This is a guest blog by GolfStatus.
Your charity golf tournament is a vital part of your nonprofit’s fundraising portfolio. And while golfer registrations provide a portion of the tournament’s revenue, the bulk of the dollars raised will come from sponsorships. Sponsorships can help underwrite tournament expenses, build or strengthen corporate relationships, provide credibility for a newer tournament, and open the door to potential high-capacity donors.
As you map out your tournament’s sponsorship offerings and plan for selling them, keep these 10 dos and don’ts in mind to help your nonprofit and businesses get the most out of your golf event.
1. DO: Your Research on Potential Sponsors
Start by creating a prospect list for potential sponsors that align with your organization’s mission and values and the goals for your tournament. Check with your planning team, nonprofit staff, board members, or volunteers for any contacts or connections at these businesses for an initial introduction. Dive into their websites and social media platforms to identify their priorities and trends for sponsoring events like golf tournaments and other charitable causes.
2. DON’T: Guess What Sponsors Want
Start by leveraging any data you’ve collected from past golf tournaments (if applicable) to determine what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what you can improve on in terms of sponsorships. Key performance indicators, or KPIs, can help you and your team make better decisions. If you haven’t collected this information in the past, now’s a great time to start—and you’ll help improve outcomes in subsequent years.
Data tells part of the story, but don’t be afraid to talk directly with past and prospective sponsors about their experiences and what would be of value to them. Are they more interested in brand exposure or interacting with golfers? Would they want the chance to speak at the tournament or include a message in a promotional email blast? Asking questions helps you build sponsorship packages that are a win-win for you and the business.
3. DO: Create an Effective Sponsorship Pitch
A well-crafted sponsorship proposal should clearly outline the benefits and value of partnering with you to sponsor your golf tournament. Are they looking for brand lift? Broad exposure for their business? Association with a worthy cause? Use the background information you collected when doing research on potential sponsors to tailor your proposal based on their interests and priorities. You might even suggest one or two sponsorship packages that could be the best fit for their business or ask if they are interested in a custom sponsor package.
4. DON’T: Underestimate Your Tournament’s Unique Value Proposition
Your nonprofit’s golf tournament is an opportunity for sponsors to reach an audience they wouldn’t normally have access to. Highlight the specific demographics that make your tournament’s audience especially appealing to potential sponsors. For example, you might highlight golfers’ above-average net worth as a selling point for sponsors. You might also consider the success and impact of past golf tournaments (if applicable) to demonstrate your nonprofit’s ability to deliver value and positive outcomes for sponsors. It’s also a good idea to report back to sponsors after the tournament to illustrate exactly how you followed through on your promises to them as a sponsor.
5. DO: Offer a Variety of Sponsorship Packages & Benefits
While high-dollar sponsorships certainly have their place in a golf tournament, it’s a good idea to offer multiple sponsorship levels so you can target even more types of businesses as sponsors. Not every business can fit a top-tier sponsorship into their marketing or charitable contributions budget, but will jump at the chance to be a more approachable sponsorship, like a hole sponsorship. When building your packages, think about the fixed costs associated with the event, and create a sponsorship to cover it.
The benefits you offer to sponsors should be attractive, relative to the value of their contribution, and provide enough return on their investment to justify the spend. It’s a good idea to add value through digital exposure in your golf tournament management platform, social media shoutouts, their logo on signage, the opportunity to speak at the event or mingle with attendees, and inclusion in promotional materials and emails.
6. DON’T: Forget About In-Kind Sponsorships
Golf tournament sponsorships can be more than just financial support. Many businesses are willing to donate goods and services to your tournament, so keep this in mind when making your pitch to potential sponsors. Refer back to your research into the companies on your short list of potential sponsors to see if they have historically donated dollars or goods and services to golf events—this will help you craft a custom sponsorship specifically for that business. Or, if a business turns you down for a monetary sponsorship, pitch them the idea of an in-kind donation you can leverage for auction items, raffle prizes, player gifts, other prizes, or other tournament components.
7. DO: Get Creative
Think outside the box when building your sponsor packages. Start by looking at your tournament’s hard costs and build a sponsorship around it. Think about food and beverage, on-course games or entertainment, pin flags, audio/visual, player gifts, etc. If you can put a logo on it or provide some type of valuable exposure, you can sell it as a sponsorship! Look for digital opportunities as well—these sponsorships come with fewer risks and costs, such as a technology sponsorship that offers exposure throughout your event management platform.
8. DON’T: Get Stuck in a Rut
Build on each year’s success and lessons learned to continuously evaluate and improve your sponsorship strategies. Use data, sponsor and attendee feedback, and industry trends to find new ways to connect with sponsors that raise dollars for your tournament and mission while providing a solid return on the sponsor’s investment. Don’t be afraid to try out new sponsor offerings or go after new businesses!
9. DO: Build Relationships With Sponsors
Building relationships with sponsors is bigger than just soliciting support for your golf event—these relationships can lead to broader partnerships that translate into additional dollars for your nonprofit’s work. Keep the lines of communication open with sponsors, beyond just asking for their support, to stay connected and engaged. Keep them in the loop on major happenings at your nonprofit and make sure you stay abreast of what’s going on at their company to foster an authentic relationship.
10. DON’T: Skip the Follow Up
Following up with sponsors after the golf tournament is a must. Send a handwritten thank you and give them a call to express your thanks for their support of the fundraiser. Help them understand, in tangible terms, the impact of their support on your mission. For example, the Presenting Sponsor of your golf tournament helped cover the cost of 25 dog adoptions. Be sure to take the time to get their feedback and perspective on the value of the event, either through a conversation or a survey or both. And most importantly, thank sponsors for their support and demonstrate how you kept the promises outlined in their sponsorship package.
Final Thoughts & Next Steps
As you think about sponsorships for your nonprofit’s charity golf tournament, keep these dos and don’ts top of mind. Remember, sponsors are looking for a win-win when making the decision to sponsor your golf event. A golf-specific event management platform is key to helping you build good processes and a solid strategy for sponsor outreach, recognition, and value.
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