Here it is - the Fundraising-Poster

Finally! The Best-of-Ecards-Poster data file is now on the way to England. Delivery is scheduled for March 26th. Sold at 2 pounds apiece it will help to cover the enormous costs for the inaugural SMAT - Alps Qualifier....

Funding tactics

We checked and discussed the cash budget over the weekend.  From the minutes:

Okay, I'll go and get a dish washing job at the local restaurant!

"We will consider your comments"

This is what you get when you ask Him for sponsorship:

Thank you for contacting Team Tiger! We will consider your comments, so please keep sending us your thoughts!

ABC

Since we received positive feedbacks from R&A, ADH, DGV and OEGV, we thought we might as well go all the way. So, FISU, PGA, EU have been contacted for general info regarding sponsorship and support today. Won't be relevant for 2009 though. NCAA and GCAA haven't reacted yet in almost a month. The EU was a bit faster. It took them less than 3 hours:

> -----Original-Nachricht-----
> Subject: RE: Sportförderung
> Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:11:15 +0100
> From:
> To:
>
> Sehr geehrter Herr Berst,
>
> wir danken Ihnen für Ihre Nachricht. (...)

 MFG!

EDIT 1: To be fair, the EU has a higher budget and thus a bigger staff. It's aquivalent to around 235 Euros per head of the European population.  

EDIT 2: Alright, the Bavarian state government has an even better reaction time. Less than two hours according to the clock. Unfortunatelly they don't sponsor university sport events.

Funds from the European Sport Commission

Chris dug something out that might be of interest for us organizers. Obviously there is was EU-money out there that tournaments like ours could have applied for in 2009 (DOH!). Not really sure though, since the PREPARATORY ACTION IN THE FIELD OF SPORT, CALL FOR PROPOSALS, EAC/21/2009, (OPEN CALL)-document doesn't come easy to read. Eventually their FAQ help. Would be great if they set up the sponsorship-program again for 2011.

Sources for your team funding (III)

Our goal is to make your costs irrelevant for your decision to play at the Students Matchplay tournaments. So, in case there aren't any on-campus or off-campus sources, we can help.

This year we will start the "Bring your own Sponsor"-program, to give you a better chance to find your own sponsorship. We can also help by reducing tournament fees, covering air fares, and waiting for payment, like we've done in the past. Keep in mind though, that we don't have much ourselves, and if the money doesn't come right out of our own pockets, it's taken from the tournament budget. In this case we will need to cut costs/program elsewhere. Which is absolutely fine if it makes the field more competitive. 

Sources for your team funding (II)

Should you not be able to get funds from on-campus sources, here's what you could do:

1) ask special service clubs for funds. Clubs like Rotary and many others do support projects if they are within their stated purposes. Your points could address management/societal values like sportsmanship, fairness and competition; team work; intercultural exchange; of course golf development at your university...

2) ask your local golf hero for support. We once asked Bernhard Langer to donate one of his clubs. We then auctioned off his club and made a small fortune (we tried the same with Ernie Els to help the South Africans players to cover their travel costs, but after a couple of promising mails with his assistent we lost contact. Seve Ballesteros didnt even bother to write back).  

3) make a savings plan and stick to it. 15 € per month from the beginning of you winter term until June of the follwing year will pay for your entry fee. Covering the air fare will be a piece of cake then.

4) challenge the strongest senior golf club team in your area. They of course will have to pay your greenfee. If you win, they pay you a sum, if the lose, you get nothing. Should be reasonably fair.

Sources for your team funding (I)

 Paying for your Students Matchplay-entry all by yourself should be the last of your last options. There are several ways to get somebody else pay for you:

1) Universities usually have budgets for university sport events. Contact your university sports department about it.
2) Ask your university's alumni association for sponsorship. Or the Alumni of your university golf team.
3) Find your own sponsor (Read this).
4) Throw a fundraiser party, organise a golf clinic...

This is pretty much the same we do over here.