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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Golf Tourney Help?

I've been a golfer longer than I've been a special needs mom.  Longer than I've been a mom, actually.  Longer than I've even been a wife.  I love golf.  After life handed me a couple of really good reasons to raise money for good causes, I've longed to link two of the things I spend most of my time on:  golfing and raising money to find a cure for my twins.  As it happens, cures for neuromuscular disease aren't prancing themselves to our doorstep--and I want to raise some money so that can happen.


Does anyone have experience holding a charity golf tournament?  I’m considering adding a golf tourney to our fundraising schedule next year, but am trying to get a handle on how much work it will be and who can help me.  

I have questions like what are the best ways to get hole sponsorships?  How does one balance the desire for cool prizes and swag bags while making the charity a priority and keeping overhead as low as possible?  Do morning tournaments that end with lunch tend to make more or less than afternoon tournaments that end with dinner?  What things can I ask a golf course to include in the contract that are not monetary in nature but will make my life easier as the organizer?  Does anyone have experience with activities on the side to raise money on the day-of, aside from selling mulligans and holding a raffle?  I don't have any celebrities lined up to play or to emcee--how big of a problem is this, or what can I do to appeal to someone?

I am lucky enough to already have resources to provide signage, create a logo and help with PR, but there’s so much left that I need help with.  I have so many questions but a massive desire to do this.  Talk to me, people!

These are old prototype logos from years ago when I dreamed up this overwhelming event.  I like them, but we'd have to change the colors to purple and orange!
Side note:   this event will benefit Families of SMA and I know that others in our SMA community have held fundraiser golf tourneys, but I’d love to hear from others, too.