Quick
tips and how to advice on putting together a charity golf tournament.
Done correctly, these can be huge fundraisers, but you need to plan
ahead.
Looking for tips on planning a charity golf tournament? There are many
factors to consider, so I'll stick to the four main ones for this
article. The success of your charity golf event revolves around
maximizing player turnout, increasing pledge sizes, obtaining sponsored
prizes, and planning tips.
Player Turnout
Your success depends on how many players your golf event draws and how
actively you have your players solicit sponsors for their own rounds.
To maximize turnout, you need to get major publicity for your event.
That means putting out multiple press releases, getting local media
coverage from newspapers and television stations, and placing ads in
the sports section of the local paper.
For the best results, put your press releases out through PR Web.
Appoint a spokesperson to handle all media contacts and follow-up. For
more tips, read my article on fundraising publicity.
Charity Pledges
The key is getting each player to collect a certain amount of pledges.
I recommend a minimum of $100 per player in pledges. I've also played
in tournaments where that number was $250 per player.
Obviously, you want to motivate the participants to raise as much money
as possible. Some groups offer incentives for the top pledge getters.
Others seek corporate sponsorships for that firm's players.
Pledge amounts determine the success of your charity golf event, so get
input from experienced golfers and golf pros in your area.
Top Golfer Prizes
Generally speaking, you'll draw more golfers if you have great prizes
for longest drive, closest to the hole, hole in one, lowest team score,
lowest actual score, and best adjusted score (handicap).
You solicit local merchants to sponsor those prizes. Work with an
insurance-related prize company for things like the hole-in-one
contest. That way you can offer a bigger prize for a much lower outlay.
Aim to get 100 golfers (25 foursomes) and your small group could easily
raise $10,000 or more. Larger turnouts will net even more with some
charity golf tournaments drawing 500 golfers competing for big prizes.
Plan Ahead
Obviously, bigger pledges, more golfers, corporate sponsorships
combined with massive publicity will work wonders for the bottom line
of your charity golf tournament. With the right combination of these
factors and good advance planning, you can certainly raise $75,000 or
more for a charitable cause.
Contact local courses for group rates. Be sure to mention that you are
planning a charity event and ask for discounts on cart and greens fees.
Once you decide on your preferred location, reserve the date and tee
times well in advance.
Charity Golf Event - Final Tips
Plan ahead to maximize the success of your charity golf event. For best
results, pick a weekday when courses and large blocks of tee times will
be easier to reserve. You'll often get the best rates by going to the
course in person and talking to the pro or pro shop manager.
Corporate sponsors are another good way to go. Get some celebrities to
golf with corporate bigwigs and you can easily raise $100k-$150k. Of
course, convincing celebrities to donate their time takes some doing,
but it's well worth it.
If it's your first golf tournament, be open to suggestions from other
golfers. Consider working with a fundraising consultant who specializes
in organizing charity golf tournaments. They work for a percentage of
the gross, but you usually end up raising more funds due to their
experience and sponsor contacts.
