Ohio's Golf Magazine — June 2009
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Will The “Charity Golf Outing” Survive This Down Economy?
Winter is over. And, the spring season is rapidly coming to a close. The rust is off. And, our swings are grooved, ready for the heart of the golf season in Ohio.
Even though we are not Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson, with the entire world yearning to know what tournaments they will enter…..we plan our year also! For many of us our upcoming golf schedule will include “Charity Golf Outings.” Fundraising golf outings are such a critical part of the overall revenue generating activity for so many not-for profit groups out there today. Whether it is an event to raise money to support the arts, help your college, faith based group, high school sports team, Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce or a health related group … they all need our support now more than ever.
There is no doubt that we are in troubled times.
The economy is down and there is NO stimulus package coming in for golfers. We cannot escape the daily onslaught of bad headlines in the news ~ Layoffs, Downsizing, Corporate Fraud, and record setting unemployment!
How about the potential golf tax that was proposed by the Governor of California?
Even though it was defeated in a budget battle, just the thought of elected officials debating the pros and cons of a vaguely written golf tax scares the heck out of me!
Do you think the local charity golf outing has a chance? Corporate America
- Chrysler, Ginn Resorts, and Stanford Financial, to name a few, are bailing out of multi-year sponsorship contracts with the LPGA and PGA Tours. How much corporate sponsorship will trickle down to the grass roots level?
The local golfer is the hero this year. The one who picks up the phone or sends an email out to his buddies saying I am in, let’s go support this event.
That is where it starts. Of course we can’t play in them all, but pick the ones you can and go for it.
This, too, is the year to be creative with your support. Does your company have a matching gift program? Do you have product that you can donate? What can we do this year that has never been done before? The charities need our help and so do the golf courses that we so dearly love to play.
If you can’t play in the event, volunteer your time.
There is not a group out there that would not love some extra help making calls to invite potential golfers to play or assisting on the day of the outing. Even if it is just to be a greeter on the driving range to help say thanks ~ you made a difference this year!
See you on the golf course!
Brett Bohl Brett is the President of The Bohl Group, Inc. ~ a fundraising, speaking, direct sales consulting firm based out of Dublin, Ohio. Www.thebohlgroup.com He is also the co-author of Getting to Thanksgiving, a book about parents passing on their values to their children.
Even though we are not Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson, with the entire world yearning to know what tournaments they will enter…..we plan our year also! For many of us our upcoming golf schedule will include “Charity Golf Outings.” Fundraising golf outings are such a critical part of the overall revenue generating activity for so many not-for profit groups out there today. Whether it is an event to raise money to support the arts, help your college, faith based group, high school sports team, Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce or a health related group … they all need our support now more than ever.
There is no doubt that we are in troubled times.
The economy is down and there is NO stimulus package coming in for golfers. We cannot escape the daily onslaught of bad headlines in the news ~ Layoffs, Downsizing, Corporate Fraud, and record setting unemployment!
How about the potential golf tax that was proposed by the Governor of California?
Even though it was defeated in a budget battle, just the thought of elected officials debating the pros and cons of a vaguely written golf tax scares the heck out of me!
Do you think the local charity golf outing has a chance? Corporate America
- Chrysler, Ginn Resorts, and Stanford Financial, to name a few, are bailing out of multi-year sponsorship contracts with the LPGA and PGA Tours. How much corporate sponsorship will trickle down to the grass roots level?
The local golfer is the hero this year. The one who picks up the phone or sends an email out to his buddies saying I am in, let’s go support this event.
That is where it starts. Of course we can’t play in them all, but pick the ones you can and go for it.
This, too, is the year to be creative with your support. Does your company have a matching gift program? Do you have product that you can donate? What can we do this year that has never been done before? The charities need our help and so do the golf courses that we so dearly love to play.
If you can’t play in the event, volunteer your time.
There is not a group out there that would not love some extra help making calls to invite potential golfers to play or assisting on the day of the outing. Even if it is just to be a greeter on the driving range to help say thanks ~ you made a difference this year!
See you on the golf course!
Brett Bohl Brett is the President of The Bohl Group, Inc. ~ a fundraising, speaking, direct sales consulting firm based out of Dublin, Ohio. Www.thebohlgroup.com He is also the co-author of Getting to Thanksgiving, a book about parents passing on their values to their children.
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