There are more than 80,000 registered charities in Canada. The majority of them rely heavily on either the generosity of Canadian citizens, support from government grants, or donations from the private sector. And for many, fundraisers in the form of charitable sporting events are a crucial part of their annual revenue.
It’s no wonder, then, that almost every summer, across the nation, a bevy of nonprofit organizations turn to the ever-popular charitable golf tournament to raise some needed cash and get some community exposure.
While thousands of Canadians hack away in frustration at those little white golf balls – all in the name of a good cause – the question remains: is the ubiquitous charity golf tourney worth the effort nonprofits put into them?
CRA’s staggering numbers
CharityVillage asked the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for a breakdown of the most recent figures on charitable golf tournaments in Canada. The agency informed us that there was no specific category for “golf tournament” in their reporting measures. However, the numbers they were able to provide – from 2006 – offer a glimpse into how potentially profitable golf tournaments are for the sector.
The following numbers represent “the list of all charities that filed a 2006 Annual Registered Charity Information Return (T3010) as of April 2008 that checked box 2630 (Tournaments/Sporting events) in Section C8 and the total amount of revenue collected from fundraising captured on Line 4630,” according to Catherine Jolicoeur, a spokesperson for the CRA.
More than 4,000 organizations ticked off box 2630 for that year as part of their revenue reporting. Jolicoeur qualifies that “the amount indicated in the report as revenue collected from fundraising includes the total amount of revenue from all fundraising activities carried out by the charity, and not specifically fundraising revenue collected from tournaments/sporting events.” Still, it’s likely that many of these reports were filed by organizations that did indeed hold golf tournaments as part of their activities.
So what’s the total? A whopping $891,358,376, to be precise. That’ll cover most of your green fees.
The masters tee up this year
In Calgary, the local chapter of Opportunity International Canada (OIC) – a Christian microenterprise development organization that provides microfinancing training to the “entrepreneurial poor” to help them rise out of poverty – ran its 6th annual Opportunity Golf Tournament on May 28. It’s billed it as the city’s “largest-funded charitable golf tournament.” With good reason. The tournament has grown in success from it’s inception in 2002, when it raised $30,000. As of last week, the organization said it had raised $440,000 at this year’s event, but not all donations had been counted yet. In total, the tournament has netted OI Calgary close to $1.2 million since 2002.
This year, a total of 36 corporations and individuals sponsored the tournament.
Despite its success, Don Dufault, principal organizer for OI Calgary’s golf tournament, says the tournament started by chance, but he’s glad it did.
“It got started when we connected locally with the owners of a golf course who had attended one of our fall banquets, which were running annually at the time,” he recalls. “This couple offered not only to host and support us, but we were given encouragement and hand-holding on how to run a successful tournament. Their tournament director and a couple of volunteers met a number of times to plan the first tournament, prepare promotional material, and set sponsorship levels. We were green apples, and without their help we would never have made a success of our first venture.”
It’s a long drive, even for a pro
Dufault explains that there’s a lot of time and planning involved to make the OI Calgary tournament as successful as it is, and teamwork is an essential part of the process.
“Our tournament is always the last Wednesday in May, and preparation starts in January when we gather together our sponsorship team of about 15 volunteers who are charged with signing up sponsors at various levels,” he says. “We decide on the cost of sponsorship levels, prepare promotional material for them to e-mail to their network of contacts so that by the end of February we have a good idea who our sponsors will be. Then in early April, the 20 or so volunteers who are putting on the event gather together to prepare printed materials that will be used during the tournament, do mail outs, and arrange signage and prizing. We also review our ‘to-do’ checklist and assign tasks to individuals, all under the leadership of the golf course tournament director.”
According to Dufault, in the past the tournament has ramped up its public exposure by featuring sports celebrities from the Calgary Stampeders and the Calgary Flames, but when asked if these maneuvers add value to the event, he replies, “It is not known how significant this has been in our fundraising.” But fundraising isn’t the only goal, he notes, saying that there is a definite educational element to the tournament.
“We have also had consular people from the country the funds are earmarked for attend and thank the participants for their generosity, and this has resulted in good feedback for us. We also have some volunteers and/or staff describe their experience visiting some of our clients abroad. This anecdotal picture makes a lasting impression on everyone, even those who have sponsored us since the first tournament,” Dufault states.
The novices find their grip
Over in Toronto, another organization is getting ready to host its first ever charitable golf tournament.
Ve’ahavta – a Canadian humanitarian and relief organization, motivated by the Jewish value of Tzedakah (Justice), that assists the needy at home and abroad, through volunteerism, education, and acts of kindness, while building bridges between Jews and other peoples – will hold its Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) Golf Tournament on June 16.
The organization’s founding director, Avrum Rosensweig, reflected on the challenges of putting together this first tournament after more than a decade in operation, and why they chose now to do it.
“We chose to have a golf tournament because they are en vogue and the summer time is a good time to implement another fundraiser, as it is generally a slow fundraising season,” he confides. “We have been working on this for about six months…and we discovered that the closer you get to the tournament, the more work it takes.”
Rosensweig says that one of the keys in getting the tournament off the ground for Ve’ahavta was partnering with a company and with a professional, local tournament coordinator. “Working with a company has been a life saver and [is] recommended,” he says.
Fleshing this last point out, he notes that the one major lesson (so far) that the organization has learned, is to know one’s support base for a golf tournament.
“It’s important to recognize you need an excellent corporate donor base to go to as your golfers. It’s true that golf tournaments are en vogue. However, there are many of them and the competition is great,” Rosensweig states. “Beginners need to be aware of this and ensure they have a strong team of professionals and volunteers for recruitment purposes.”
He adds that the search is still underway to get NHL alumni to attend the event. But for this inaugural tourney, Ve’ahavta is setting modest goals. The organization hopes to raise awareness of its philosophy and mandate and also to raise $70,000 for its programs. For Rosensweig, however, the verdict’s still out on whether this will be a recurring event.
“We will evaluate the results of the tournament following the day itself and determine then whether it will be included in our critical path for future campaigns,” he says.
Fore!
Both Rosensweig and Dufault agree that the world of the charity golf tournament is competitive because of its popularity as an event. Still, if even a fraction of the fundraising revenues recorded by the CRA are a result of it, it seems that other nonprofits might do well to break out their clubs and swing along.
Six tips to ensure a successful charitable golf tournament
- Assemble a small group of volunteers who understand your goals and objectives who, and are willing to give of their time and talents toward a tournament.
- Find a tournament chairperson who is willing to commit a reasonable amount of time to the event.
- Price sponsorships accordingly. Start relatively low, and add value over the years by making sure participants have an excellent experience at your tournament.
- Pick a host golf course that can be used repeatedly over a period of years, with a tournament director who is willing to help support the volunteers.
- Select a timeslot that will remain relatively the same year after year and that doesn’t conflict with other major business events in your city.
- Develop a list of about 20 volunteers who have administrative and accounting skills and who can work effectively together over the Internet and in group meetings. Expect some overlap with the sponsorship team.
Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf is president of WordLaunch professional writing services in Toronto. He can be reached at andy@wordlaunch.com.
