Finchem, players unveil renewed charity initiative

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, along with Player Directors Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and David Toms, unveiled on Tuesday the PGA TOUR's renewed commitment to charitable efforts aimed at further energizing and engaging all players, tournaments, sponsors, charities, volunteers and fans to build upon the $1.4 billion the TOUR has generated for charities since 1938.

The announcement was made two days before the start of THE PLAYERS Championship, a tournament that has contributed more than $31 million to Northeast Florida charities since moving to Ponte Vedra Beach in 1977.

"The PGA TOUR has done a lot for charity over the years, but only because of the passion for giving back shared by our players, tournaments, sponsors, charities, volunteers and fans," Finchem said. "When we say, 'Together, anything's possible,' we mean that by rallying behind the common cause of charitable giving, we can create greater awareness and elevate our overall impact, which is so important in these difficult economic times."

With a full-scale launch scheduled for 2010, the TOUR will spend the remainder of the year focusing on two areas: developing programs and employing resources to harness the efforts of all the TOUR's constituents in order to increase the collective impact; and effectively communicating the TOUR's charitable efforts to all involved.

"Through this renewed commitment, the TOUR and its tournaments will activate our fan base, mobilize our volunteers and assist our players in expanding their charitable efforts. We believe if more people are aware of what we do and how we do it, together we can do more," said Finchem.

The "Together, anything's possible" platform will focus on the following six elements::

Communications

The TOUR will invest significant resources to educate and encourage participation in this elevated and expanded charity effort, which is organized under the heading "Together, anything's possible" to help communicate a strong sense of collaboration among all TOUR stakeholders. The platform will be featured prominently across all TOUR media channels, as well as in a new ad campaign that will debut later this year. The TOUR utilized "Anything's Possible" from 1990-97. In recognition of the numerous partnerships that currently make up the TOUR, and future alliances that will ensure continued growth, "Together, anything's possible" evolved as a galvanizing call-to-action to further the charitable efforts of the TOUR as a whole.

Players

As world-class athletes, TOUR players have long been role models for charitable involvement. In 1938, professional golfers donated a $10,000 check for charity at the Palm Beach Invitational, setting into motion a tradition of giving that has guided the PGA TOUR for decades. Under the new platform, the TOUR will commit resources to further promote each player's charitable activities, whether through television, advertising, PGATOUR.com, and video or new media support that will enable fans to get involved in their favorite player's charity. The TOUR will offer assistance to both players who are currently engaged in charitable activities, as well as those who are interested in getting started. "I am very excited that the TOUR will be helping us all make a bigger impact on our communities," said Toms. "Two days after Hurricane Katrina hit, I sent an email to about 200 people and asked if they would be interested in supporting the cause. I thought we would be able to raise a little money and help a few more families. The response to that simple email was overwhelming. We had to get volunteers to help answer the phones, and within hours of an interview I did during a PGA TOUR broadcast, over 1,000 online donations crashed our system. It wasn't long before we had raised over $1.5 million. That is an example of how we, as players, can help our communities and charities in times of need. This new elevated charity platform will be an asset to all players who want to pitch in and make a difference."

Tournaments and Sponsors

Nearly all of the 100-plus tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour are structured as non-profit organizations designed to donate 100 percent of net proceeds to local charities. Tournaments on the three Tours generated a record $124 million for charities in 2008. To build upon this success going forward, the TOUR will assist tournaments in maximizing their charitable impact. The TOUR will work with tournaments to benchmark specific charity initiatives where feasible and expand proven activities across all Tours. "Every tournament has touched the lives of countless individuals in need through their dedication to charitable giving," said Ollie Nutt, chairman of the Tournament Advisory Council Board of Directors. "This is an opportunity to share successes and learn how we can grow everyone's impact. This is a one-plus-one-equals-10 type of situation, where we can do more good works if we band together than we have been doing separately."

Charities

More than 2,000 charities benefit from TOUR events each year. "Together, anything's possible" aims to organize these beneficiaries into a national network. Moving forward, the TOUR and its sanctioned tournaments will connect with each of these charities to begin communicating details of this platform. The TOUR will provide assets to this network in the form of messaging, logo usage, recommended outreach programs and a TOUR Web site for charities to visit and utilize for information, inspiration, communication and best practices. "Our relationship with the Valero Texas Open and the PGA TOUR goes way beyond that of a charitable recipient ... more so, it is a friendship," said Bert Pfeister at Respite Care. "The Valero Texas Open provides children in need of our specialized care an opportunity to participate in activities during the tournament, offering them an inclusive environment where they enjoy the fun atmosphere alongside typical children. A strong partnership has developed because the tournament understands how vital the funds are to children in our care, and we - in turn - put our support and resources behind ensuring everyone understands how vital the Valero Texas Open is to our community. The phrase, 'Together, anything's possible' certainly illustrates our relationship with the Valero Texas Open, and we're so delighted to be a part of the TOUR's charitable mission."

Fans

"Together, anything's possible," will be brought to life by the millions of golf fans who attend PGA TOUR events, watch tournament telecasts or simply have an affinity for golf and its storied tradition of good works. The TOUR is in the process of developing a call-to-action plan that allows fans to rally behind charities supported by its players and tournaments, allowing them to enhance lives by giving of their time or making contributions. While many tournaments already have effective outreach to their fans, the TOUR will develop an overarching communications plan that will add support on a national level. The TOUR will build a charity landing page at PGATOUR.com that fans can use as a way to learn more about the charitable involvement of their favorite players, tournaments or charities. This site will enable fans to donate money and identify volunteer opportunities that directly benefit local charities. The TOUR will invest substantial internal resources to promote the call to action, including an ad campaign. "Our fans -- like everyone else -- are asking the question, 'What more can I do to help those in my community in need?' " Finchem said. "Connecting them to the charities associated with our players and our tournaments will enable us to help them answer that question in a meaningful way."

Volunteers

Unlike any other professional sport, the PGA TOUR relies upon volunteers to run its events, which is one of the reasons the TOUR's charitable model is possible. In order to further support the impact of volunteerism, the TOUR has aligned with HandsOn Network, the largest volunteer and civic action network in the nation. The goal of this partnership is to inspire others to serve and connect to volunteer opportunities through HandsOn Network's 250 affiliates and its network of 70,000 nonprofit organizations. For example, the TOUR will commit assets, such as PSAs and Web site coverage, inspiring and directing volunteers to HandsOn in times of crisis or disaster relief. HandsOn can mobilize and equip interested volunteers to assist with relief efforts. As part of this partnership, HandsOn will assist select Championship Management events and the TPC Network of Clubs in the development of charitable initiatives and will provide volunteers for community projects and fundraising that fall outside a tournament week. In addition, HandsOn will be able to serve as a volunteer resource in other PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour event markets on an as requested basis. "The PGA TOUR, its tournaments and players have a rich history of community involvement, volunteerism and philanthropy. Together, we will write a new chapter -- one that builds upon the past and leverages the potential of this current day," said Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light Institute and Co-Founder of HandsOn Network. "The story of the PGA TOUR and its volunteers is a tangible demonstration of the impact that giving of your time and talents can have on your local community and this country. Through our partnership, we plan to continue to build upon a platform that will issue an inspirational call to serve, while recognizing the amazing people who are creating change in communities every day."