The weather is warmer and the grass is greener again. That means it’s time to pull out the golf clubs and hit the course again! I personally couldn’t be more excited about golf season, so I decided to whip up a post about golf tournament fundraisers. Now I’ve never personally planned a golf tournament, so I had to do some digging in order to make sure I stayed as accurate as possible for all of you who are using this as a reference guide. I was honestly surprised at how much I would have left out if I’d planned one without researching anything, and how much money I’d have missed out on. Allow me to elaborate.
There are tournaments that raise $1,500 and tournaments that raise $175K and they all take almost the same steps. So what is the difference between a tourney that nets $1,500 and one that is over $100K? Sponsorships versus single players.
Sponsorships make the difference
If you plan to market your tournament to single golfers and sign up friends, you will not make money. Here’s why; though the tournament fees you see are generally $100 or more, 90% of that goes to the course for green fees, the meal, the shirt or golfer give-aways, signs and the list goes on. You may make $10 per player. Even if you have a full group of 144 golfers, the most you will make on the fee is $1,440.
Selling sponsorships raises revenue significantly. Example: Selling five Corporate Foursomes at $1,000 each brings in $5,000, your cost is twenty golfers at $90. You net $3,200 with only twenty golfers so far. Sell ten sign sponsorships for $200 each, with a sign cost of $20, you will net $1,800. Now you still only have twenty golfers and $5,000 in your pocket, with plenty more spaces to fill. And it grows from there.
Sell, sell, sell
It is important to offer other opportunities to make money at the event. Running incidental contests and drawings offer additional revenue with no cost. Mulligans, tickets for drawings, betting holes, silent and live auctions all make great contributions to your bottom line.
Exclusivity
Always, always, always have something you can offer exclusively. If you have a bank that doesn’t want any of their competition at the tournament anywhere, let them know that for an extra fee they can have exclusivity to the tournament. No other banks will be allowed to advertise or be involved other than playing. It benefits both parties. They feel like they’re being given a privilege, and you walk away with a good chunk of change in your pocket.
Believe me when I say there’s a whole lot more I can throw at you regarding this type of a fundraiser. If it’s pulled off correctly, you can net a whole lot of money for your non-profit, it’s just a matter of understanding the logistics of how to make the most of the entire day. And as always, WePay.com has some pretty easy tools to use as far as having people donate money, or buy sponsorships. It makes it extremely convenient to send your potential sponsors to one secure website so they can make their donation/purchase without all the hassle of sending checks, or worrying about stolen information.
So grab the clubs, take a few practice swings and try not to shank the ball into the water okay? We all know how frustrating that can get.
