hole sponsorship

[bwiese]

I am just wondering if there is any one out there that has raised money for courses by selling adds on the t'signs at courses. Not just for tourneys, but to actually pay for improvements on the course...

How much did the course charge for what sized signs?

How long was the sponsorship for? (1 year, 5 years)

Any info would help.

 

[solomon.trenton]

do lifetime sponsorships for 400 and put the business name on the basket via vinyl

 

[esdubya]

The park we worked with would not allow this (business names on tee signs) so make sure you OK this with the park first.

 

[billnchristy]

ERP did that here, lifetime deal and I think it was 300 bucks, I am sure Scott will step in with the truth once his Batsense tingles.

 

[Janbobbo]

This is done in Discgolf Terminalen in Skellefteå, Sweden and I think they charge about 300-400 bucks per year and hole. Before they changed baskets they had the company logo on the tee-sign, the lower part of the basket and their webpage. This was a few years ago, I'm not sure about how they do it nowadays.

 

[bwiese]

vinal on the baskets? Is that something you would get from any sign shop? Do Innova baskets come with the yellow chastity belt empty, or would you have to take off the innova logo?

 

[12StonesScott]

ERP did that here, lifetime deal and I think it was 300 bucks, I am sure Scott will step in with the truth once his Batsense tingles.

Yep. 300 bucks for the lifetime of the course or the business (or individual). The money was earmarked for construction of concrete tee pads on the long (black) tees and for the tee signs themselves. 9 signs, plus a little extra money from other sources, paid for 18 pads, including the lumber for forms, etc., which we saved for re-use.

 

[billnchristy]

Oh man so if I buy a sign the second I die you bums are going to change it?

 

[tallpaul]

The nice thing is that 10 years is like a lifetime in disc golf course signage. Not much more for tees and pins is a lifetime. So, you can redo them down the road and sell these sponsorships again. All will felt they have gotten their value out of this length of advertising. 400 or more is really what it takes to sponsor a hole the right way. You have tees and signs, baskets, alternate tees and signs, alternate sleeves, benches, a trash can or bucket; maintenance of hole, etc. It's really more than 400.

 

[jhgonzo]

Yeah, we did 400 at LTC. I came up with that figure based on our estimates of installing the course, and actually the course co-designer wondered how I settled on 400; I figured asking 500 was too much (that's like a half-grand!), and anything under 400 wouldn't have gotten us the course. We started out by calling local businesses, and by the time we had 14-15 sponsorships we had people calling us to the point where we had to eventually turn would-be sponsors away (although the first few after we'd met our goal were given the option to sponsor the course directory/info kiosk at the first tee, one of which was a lumber company that donated all the materials in exchange for an ad).

It may seem slow going at first, but if you're in a smaller community and hit up the family-run businesses, word will travel fast and you just may encounter the same "problem" we had! Good luck!

 

[bwiese]

Yeah, we did 400 at LTC. I came up with that figure based on our estimates of installing the course, and actually the course co-designer wondered how I settled on 400; I figured asking 500 was too much (that's like a half-grand!), and anything under 400 wouldn't have gotten us the course. We started out by calling local businesses, and by the time we had 14-15 sponsorships we had people calling us to the point where we had to eventually turn would-be sponsors away (although the first few after we'd met our goal were given the option to sponsor the course directory/info kiosk at the first tee, one of which was a lumber company that donated all the materials in exchange for an ad).

It may seem slow going at first, but if you're in a smaller community and hit up the family-run businesses, word will travel fast and you just may encounter the same "problem" we had! Good luck!

That is awesome. I hope I run into the same problem. I should have no problem getting the land alocated (? spelling) The biggest challenge for me will be getting the cash raised. Parks and rec dont have the cash flow they did a few years ago.

 

[12StonesScott]

Oh man so if I buy a sign the second I die you bums are going to change it?

Yeah, just like we got out there the second the sign on Hole 5 was stolen and replaced it.

 

[DSCJNKY]

Lifetime Sponsorships??? You guys are crazy.
Two Years Max!

Advertising is expensive, 300 for 2 years is relatively cheap.
and, a great deal for the right companies... (local brew-pub, pizza joint, H&H shop, etc...)

Of course... it's a pain in the ass to chase down sponsorships every two years.
DSCJNKY

 

[bwiese]

I was thinking making a small spot on the t-sign for the founding donor, and having an actual add sign that can be replaced every few years. That way we can keep making improvements and the course in theory can be self sufficiant

 

[AJ_86]

Ronnie Van Zant has the whole course sponsored by the same group.

Every tee sign has their ad at the bottom.

 

[12StonesScott]

Lifetime Sponsorships??? You guys are crazy.
Two Years Max!

Advertising is expensive, 300 for 2 years is relatively cheap.
and, a great deal for the right companies... (local brew-pub, pizza joint, H&H shop, etc...)

Of course... it's a pain in the ass to chase down sponsorships every two years.
DSCJNKY

There actually was a method to our madness -- our parks and rec dept has a policy against advertising of any kind being "affixed" to any permanent structure in the parks -- you can have banners in pavilions for events, or on a chain link fence at a playing field during games for soccer or softball, but no "permanent advertising". However, since in this case the funds weren't being paid for "advertising" but to fund construction of the tee signs and tee pads themselves, they decided it was OK to have a space on the tee signs acknowledging the businesses/people that sponsored that hole -- not as an ad, but as an acknowledgment of a donation. If we made it for a fixed period, then it would have been viewed as a "advertisement" instead of a "donation" and wouldn't have been allowed.

We've had to make all kinds of hair-splitting distinctions like that to get things done, but fortunately our parks liaisons have generally been good at helping us figure out how to structure things so that we can do what we need to while still staying compliant with their policies.

 

[bwiese]

However, since in this case the funds weren't being paid for "advertising" but to fund construction of the tee signs and tee pads themselves, they decided it was OK to have a space on the tee signs acknowledging the businesses/people that sponsored that hole -- not as an ad, but as an acknowledgment of a donation. If we made it for a fixed period, then it would have been viewed as a "advertisement" instead of a "donation" and wouldn't have been allowed.

We've had to make all kinds of hair-splitting distinctions like that to get things done, but fortunately our parks liaisons have generally been good at helping us figure out how to structure things so that we can do what we need to while still staying compliant with their policies.[/QUOTE]


Does changing the verbage of advertisement to donation, change the donars ability to get a tax credit or be able to write it off on their taxes? If the companies or people can get a tax credit or write it off as advertisement I think I will be alot more succesful than if people are just giving a couple hundred bucks.

 

[Sadjo]

Find who controls your local Tourism money. Go to them with a proposal. Show that Disc Golf relates directly to tourism and hit them up for a couple of grand. You normally have to fill out a grant application to get those funds.

I've been filling out applications for grants for Disc Golf for a number of years now. Since 2007 for local tournaments and course construction $11,500 earned through tourism programs.

 

[SmoothSailor]

Does changing the verbage of advertisement to donation, change the donars ability to get a tax credit or be able to write it off on their taxes? If the companies or people can get a tax credit or write it off as advertisement I think I will be alot more succesful than if people are just giving a couple hundred bucks.

I want to know this as well. There is a sweet 9 hole course in my area having a hell of a time raising money for the back 9 pads and baskets and a kiosk for hole 1. I've been helping them out, but also feel that I will get a better response if I know I can tell people they will be able to write their donation off. Anyone know?

 

[tallpaul]

I believe you would need to be going through a 501C or something similar; i.e. a not-for-profit company. The process is not that hard to form one; but there is a cost involved; @850.00 I am in the process of forming one. The paperwork has been sent in; I got a return letter; saying the IRS has raised the prices and need to send them another $100; which I need to do. It then takes any where from six months to a year for them to process paperwork. Prior to this, you would need to become Inc., which costs a little bit, and happens rather quickly.

So...this is a more long range type of plan. I would suggest simply encouraging businesses to contribute because they want to benefit their community/get some advertising.