$28K raised with a sold-out charity golf tournament

The challenge

A nonprofit athletics program at a school needed to raise money to support its student athletes. It wanted a fundraiser that could bring in both individual participants and business sponsors, and that the community would want to come back to.

The approach

Kady built a charity golf tournament and treated it like a marketing campaign, with something to sell to every audience.

• Tiered sponsorship packages: designed sponsorships at several levels, including hole sponsors, beverage cart sponsors and a title tournament sponsor, so businesses of every size could take part

• Social media campaigns: promoted the tournament on social media to recruit golfers and build excitement in the community

• Email campaigns: ran targeted email outreach to fill foursomes and sell sponsorships

• Event planning: managed the details so the day ran smoothly for players, sponsors and volunteers

The results

• $28K raised for the school's athletics program

• 30 foursomes, or about 120 golfers, on the course

• Every sponsorship sold out, from holes to beverage carts to the title sponsor

• Now an annual event, giving the program a fundraiser it can count on every year

Why it matters for nonprofits

A good fundraising event gives every supporter a way to say yes, whether they want to play, sponsor a hole or put their name on the whole day. When the packages are clear and the promotion starts early, a first-year event can turn into a lasting tradition.

Planning a fundraiser and want it to sell out? Let's talk.