5 Tips for the Perfect Charity Golf Outing Check-In
Charity golf outings – especially when paired with a silent auction – are highly-grossing fundraising events for non-profits. A key to the success of making a golf outing seamless from start to finish is making sure that the first contact you have with your guests is seamless and easy.
How can you make sure that you set the right tone and ensure that check-in goes as smooth as possible? Stay tuned for some winning charity golf fundraising strategies!
Here are five tips to make your next charity golf outing a hole-in-one:
Tip #1 – Strategize Your Golf Outing Plan.
Charity golf outings are an all-day commitment. This means not only do your golfers commit for the day, but so do your volunteers. Think about:
- How many golfers you expect to come through the check-in process?
- How many shifts and volunteers do you need to execute your event?
- How will they use technology to streamline the check-in process?
- What training do they need?
Having both a well-articulated plan and -prepared volunteers creates a smooth guest experience that reflects not only the event, but your cause as well.
Tip #2 – If There Are Multiple Check-In Times, Have More Than One Check-In Table.
Hosting a charity golf outing is like holding two events in one. After participants leave the course, they typically head into the clubhouse for dinner, networking and fundraising!
It is typical for a charity golf fundraiser to not only be for the golfers coming off the course but also additional participants that to want to support the cause. Be sure to think through key questions for your multiple check-in times and locations:
- Do you need shifts of volunteers at each check-in location throughout the day?
- Can you have one set of volunteers for the whole day with breaks in between?
- How many volunteers do you need at each check-in table?
- How many people do you expect to come through each check-in table?
To create the optimal flow for multiple entrances and locations, have two or more check-in tables with volunteers.
Tip #3 – Use Technology to Organize Your Golf Outing.
A great design for a charity golf outing is a “shotgun start.” This allows all teams of golfers to start at the same time at different holes, giving you maximum golfers on the course and maximum funds for your cause.
To make organization easy and the check-in smooth, use your fundraising software to showcase each golfers starting hole and foursome names.
OneCause mobile-bidding software has built-in functionality to automate this process for you and your golfers. Use the table management feature to display starting hole numbers, golfer names, and foursome information, right on their phones.
This makes it easy for volunteers to check attendees in and quickly direct golfers where they need to go. Remember, happy golfers make for happy fundraising!
Tip #4 – Have Fixed Priced Items be a Part of Your Golf Outing.
Fixed priced items, such as at-the-hole contests, mulligans and raffle tickets, are a great way to add incremental revenue to your charity golf outing. They are also a fun way to engage both new and return donors, by adding a fun-draising element to your event.
Make sure each fixed-price package is visible to all participants during the check-in process. Effective signage and volunteer talk-tracks elevate the success of your event that much more.
A successful volunteer talk track could be:
“We have a variety of raffles, mulligans, and at-the-hole contests to make your day fun! You can purchase them directly from your phones throughout the day and evening festivities.”
A mulligan package, which allows a golfer to get a ‘second chance’ at a stroke, is exactly what a charity outing golfer would want to see at check-in.
Tip #5 – Encourage Early Bids from the Registration Table.
Early bidding not only generates revenue for your event but also is a great way to get people into the system to input and confirm their information while also adding credit cards. With these two steps already completed, check-in becomes a breeze when the information can be collected pre-event.
Here are 3 practices to succeed in early bidding with our mobile-bidding software:
- Keep your fundraiser participants in-the-know up to a week ahead of the big day with text message reminders
- On the day of, promote bidding with a text in the morning, encouraging them to set max bids
- When golfers return from the course, promote bidding with a text of auction updates, leaderboards, and announcements
Wrapping Up!
You’ve taken the first step in knowing about an effective charity golf check-in, but the learning never ends. How could Peer-to-Peer fundraising boost your results even more? Get inspired with these additional P2P and golf event resources: