Putting the “Fun” Back in Fundraiser
Why Golf Tournaments Are the Best Fundraisers for Non-profits
The days of going door-to-door with a list of magazine subscriptions, wrapping paper, or car wash tickets are dead and gone. I mean, really, how many of us even answer the door for them anymore? Thin Mints, of course, are the absolute exception.
It's time to rethink fundraising for non-profit groups. It's time to move away from the tangible, junkable items and move toward the intangible, you-can't-put-a-price-on-it experience. What's the best way to do this while raising those precious funds? In my opinion, it's hosting a fundraising golf tournament. It's putting the "fun" back in fundraiser.
Don't Be Scared—It's Only Golf
Some people argue that golf tournaments are too difficult, too expensive, or just too much work to plan. It's true that they are a lot of work, they are expensive, and if you're not a golfer, they can be a bit difficult. However, trust me when I say that the amount of work put into it directly correlates to the amount of funds your group will raise.
Plus, golf is nothing to be afraid of. I’m barely able to get the ball off the tee, and yet I manage golf tournaments. Planning a tournament may have its quirks, but it's essentially like planning any other event.
What you’ll need:
- Organization: you must efficiently manage your timeline and the people working with you.
- The ability to "sell it": You have to think of your targets, their needs, and what they have to offer—both the players and to the sponsors.
- Moderate starting funds: You have to spend money to make money!
It's nothing to fear. I mean, really, it's just golf.
First Things First
So where to begin?
- Pick a venue and lock in the date: This is extremely important. Don't advertise a date you haven’t secured. Golf tournaments are often annual events for the groups that take advantage of them. This may mean that the weekend of May 5 is always on hold at a particular course for a regular group.
- Decide on a format—straight tee, modified shotgun, or full shotgun: The course tournament/event managers should be able to help determine the best option for you based on your estimated number of players. Something to consider: If it's your first year, a full shotgun may sound glamorous, but a modified shotgun is more approachable and offers many of the same benefits.
- Generate interest: Find sponsors and players! Approach businesses and sell your event as a great advertising opportunity for them. Ask businesses to sponsor prizes for the numerous contests you'll have. Or have sponsors buy a place for their name on your marketing materials. Offer food and prizes to generate interest among your group's individual supporters. Most tournaments offer an awards banquet following the event, so sell banquet-only tickets for all non-golfers. There are countless ways to help generate funds, and if your course contacts know what they're doing, they should be able to give you examples. A good course contact can walk even the most inexperienced person through the process.
The Big Day
Here's the fun part about a golf fundraiser: On the day of the tournament, you have all your wonderful golfers essentially held captive for an entire day. Can you see the opportunity here? A day of selling mulligans (ask your course contact), raffle tickets, contest buy-ins, plus live and silent auction items at your awards banquet.
Of course, the day of the event also has its own challenges. At Brookside Golf Club in Pasadena, we stand by our clients throughout the day and focus on one key problem solver: communication! As long as everyone who's part of this event communicates, we can almost guarantee success.
Don't forget to have fun too! By this point, you've worked hard and it's time to reap the awards of a truly successful fundraising event.
Creating a Legacy
Now that you've successfully held a fundraising tournament, you'll find that it gets easier each year. You learn to tweak the things that didn't work and keep the things that did. As long as the venue is the same, the second year (and all following ones) will be a piece of cake. Golfers who participated in prior years will do a good amount of advertising for you (never underestimate the value of word-of-mouth!), and sponsors may even come looking for you, instead of vice versa.
Yes, a golf tournament can be difficult. It is a lot of work to plan and execute. However, the return on investment is huge. What’s more, once you’ve found a winning formula, the tournament can be successful for years to come. You've essentially created a life-giving pool of income for your non-profit group that can be depended upon to produce results over and over again.
So forget the door-to-door fundraising and start creating an unforgettable experience. I promise: you won't regret it!
Contributed by Lauren Stoll, Tournament Manager, Brookside Golf Club