Charity golf tournaments are a great way to raise awareness and maximize fundraising dollars – but in order for your tournament to be successful, you will need to consider how to best attract the key players: your sponsors and golfers.
It’s simple math: more sponsors and attendees means more fundraising opportunities. But, how do you attract more people to your golf outing?
We’ve outlined these tips to help you host a successful tournament, reach your goal of attracting more players and sponsors, and ultimately raise more money for your charity.
Sponsors
Sponsors are key to making more money for your charity, so it’s important to give them a good reason to want to support your golf tournament. Here are some reasons sponsors tend to support tournaments that you can use as a focus point when you approach them:
- It gains exposure to their company.
- It entertains their clients.
- It offers networking opportunities.
- They can support the cause or charity.
- Or, simply because they have a great relationship with you.
When it comes to selling sponsorships, you’ll want to rely on your committee members, as they may have some strong connections to help you get sponsors. It helps to make it as easy as possible to become a supporter of your event. Sponsorship packages, which clearly outline the contribution of companies and what they receive in return, will help companies want to take the initiative to sponsor your tournament.
Some Tips to Obtain Sponsors:
Committee Members - Have your committee members reach out to friends, family, and anyone in their network. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and talk about the cause you’re fundraising for.
Business Relationships - Use your existing relationships to your advantage! Be sure to reach out to customers/clients to support your event.
Sponsorship Opportunities - Create sponsorship packages that offer a variety of sponsorship levels. Sponsors will have different needs and budgets. While they may not be willing to break the bank, they may still be willing to contribute to your fundraiser on some level.
Your Charity - Reach out to a network of companies, families, etc. that have a connection with the charity or purpose of your event. They can play a major role in spreading the word among people who are already supporters of your charity.
Follow-Up - Pick up the phone! A quick phone call can go a long way.
Players
Countless charity tournaments start off by securing a course and date, but then struggle to get players and sponsors. If you’re planning an event for the first time, you may want to do some research beforehand. Ask friends, clients and coworkers to see if there's any interest. If you’re in charge of an annual event, be sure to obtain a list of all players and potential players from previous years. Also, be sure to implement some fresh ideas each year or start a unique tradition to keep players interested and want to return year after year!
Here are a few key reasons golfers will attend your event:
- Potential networking opportunities.
- Supporting the organization or charity.
- A chance to win some great prizes.
- An acceptable day of “hookie” on the course.
Understanding the reasons why golfers are willing to play doesn't undermine the difficulty of getting players to attend your event! Here are some helpful tips to help get golfers out to your tournament fundraiser:
Registration - Ensure registration for your event is as quick and easy as possible, as this increases the chance of golfers attending your event. Hosting your tournament on a software like Event Caddy helps make player self-registration seamless.
Committee - It can seem like a tough task for a committee to obtain 144 or more players for an event. If you break it down to a realistic goal, like having each committee member responsible for bringing 2 foursomes, your tournament will start to fill up in no time.
Sponsorship Options - Include players with each sponsorship package. Adding players to the sponsorship options will not only make the sponsorship more attractive, but will help you fill up that player list.
Relationships - Approach your professional and personal network. Those closest to you are almost always willing to help!
Prizes - Who wouldn't want to go home with a great prize? Just make sure you advertise it beforehand, to establish interest and excitement.
Purpose - Champion your charity by adding detailed information to the invite. If the players understand where their money is going, they are more likely to join your fundraiser!
Registration Draw - Adding an early bird draw to the registration can often help attract players and lock in some numbers at an early stage.
You’ve got a great charity tournament planned so far – and you want to make sure you’ve got the players and sponsors to support and enjoy it! These steps – and the help of a Software like Event Caddy will help make attracting them to your event that much easier. Contact us here and we can help get you started.