, and a more professional tournament experience.

5. Online Registration Will Be Expected for Golf Tournaments

We live in an online world, and event registration is no different. Folks have come to expect online registration for fundraising events from galas to walk-a-thons and, of course, golf tournaments. Organizations looking to move their registration online will not only reach a larger audience (since promotion is as easy as sharing a simple link) but also spend less time dealing with paper forms, spreadsheets, checks, and receipts so the focus can shift to securing sponsors, stewarding donors, and making their tournament unforgettable. Plus, collecting donor data becomes automated, ensuring no information is missing. 

It will also be important for event organizers to consider the unique information needs and details of a golf tournament, recognizing that not every event management provider can handle the nuances of a golf event. Golfers will look for easy ways to support the organizations they care about, so the ability to collect donations online is also super important for organizations to consider, as well as building donation asks into the day.

Online registration simplifies everything about the process, saving organizers a ton of valuable time and effort.

6. Third Party Events Will Become More Important

Nonprofits that empower corporate partners, businesses, passionate supporters, volunteers, or others to plan golf events on their behalf will benefit from a passive fundraising stream and, if done correctly, uniform collection of valuable donor data. Organizations will look to make it easier for these third parties to launch golf fundraisers by using a common technology platform that standardizes golf events across the board, while also making them easier to plan and execute.

7. Tech Will Work Together to Streamline & Simplify

Nonprofit leaders have a plethora of technology options to make life easier across their organizations, from event planning and implementation to donor management. The golf event will be no different, as event organizers look to tech tools to aid in prep and execution. 

Fortunately for nonprofits, these tools often work together and complement each other to streamline and simplify events from start to finish. For golf fundraisers, this will mean capturing golfer and sponsor information right at registration, plus robust reporting capabilities so donor data can be easily imported into the organization’s CRM for additional donor stewardship, event invitations, and donation asks.

8. Organizers Will Seek New Ways to Save Time & raise more Money

Saving time, conserving financial resources, and finding efficiencies (while increasing revenue) are still top of mind for busy nonprofit event organizers who often wear many hats. More and more, event organizers are looking for specific tools to run fundraising events like golf tournaments that won’t add a line-item expense.

Whether it’s finding ways to seamlessly collaborate with volunteers or planning committees, moving registration online and utilizing an event website, exporting donor data, or simplifying sponsor onboarding, nonprofits will continue to lean on their tech stack to save time and explore ways to raise money.

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Planning a 2023 Golf Event?

GolfStatus’s event management and fundraising platform is built just for golf events, handling all the golf-specific details and freeing up organizers to connect with donors and sponsors. Through the Golf for Good program, qualifying nonprofits (and individuals, businesses, and other holding golf events that benefit them) can qualify for no-cost access to the GolfStatus platform. Click here to get on board with GolfStatus for your 2023 event or email us directly at [email protected].

Quality, complete donor data is imperative to a nonprofit's fundraising efforts. Donor data is more than just contact information; it allows organizations to track what’s important to their donors and reach them with targeted messaging, helps development teams hone in on targets for major gifts, provides insight into which outreach efforts are working and how well, and allows organizations to segment supporters in ways that maximize fundraising outcomes.

The benefits are numerous, yet there are key areas that escape the data capture and tracking mechanisms of even the most savvy, data-centric organizations. In particular, while the golf outing attracts a crucial demographic of high-capacity donors, existing and potential corporate sponsors, and their contacts, without the right tools, it’s quite common for those supporters to go unidentified. This is especially true for organizations benefiting from events run by third parties. Here’s why this data is so important and how to collect it.

Capturing golfer information is just as crucial to outreach as it is fundraising and donor stewardship.

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Why Golfer donor Data Matters 

The basic reality is this—you can’t use information that you don’t have. If your golf event participants aren’t in your donor database, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to steward potentially major donors over time. Golfers typically represent an affluent, influential audience:

When these supporters tap into their personal and professional networks to field a team, your organization is exposed to even more high-level supporters. What’s more, tournament sponsors are ideal candidates for corporate partnerships, with the potential to become even more valuable to your organization over time. In short, capturing golfer donor data is just as crucial to outreach as it is to fundraising and donor stewardship.

Easy & Seamless Data Collection

Collecting donor and sponsor data from your golf fundraiser is simpler than you might think. The key is online registration. Instead of tracking emailed signups or manually entering golfer and sponsor information from mailed registration forms into multiple spreadsheets that quickly become outdated, online registration automates the process. That means no additional work from you or your committee and an all-around easier planning experience. You save time and golfers and sponsors have all the information they need to register online, purchasing teams, add-ons, and sponsorships.

If your organization is the beneficiary of one or many events hosted by a volunteer, business, or other third party, the process of gathering donor and sponsor data for these events might be even more convoluted. Smart, nimble technology centralizes these events into a single platform, while still allowing them to run independently. This gives you the best of both worlds as a beneficiary: others raise funds on your behalf and you’re still able to capture data for longer-term donor stewardship initiatives.

Well-thought-out hole assignments ensure that donors and sponsors form meaningful connections at your golf outing, making the event an important networking opportunity they won’t want to miss year after year.

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What Do I Do With This Information?

As they say, knowledge is power. Data helps you maximize donor relationships, giving you valuable insight into who supports your organization and why. Having a strong handle on who’s participating in your golf outing (whether for the first time, year over year, as part of another donor’s foursome, or in some other fashion) allows you to maximize fundraising efforts.

And while attracting new participants is important, repeat attendees, sponsors, and donors are typically more engaged and more generous than new participants, so getting these people to your fundraiser year after year should be a focal point. Re-engaging with participants who have missed a year can also be an effective way to attract active supporters to your organization.

When your golf event data is organized in one easily accessible place, you can be intentional about using it to maximize the value of your golf event, both to your organization and to donors. For example, you wouldn’t put a major donor’s table in the back corner of a gala’s dimly lit ballroom. Instead, you would strategically group tables with sponsors who may form meaningful connections near each other. This is perhaps an even bigger consideration for a golf event, where many major sponsors are eager to talk business over their hours on the course—making well-thought-out hole assignments (and an easy way to coordinate them) especially important.

The right event management platform will be intuitive enough to collect basic information right at registration without frustrating or overwhelming registrants (leading them to abandon cart instead of following through with their registration). An intuitive golf event management system makes it easy to export event data and seamlessly add it to your organization’s CRM. Using source codes, tags, or other batch notations is important to track who played in, donated to, or sponsored the event and at what level during what year or years. This information can then be leveraged with the other relevant donor information in your CRM to make meaningful and timely asks, including donations, support for other events, and invitations to future golf events.

Getting Started

Whether your golf fundraiser is right around the corner or months away, there’s one simple, impactful thing you can do right now to make sure you’re ready to capture and capitalize on the data it produces: Launch an event registration website that’s backed by a platform that can handle the nuances of capturing the golf event’s important donor data.

Online registration is your best bet to easily capture and manage your event’s donor information, eliminating time-consuming, duplicative data entry. Most event management platforms aren’t equipped to handle the unique set of details that come with a golf event, so it’s critical to choose a platform that’s built for golf. You’ll want tools and features to track golfer information, sponsorship levels, team pairings, and hole assignments so you don’t have to do all that work manually. Be sure the technology you choose allows for custom sponsorship packages and recognition, digital sponsorship exposure, and the ability to collect online donations before, during, and after the event. Finally, it needs to have the capacity to easily export data so it can be loaded into your donor CRM for future asks and outreach.

Event website backed by a platform that can easily manage all your events needs.

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Get a Free Event Registration Website With Golf for Good

Worried that an event website will take a huge chunk out of your limited event budget? Qualifying nonprofits (and third parties planning events that benefit a nonprofit or charity) can get a free event website, plus access to GolfStatus’s golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost through the Golf for Good program. Click the button below to get qualified or contact us directly at [email protected].

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GolfStatus is a golf event management platform designed for all this and more. Access to this technology is available at no cost to qualifying nonprofits (or event organizers planning events that benefit a 501(c) organization) through our Golf for Good program.

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As nonprofits shift focus to year-end giving campaigns and 2023 planning, there are a few simple—but impactful—steps to take right now to get ahead of the game for your 2023 golf event. If you’re thinking about a golf fundraiser in 2023, whether it’s a brand new event or an established tournament, you can set your golf outing up for success by checking these five to-dos off your list before the end of the year.

1. Get Your Tech In Place

The right technology is key to easy planning and successful execution of a golf fundraiser. Because golf events have distinctive components—like handicaps, flighting, hole assignments, scoring—having a platform that’s specifically designed for golf is crucial. While ticketing software, generic event management platforms, or even your CRM might seem like natural solutions, they simply can’t efficiently handle the unique nuances of a golf tournament, and may very well end up costing organizers valuable time trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Look for a provider with online registration that populates an intuitive backend to manage player and sponsor information in real-time and in one accessible place. Get your tech in place early so you can start promoting the tournament and collecting registrations as soon as possible.

2. Launch an Event Website

The earlier the better! An event website gives supporters a centralized place to find more information about the organization and event, purchase teams and sponsorships, and even make a donation. Direct all your promotion to the website so folks can take action to support your cause and event as soon as they hear about it (when they’re significantly more likely to do so!). You don’t have to have all the details in place to launch an event site—a date and location is enough to start—and simply make updates and add information as those details are firmed up.

Launch an event website as soon as you set a date and location, and simply make information as additional details are determined.

3. Send Save-the-Dates

Get your event on donors’ minds early and in front of sponsors amid annual budget planning. As soon as you have a date set with the golf facility (and your event website launched), send a quick email to your contact database as well as individual emails to major donors and supporters to get it on their calendars and into their budgets. If you send postcards or any printed materials, include a QR code that links directly to your event website. Include information about the golf event in any year-end appeals to get more mileage out of those communications.

4. Plan on Live-Scoring

Live-scoring adds a high-end element to your golf tournament. What’s more, live-scoring has a ton of advantages—you can sell a lucrative leaderboard sponsorship and individual digital hole sponsorships, share leaderboards online to connect with more supporters and collect donations, keep golfers engaged throughout the round, and even finalize results quickly so you can keep the day moving forward. Make sure your live-scoring platform is reliable and simple to use.

Your live-scoring platform should be reliable and simple to use, keeping golfers and sponsors engaged.

5. Look for New Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorships are the bread and butter of a golf tournament’s fundraising. Organizers should think outside the box when it comes to sponsor exposure and even types of sponsorships to offer. Digital exposure provides a ton of ROI for sponsors wanting to get their business and brands in front of an audience of affluent members of the community, so look for an event management option that has robust sponsor exposure across multiple touchpoints. Elements that add fun and excitement to your event, like hole-in-one contests, custom swag, or on-course entertainment/fundraising, are also prime sponsorship opportunities (and cover the contest’s fixed costs). Consider selling other high-end sponsorships, like pin flags, technology, or leaderboard sponsorships.

Look for an event management option that offers digital exposure across multiple touchpoints.

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Ready to Start Planning?

GolfStatus’s golf event management and fundraising platform streamlines and simplifies golf fundraisers, offering solutions that save time and raise more money. Nonprofits and those holding events that benefit them can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s technology—including an event website, online registration, live-scoring, and much more—through the Golf for Good program. Plus, GolfStatus’s in-house customer success team is there to answer questions and help you have your most successful event yet. Ready to get started? Click the button below or email [email protected].

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LINCOLN, Neb., Sep. 8, 2022 /Nonprofit Tech for Good/ — If your nonprofit is thinking about planning a golf fundraiser in 2023—whether it’s a brand new event or an established tournament—there are a few simple steps to take right now to make sure your outing is set up for success.

1. Start With Technology

The right technology tools are key to easy planning and successful execution of a golf fundraiser. Because golf events have unique components—like handicaps, flighting, hole assignments, scoring—having a platform that’s specifically designed for golf is crucial. Look for a provider with online registration that populates an intuitive backend to manage player and sponsor information in real-time and in one accessible place. Get your tech in place early so you can start promoting the tournament and collecting registrations as soon as possible.

2. Launch an Event Website

The earlier the better! An event website gives supporters a centralized place to find more information about the organization and event, purchase teams and sponsorships, and even make a donation. Direct all your promotion to the website so folks can take action to support your cause and event as soon as they hear about it.

 3. Send Save-the-Dates

Get your event on donors’ minds early and in front of sponsors amid annual budget planning. As soon as you have a date set with the golf facility, send a quick email to your contact database as well as individual emails to major donors and supporters to get it on their calendars and into their budgets. If you send postcards or any printed materials, include a QR code that links directly to your event website.

4. Plan on Live-Scoring

Live-scoring has a ton of advantages—you can sell a leaderboard sponsorship and individual digital hole sponsorships, share leaderboards online to engage more supporters and collect donations, keep golfers engaged throughout the round, and even finalize results quickly so you can keep the day moving forward. Make sure your live-scoring platform is reliable and simple to use.

5. Look for New Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorships are the bread and butter of a golf tournament’s fundraising. Organizers should think outside the box when it comes to sponsor exposure and even types of sponsorships to offer. Digital exposure provides a ton of ROI for sponsors wanting to get their business and brands in front of an audience of affluent members of the community, so look for an event management option that has robust sponsor exposure across multiple touchpoints. Elements that add fun and excitement to your event, like hole-in-one contests, are also a prime sponsorship opportunity (and cover the contest’s fixed costs). Consider selling other high-end sponsorships, like pin flags, technology, or leaderboard sponsorships.

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Ready to Start Planning?

GolfStatus’s golf event management and fundraising platform streamlines and simplifies golf fundraisers, offering solutions that save time and raise more money. Nonprofits and those holding events that benefit them can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s technology—including an event website, online registration, live-scoring, and much more—through the Golf for Good program. Plus, GolfStatus’s in-house customer success team is there to answer questions and help you have your most successful event yet. Ready to get started? Click here or email [email protected].

Source: Nonprofit Tech for Good

GolfStatus and its giving partners at Dormie Network and Dormie Network Foundation are excited to announce that two winners have been selected for the second annual Play It Forward giveaway: Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia, Delaware, and Susquehanna Valley and Sisters Across America.

The goal of the campaign was simple: to recognize those who are using golf to do good in their communities and beyond. Golfers were asked to nominate their favorite golf tournament fundraiser for a $10,000 donation and were entered to win their own one-year membership to the Dormie Network (a network of private destination golf clubs) plus $10,000 to spend onsite.

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Make-A-Wish’s Philadephia, Delaware, and Susquehanna Valley chapter’s annual golf tournament was held August 15, 2022. The Pro-Am for Wishes raises money to grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Since the chapter’s founding in 1986, more than 7,500 wishes have been granted for children in the local community, helping them build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness.

Sisters Across America provides support and mentoring for young minority women pursuing professional golfing careers, raising money through two annual golf fundraisers. Current mentee Lakareber Abe, a 26-year-old alum of the University of Alabama, recently qualified to play in her first LPGA event. Sisters Across America’s support helps remove the mentees’ concerns for financial viability and allows them to focus on improving their game. The group also teaches juniors, to further expand access to the game.

Participant at Sisters Across America’s annual Invitational golf tournament fundraiser.

Cassandra Doty, co-founder and President of Sisters Across America, says that the idea for the organization came from a round of golf with a group of friends, who had all taken up the game later in life. “We wanted to support the next era of young players, and because tomorrow is a promise to no one, we decided to start right then,” she said.

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You Can Golf for Good!

GolfStatus helps streamline and simplify golf tournaments to help organizations save time and raise more money, like the 2021 winner of the Play It Forward campaign, the Cameron Steinberg Foundation. The tournament saw an increase of more than 66% in dollars raised when compared to the tournament’s first year, along with half of the administrative work in using GolfStatus. Through the Golf for Good program, 501(c) organizations and those holding golf events to benefit a charity can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus—including an event website, online registration, live scoring, and much more. Click the button below to get qualified or email [email protected].

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LINCOLN, Neb., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dormie Network, a collection of private destination golf clubs, is pleased to announce two winners of the second annual Play It Forward giveaway: Make-A-Wish Foundation and Sisters Across America.

The giveaway, presented in partnership with leading golf event management and fundraising platform GolfStatus, celebrates those who are golfing for good. Entrants were asked to nominate a golf tournament fundraiser for a $10K donation, and were entered to win their own one-year private golf membership and $10K to spend onsite.

The Pro-Am for Wishes at Penn Oaks Golf Club, held on August 15, 2022, benefits Make-A-Wish, Philadelphia, Delaware, and Susquehanna Valley, in support of life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Since the chapter's founding in 1986, more than 7,500 wishes have been granted for children in the local community, helping them build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness.

Sisters Across America provides support and mentoring for young minority women pursuing professional golfing careers, raising money through two annual golf fundraisers. Current mentee Lakareber Abe, a 26-year-old alum of the University of Alabama, recently qualified to play in her first LPGA event. Sisters Across America's support helps remove the mentees' concerns for financial viability and allows them to focus on improving their game. The group also teaches juniors, to further expand access to the game.

Cassandra Doty, co-founder and President of Sisters Across America, notes that the concept was developed on the golf course with a group of friends, who had all taken up the game later in life. "We wanted to support the next era of young players, and because tomorrow is a promise to no one, we decided to start right then," she said.

The Play It Forward giveaway is part of Dormie Network and the Dormie Network Foundation's commitment to supporting organizations in its four giving pillars of youth golf, environmental initiatives, military / first responder organizations, and healthcare / humanitarian efforts.

About Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world's leading children's wish-granting organization, operating in every community in the United States and in nearly 50 countries worldwide. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 24,000 volunteers across the U.S., Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. Make-A-Wish aims to bring the power of wishing to every child with a critical illness because wish experiences can help improve emotional and physical health. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 520,000 wishes worldwide; more than 350,000 wishes in the U.S. and its territories alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

About Sisters Across America

Sisters Across America, Inc. consists of golfers and non-golfers who are bound by passion for the mission. Since its 2006 inception, the organization continues to embrace activities with respect, integrity, and teamwork. Sisters Across America, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit corporation of women from across America, committed to carrying out its mission, vision and goals. Learn more at sistersacrossamerica.com.

About GolfStatus

GolfStatus is golf's premier tournament management solution and golfer engagement platform. Its full-service event management software streamlines outings from start to finish, yielding professional, high-end events while also saving time and improving the event experience for golfers, sponsors, and golf facilities. Through GolfStatus, its powerful technology is accessible to nonprofits to streamline golf fundraisers and help event organizers use them to engage more supporters, raise more mission-critical funds, drive impact, and do more good. Visit golfstatus.com.

About Dormie Network

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. Learn more at dormienetwork.com.

Source: PR Newswire