Building a Better Golf Fundraiser

With summer finally rolling in, we find many of our friends and family flocking to their favorite warm weather activities – going to the beach, enjoying a picnic, camping, hiking – and for many, hitting the links to get in a few rounds of golf.In the same fashion, many organizations are taking advantage of gorgeous summer weather by incorporating it into their fundraising events. This could mean outdoor / beach-themed galas, or something a bit more interactive, like a charitable golf fundraiser.Popular for corporations and nonprofit organizations alike, golf fundraising tournaments have become a popular way to efficiently raise proceeds, while providing your participants with an interactive summer activity and networking experience. Typically, a golf fundraiser has four revenue drivers:

1. Group entry fees into the tournament (usually pairs or foursomes)
2. Sponsorships
3. Silent auctions
4. General donations

Today, we’re going to focus on how you can drive additional revenue for your golf fundraiser by using silent auctions and general donations.Specifically, we will tell you exactly how to build a better golf fundraiser by making use of mobile fundraising tools to enhance your silent auction, and increase donations received.But first, let’s quickly cover the basics of a mobile silent auction. A mobile silent auction operates in a similar way to a traditional silent auction, with a few key improvements:

• Each mobile silent auction has its own fundraising webpage and phone number.
• Donors submit their bids online or via text message.
• Bidders receive instant notifications if they have been outbid, or if they have won an item.
• Silent auction winners can pay via credit card, directly from their mobile device.

Of course, these three enhancements can lead to substantial increases in your silent auction proceeds. Using mobile silent auctions, your fundraiser can now reach an uncapped donor base, as you are no longer restricted to those who attend your physical fundraising event. Simply share your online fundraising page or event phone number, and you can begin receiving bids from anywhere.Additionally, using a mobile silent auction means your fundraiser is no longer bound by time. Instead, your organization can open your fundraiser early (days, weeks, or months in advance) in order to drive additional interest and bids on your silent auction items. This means that you have effectively extended your fundraising window, allowing donors to bid at any time.In case you haven’t made the connection yet, the features of mobile fundraising are perfect for a golf fundraiser!Throughout the duration of your fundraising event, your participants will be scattered across the golf course. Because the fundraiser itself does not have a central location, it can be extremely difficult to get your silent auction prizes and physical bid sheets in front of your entire audience.With a mobile silent auction, all of your golfers (and your audience) can become bidders – By simply opening your fundraising web page or texting your golf fundraiser phone number, golfers can view and bid on your silent auction items – from anywhere on the course!Your bidders will be notified immediately if they have been outbid, meaning they can stay engaged and bid frequently throughout the entire day, not just towards the end, when they are back at the clubhouse.Once your silent auction has concluded, your winners will be instantly notified and will be able to make payment via credit card from their phones, meaning they can finish their round on the course, make their payment, and head to clubhouse to claim their prize – no more waiting in line to check out and make payment!In addition to generating revenue from your silent auction, many of the participants at your golf fundraiser will be willing to submit donations for your cause. Using an Accelevents mobile fundraiser, you can incorporate the elements of a silent auction and a donation page in the same fundraiser – this means that your participants can bid on your silent auction AND submit a donation if they would like.Finally, while mobile fundraisers can definitely improve your proceeds and the experience for those attending your golf fundraiser, don’t forget to take advantage of the online nature of your fundraiser. Use these general tips to increase the performance of your fundraiser this year:

Before the Day of Your Golf Fundraiser

• Open Early - Open your silent auction / donation page a week (or two) before your golf fundraiser. This will increase the time period during which you can accept donations.

• Involve Everyone - Don’t limit yourself to the golfers attending your event! Send your online silent auction link to your friends and family, regardless of their location. You will increase your donor pool, and proceeds will rise!

Day of Your Golf Fundraiser

• Use Item Summary Sheets - Printing a sheet with a brief description of each of your items will come in handy for your bidders. We recommend placing this sheet on each of the golf carts being used for the fundraiser.

• Encourage Bids and Donations - Remind your guests that they can use your online fundraiser to submit silent auction bids AND to submit donations to support your cause.

Hopefully, you’ve found this guide to be useful for your next golf fundraiser – good luck!