Some
random thoughts I want to share with you in the final “Golfing
Around” column of the year.
Where have most of the honorees and sponsors gone this golf season? That was
the familiar chant in 2009. They were there, but we had to find them. In this
economy we must categorize who our supporters are, where they come from and will
they lend a sympathetic ear.
If our organization
is a charity geared to helping young people, why don’t we search
for an honoree that has young people as their interest? The person does
not necessarily have to come forth with a big monetary donation, but
would be acceptable with “in kind” offerings. In kind could
be the honorees contact list, both private and public, gift certificates
from associates, either goods or services. Remember, by gearing your
search to the honorees forte, whether the person is a philanthropist,
advocate, doctor, board member, researcher, volunteer, educator, staff
or parent, your chances of getting a positive response will be 100% improved.
You always want to be the one that approaches them first. In some cases
they will not bring in many golfers, but your dinner will be a sell out
if priced right. The honorees associates would love to part of the event.
You can even consider having a low cost sponsorship level for friends
and family. The charge could be either $25 or $50 for each name and put
four names on each sponsor sign.
Did someone say the
2009 golf season on Long Island is a wrap? It is literally a wrap, with
charities reviewing this years’ outings, with the intentions of
making next year’s better. It is a wrap when we take our golf clubs
out of the car for winter storage. It is a wrap when we start to review
those clippings, ads and equipment updates that were put away till now
the end of the season. It is a wrap when I look at the “Golfing
Around” page and happily know all the outings we listed as a community
service took place. See you in 2010 when we again unwrap.
