Golf Events Hub

This is a special hub to centralize information, resources, and best practices on how to set up and execute a golf P2P fundraising event on the GiveSignup platform.

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We are Fundraising Event Experts

Our mission is to make it free and easy for nonprofits to raise more money, grow their events, and engage their supporters. Events are key to driving revenue, new supporters, and awareness for our nonprofit customers. We create free and easy to use fundraising event software that you can fully control.

We've helped our customers raise more than $1.4 Billion. More than 10,000 nonprofits and 26,000 events use GiveSignup today to make events easier, raise more money, and create awareness for their missions. 

Learn more at GiveSignup.org

What We do: Free technology for events.

• Free Ticketing

• Free Email

• Free Websites

• Free Reporting

• And More!
  
  

What We Don't Do: No subscriptions. No commitments. No invoices. Just free and purpose-built technology.

• $0 Subscriptions per year

• $0 Upgrades per year

• $0 Support per year

• $0 Unlimited Email Contacts & Emails per year

• $0 Websites per year

What We Charge: We only make money when you make money, which keeps us aligned with our customers.

To keep our platform free, we charge a processing fee (that includes all credit card fees) to purchasers on each transaction.

Ticket and Registration Processing Fees

• Processing fees are inclusive of both credit card (including AMEX) and platform fees

• Donations have a low and flat processing fee of 4% (yes, that still includes both platform and credit card fees!)

• Volume Discount pricing is available

• Free events are always free!

What support do I get if I have questions setting up my event?

GiveSignup and TicketSignup create technology that you can control and easily customize & update. Every event that is set up on our platform is reviewed by our support team, and we will proactively reach out with tips for the best set up for your fundraising event. In addition, we provide written and video tutorials to help you create and customize your events to match your own branding and messaging.

Flexible, Secure Infrastructure

GiveSignup has invested in the latest technology and cloud architecture to meet our customers’ needs. Our cloud architecture benefits you with speed and scalability at a low cost, providing the ability to handle large events with 50,000+ attendees attempting to register simultaneously. Information sharing is secure; we use multiple levels of firewalls and all pages are secured with TLS/SSL and HTTPS. Runners can access us from any device including computers, iPads, and both Apple and Android smartphones. You can count on our secure infrastructure to be highly available. This secure infrastructure allows you to be comfortable that your data is being handled properly and payments to you are accurate and on time.

PCI Level 1

GiveSignup has achieved the highest level of PCI compliance as evidenced by our Attestation of Compliance. Our volume of transaction processing required us to go through a rigorous certification process, which included onsite reviews and scanning and vulnerability testing with an independent third party Qualified Security Assessor. As part of the certification process we implemented the following advanced security measures:

• Secure password storage with protections like bcrypt
• Secure user input fields with SQL prepared statements to prevent XSS attacks and SQL injection as well as CSRF attack
• Advanced encryption key management procedures
• Secure network configurations with multiple levels of firewalls
• Employee, customer, participant segmentation and access control and login management
• 100% code review and change logs
• System hardening including implementation of Center for Internet Security recommendations
• OSSEC log analysis
• AntiVirus scanning including ClamAV
• Constant vulnerability scanning including implementing Nessus
• Monthly process to install security patches

Payment Facilitator

GiveSignup has taken steps as a company to meet stringent security, banking, VISA and MasterCard processing rules to become an authorized intermediary (Payment Facilitator) between credit card holders (registrants) and race owners. This means that with our Advanced Payment Accounts we never handle your race proceeds. After the credit card transactions are settled for your race, the race proceeds are held in escrow for your benefit with our back end credit card processing company. Funds transfers to you happen accurately and on time by either ACH or check based on the frequency of payment you have requested.

Data Privacy

Data privacy is important to you and to your participants. Whenever we collect or transmit sensitive data, that data is encrypted and transmitted in a secure way. We don’t sell or share participant data with anyone other than the owner or Event Director of the event for which a participant has signed up. GiveSignup will not market or sell anything directly to participants who use our site. We only collect credit card information when a participant requests us to and if requested it is stored securely with a third party PCI Level 1 compliant vendor who specializes in credit card storage.

A reliable and feature-rich technology platform is critical to the success of your golf event and GiveSignup is the best solution. But what about the rest? Check out our general golf event planning timeline below. It is not meant to be comprehensive. Rather, this suggested timeline provides first-time golf event planners a starting point on what to do and gives seasoned pros reminders on the ABC's that can get lost in the sea of details.

6-9 Months (or earlier)

• Establish the event purpose, format, goals, name, and branding
• Secure date and venue
• Develop sponsorship deck with benefits and levels
• Create sponsor prospect list and reach out to potential sponsors
• Invite your current supporters and offer exclusive savings or other amenities (e.g. bonus swag, free drink) that will motivate them to commit early and initiate your word-of-mouth campaign
• Announce event with initial "Save the Date" marketing campaign
• Create your event registration website and test with your team
  • Use tiered pricing to encourage early sign ups (Ex: Save $10 if you sign up before April 1st!)

4-6 Months

• Launch registration
• Identify, quote, and secure third party vendors (caterer, decorator, swag)
• Continue sponsorship sales efforts and communicate milestones and deadlines to confirmed sponsors (e.g. when their logo is due for the thank you sponsor banner)
• Create staffing plan to cover all functions needing support and oversight from your organization

60-90 Days

• Reevaluate performance of marketing and promotion activities, adjust as needed
• Update website with additional event details, changes, and fun updates about fundraising progress
• Build your event team and confirm staff positions, shifts, and personnel. Collect employment documents (W9 for independent contractors, for example) as you confirm each team member.

30 Days

• Re-confirm vendors and other support resources and make sure you know their deadlines (last date to add equipment or modify the food and beverage head count)
• Update website with changes and 
• Consult with venue and discuss event day timeline, support services (parking, security, trash and recycling, deliveries, WIFI, etc)
• Remind fundraisers about goals and milestones, provide them with tips and tricks for their final push to help them  reach their goal
• Check in with top fundraiser and special guests 
• Review budget and adjust spending and orders as your registration or ticket numbers require

Event Week

• Send out pre-event guide to current registrants with important details like directions, parking, tee time, check-in location, meal package, fundraising deadline, event day timeline, etc)
• Complete final outreaches to vendors and review orders, times, and costs
• Send out QR code for each registrant or ticket holder one day before for quick and easy checkin upon arrival

After the Event

• Send a thank you email with totals on participants and fundraising, how their participation supported your event and/or cause, and how they can keep engaged or how they can support you further. 
  • Include a link to a survey and allow your participants the opportunity to give you feedback
• Thank your vendors and collect final billing and payment instructions
• Thank your sponsors and provide demographics on attendees and summaries of their benefits and total impressions
• Finalize budget with all actual costs and centralize all statements and receipts for easy review by stakeholders and next year's event team
• Conduct a wrap-up meeting with your team to document successes, challenges, and areas to improve upon for next year