Golf tournaments have the potential to provide a fun environment for participants while raising money for a good cause. If you’re organizing a tournament for your charity, we have helpful tips and ideas on everything from picking the right golf course to getting sponsors.

Defining your mission
Your charity must have a purpose. What is it? Defining it well can make the difference between success and failure. Remember, you’re marketing this cause and you’re going to need to sell it to volunteers, golfers and sponsors.

Adding volunteers
Volunteers are the lifeblood of any event like this, so it’s important to find energetic people who are passionate about the cause. You’re going to need helpers on everything from food and beverage stations to parking. If your organization has a volunteer database, start there. You can also reach out to individuals in your industry by leveraging your connections.

Ideas to benefit your charity golf tournament.

Finding a golf course
Picking the right golf course for your tournament can make a big difference. What level are most of your golfers? Consider if you’d like this event to cater to advanced players or beginners.

Is the course able to cut you a discount? Many country clubs will do this if it’s for a charitable organization. You’ll be bringing the course more business, so it would make sense for the club to be willing to work out a deal. Saturdays and Sundays are the biggest days for golfing, so you may need to schedule your tournament sometime between Monday and Friday.

Getting sponsors
In addition to volunteers and golfers, your event is going to need to get some corporate sponsorships in order to raise enough money. One of the best ways to draw sponsorships for events like these is to offer to put their logos on a photo backdrop.  That way, when your golfers and volunteers pose for pictures, your sponsor logos will show up on the background.

For a custom step and repeat banner that will bring in sponsorship revenue and give your event that red carpet atmosphere, visit Sign Art Etc.

Are you organizing your first charity gala? Or maybe you’re a veteran and just looking to brush up on your knowledge of the field. We’ve compiled this event planning guide with a list of important points for event planners. Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, your event will be a hit and your cause will see a great benefit.

Invitations
For guests, the invitations will be their very first impression of the event and your organization, so they need to be eye-catching. Naturally, double-check all of the information to ensure that you have the location, date, time and all other relevant points correct. Any mistakes there could be very costly. Use a tone that matches the overall tone of the event, whether it’s formal or more relaxed. Make sure to highlight the charitable organization. Potential guests need to know which group stands to benefit from this affair.

A red carpet banner can help your event gain more sponsors.

Sponsors
Most charitable organizations are going to need sponsorships from other companies. In return for their help, you can offer your sponsors advertising. For instance, adding their logos to your event’s red carpet backdrop will help these companies gain brand awareness. Their branding will be visible in the many photos taken of your guests.

These sponsors can help in a variety of ways:

• Donating for raffles: Auctions and raffles are always a big hit at charity events. Your sponsors can donate products or services for lucky guests to enjoy.
• Providing a venue: A restaurant or function hall could sponsor your event and provide a venue, along with food and drinks.
• Supplying entertainment: You could partner with a local radio station or an entertainment organization for the services of a host, DJ or band.

Volunteers
Volunteers are often the unsung heroes of gala events. They do everything from serving the food to helping guests find their seats. In order to find these dedicated, hard-working individuals, you’re going to need to scour your professional connections. Seek out individuals who care about your group’s mission, leveraging connections from social media platforms and networking events.

Entertainment
Your patrons deserve the chance to kick back and have some fun at the gala. In addition to raffles and silent auctions, live music and comedy can also keep the crowd entertained. Sporting events like golf and bowling are also very popular for charitable fundraising.

Marketing
In addition to formal invitations, there are many other ways to get the word out. Social media, local newspapers and your group’s blog are just a few of the simplest ways to spread the word. You can also invite your corporate sponsors to use their channels to advertise the event.

Follow-up
Fundraising is all about donor management, and that means maintaining contact. Follow up the event with a thank-you note to each guest, along with your organization’s social media contacts and information on upcoming events. Depending on the size of your guest list, you can also personalize each message. Make sure that all of your guests understand that their contributions are appreciated, and keep them informed on how their funds are helping your organization succeed in its mission.

Few things are as glamorous as old Hollywood, and classic romances can provide inspiration for your wedding. To create memories that are fit for the silver screen, check out these ideas.

Photo Ops
The key element of a Hollywood-themed wedding is the right red carpet backdrop for pictures.  Sign Art Etc has all the options you need to create the perfect atmosphere. You and your partner can use one of our pre-set templates, or you can upload your own images for a more custom look.

Colors
For the color scheme, use a combination of gold, black, silver or red. The groom and his groomsmen can wear classic black tuxedos, while the bridesmaids can wear gold, silver or red.

Invitations
You can have a lot of fun when designing your save the dates, invitations and wedding website. Design your save the date cards to resemble a “coming attractions” ad, and make your invitations and website look like a movie poster. You can use your engagement photos and list you and your spouse-to-be in the leading roles. After all, you two are the stars of this show! If you’re not comfortable with photo editing software,  a designer can get the right look.

Cocktail hour
Serve popcorn and champagne during the cocktail hour. Party City sells movie theater popcorn boxes that the serving staff can use. Many couples enjoy creating featured cocktails that will be served at their weddings. Veranda has a list of eight timeless cocktails inspired by classic films, like the Charlie Chaplin or the Joan Collins.

Decorations
Decorate your venue like an old movie theater. To add to the atmosphere, create “movie posters” using photographs of your and your significant other in various poses. Have fun with it! You can use different costumes to recreate classic movie scenes. Another way to set the mood is to decorate the venue with classic quotes from famous films. For your guests, create place settings that look like fancy movie tickets, or purchase them from Etsy.

It’s perfect weather for a nice walk outside. This summer, many caring individuals will be walking or running to raise money for others. Planning a charity walk is a daunting task. You have to establish the route, create a platform for registration and sponsorship, market the event, oversee safety and legal issues and manage sponsors.

Registration
Collecting contact information is an important part of charity event planning. In addition to signing participants up, you’re going to need to collect entry fees and fundraising pledges. An online event management program can help with this, allowing you to create a custom registration form, share it on your event website and gather participant signup information.

Branding
Developing a strong brand is an important part of generating interest for your event. Decide on a color scheme and logo, and select a vendor to create t-shirts for your participants and volunteers. Make sure to use this logo and color on your website and social media feeds as well, to foster a strong brand identity around your charity event.

Another way to promote your charity on the day of the walk is to use a customized backdrop for photo opportunities – it will entertain guests and promote your charity at the same time! Set up the banner at the finish line so your participants can pose for pictures, celebrating completion of the walk.

Success!
No matter how tired you and your staff must be after pulling it off, don’t forget that you’re going to need to start planning next year’s event right away. Think about the areas you could improve upon for future walks.

Step and repeats are perfect for fundraising, product launches, parties, weddings and red carpet events. For more information or to start your design, visit Sign Art Etc.

Whether you’re part of a charitable organization or a nonprofit company, philanthropy is critical. Fundraising events help you share your organization’s story, honor donors and connect with new donors. It’s also an opportunity to extend your group’s reach and boost corporate sponsorships, which is why a well thought-out fundraiser marketing plan is so important.

Getting your brand out there
Putting your organization’s name and logo on a step and repeat will help generate brand awareness. Just think: Your guests will be taking pictures in front of a backdrop featuring your logo and your corporate sponsors’ logos. The pictures will look great, so they’ll be sharing them through their various social networks. That’s fantastic publicity for you and your sponsors.

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Creating a red carpet atmosphere
Guests at your events want to pose for pictures with their friends and feel like celebrities. Nobody wants to pose in front of strangers, so a step and repeat banner provides the perfect backdrop. The red carpet atmosphere is an excellent way to show your donors that you consider them VIPs, by providing a professional step and repeat banner for their pictures.

Driving corporate sponsorships
Are you looking for corporate sponsorships? Businesses are always looking for places to make charitable donations. Offering them the opportunity to donate and get their logos on your custom backdrop will help to generate more revenue for your fundraiser. The companies get to post their logo to boost marketing, and your organization gets more donations. It’s a win-win!

If you have a fundraiser coming up, Sign Art Etc can help! You can choose from one of your pre-set templates, or the team can help with a custom design. For more information, visit Sign Art Etc today!