Nonprofit Fundraising. Planning a One-Day Charity Golf Tournament

Maybe you’re Involved with a Church, School or Nonprofit

Looking for those extra dollars to help your nonprofit fund more programs? Perhaps you’ve already done the “Cookie Sales”, “Car Washes”, “Dinners” and “Auctions both Live and Silent”. You’ve heard that One-Day Fundraiser Golf Tournaments really work. Well when planned correctly, they do.

Getting Started

Holding a One-Day Charity Fundraising Golf Tournament takes a lot of Planning

  In my book, Golf Tournaments 101  Second Edition, Chapter One gives you all the information nonprofit groups need to know to:

“Getting Started in Putting Together a Successful Charity Golf Fundraiser Tournament”

The chapter contains way too much detailed information to include in this blog; however I can outline the information and list the topics as they appear in the chapter.

1. How Much Time is Needed?

The amount of time you should give yourselves, especially if it’s your first tournament is realistically one year.

2. Choosing the Best Golf Course for Your Tournament

There are two types of venue to consider;

• Private Country Clubs. Usually only available for non-member tournaments on a Monday.
• Public Courses often referred to as Municipal or Daily Fee.

There are pros and cons to both of these sites, Chapter One lays out everything you need to know and consider when choosing which type best fits your requirements.

3. Location is Very Important

• Finding a Club that minimizes the travel distance for most of your targeted golfer-guests is paramount.
• If possible select two or three Clubs in your preferred area, phone them and ask a few basic questions. For example: Do they host Charity Tournaments, have they an information package to send you and finally how much assistance in planning your event can they give you.

4. Researching Possibilities

Making an Initial Course Selection. Arrange your first pre-tournament meetings. Doing this at two or three Clubs is a great way to find the one that feels right and comfortable to you. Be sure to meet with the Club’s staff members who’s responsibility it will be to help in your planning as well as being there with you on tournament day. Read more in the book’s chapter one.

5. Club Selection Visits – Your Check List

Chapter One contains a list of seven things to check under this heading. One important item is setting up another pre-tournament meeting where all your newly formed committee members have the opportunity to see the venue and meet the Club’s staff members.

6. Getting to Know the Club’s Staff

There are two very important Club staff members who should be willing to support and advise you throughout the planning stages of your event. Usually they are very experience in working with nonprofit organizations. Getting to know them is one of the key factors in how smoothly your tournament day activities will flow. These two people are:

• The Club’s Private Events Director. The person whose task it is to make sure all your food and beverage requirements are met. Along with having the Clubhouse and dining room arranged to your liking.
• The Club’s Golf Tournament Director (or golf professional) who’ll work with you making sure everything golf-wise is taken care of. Even down to details like printing you tournament “Rule Sheets”, assigning team starting tees and setting up on-course competitions.Read more in the book’s chapter one.

7. Your Checklist of Questions – Details to Discuss

Why all of Chapter One couldn’t be fitted into this blog. There are 34 Points to discuss and clarify. Some of those even have sub categories. Everything you need to know but “didn’t know to ask” is listed. My book gives you a lot of up-front knowledge. Some examples are;

• Who greets your golfer-guests when they arrive?
• Will there be staff to look after their golf bags?
• Is a Driving Range available? Is there a charge for that?
• Is there a floor plan for the table set-up at your awards dinner?
• Can you choose the linen colors for the dinner tables?

It’s a very comprehensive and important list of questions and a great tool for you to have.

8.Signing a Contract: Determining the Date, Course and Tournament Package

All the details of your contract with the Club would have been worked out and a contract signed during the earlier stages of your meetings with the Club. This section of Chapter One explains the possible ways the Club could expect payment for your tournament. Read much more in the book’s chapter one.

9. Determining Food and Beverage Needs

This section goes through what should be provided for your golfer-guests and even your committee and volunteers throughout the day. Everything from pre-registration coffee to get your early set-up team going, through all the needs out on the course and then for the awards dinner.

10. Your Final Invoice

When it comes to paying your final invoice you certainly don’t want to find any unexpected charges added on. This section lists ten things to consider. Items that if you know about them you can clarify before your big day.

Do Not be Afraid

If you’ve never run a Fundraiser Golf Tournament for your nonprofit organization before, the first one is the learning and perhaps scary one. However everything’s easy when you know how. I’ve seen committees come back the second and following years as “experts”, confident in what they’ve learned and achieved and thrilled that every year the task gets easier, the golfer-guest field gets bigger and the fundraising dollars increase.

The Tip of the Iceberg

If you’ve read any of my many blogs on planning and running a one day charity fundraising golf tournament, then look at them as being just the tip of the iceberg.

Golf Tournaments 101 The Second Edition is full of much more detailed information, guidelines and tips than blogs can fully cover. It’s unique in that there’s not another guide and planning book on the market containing as much information to assist charities raise money through golf.

 Downloadable Tools

Through the book’s website https://charitygolf101.com the second edition makes available over 35 downloadable tools. These Excel and Word files are set up to assist in pre-tournament planning along with a tournament day timeline. Some files are ready to go, others can be modified to suit your own requirements.

 Wishing you every success with your fundraiser tournament.

Mel Lewis