Hartford, Conn. (February 23, 2011) – In anticipation of the 2011 Travelers Championship, the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits and J.H. Cohn LLP are proud to support the Birdies for Charity fundraiser and its mission to give back to the Connecticut nonprofit community.
The Birdies for Charity program is a no-cost, pledge-based fundraiser that since 2004 has generated more than $1,000,000 for hundreds of participating Connecticut nonprofits. The program offers every 501(c)(3) in Connecticut the opportunity to raise funds by collecting pledges based on the number of birdies made by PGA TOUR professionals (Wednesday through Sunday) of tournament week. At the conclusion of the tournament, the Travelers Championship calculates the number of birdies made by the pledge amounts and distributes invoices to all donors. Individuals and businesses alike can pledge a minimum of a penny per birdie and 100% of the proceeds raised will be distributed to their nonprofit of choice. In 2010 alone, more than $291,000 was raised by 88 nonprofits participating in the Birdies for Charity program.
Benefiting nonprofits consider this program one of the most user-friendly and cost-effective around and have consistently had great experiences participating in this fundraiser.
“The Waterford Country School has participated in the Birdies for Charity program for the past three years, and every year we’ve grown stronger and smarter and have tripled our funds raised since the first year that we participated,” said David Moorehead, executive director of Waterford Country School.
“We have been pleasantly surprised by the number of people – golfers and non-golfers alike - who like the Birdies for Charity concept,” said Albert May, Director of Development at Christian Community Action. “Since 2008, we have raised more than $16,000, including $500 in Birdies Bonus Bucks, presented by J.H. Cohn for being one of the top 10 fundraisers in 2009.”
This will be the fourth year that the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits has endorsed this worthy cause. “The Birdies for Charity program has provided hundreds of our members with an opportunity to raise thousands of dollars,” said Karen Maciorowski, COO at CT Nonprofits. “We are looking forward to the program’s continued success this year and encourage nonprofits to find out more at one of our info sessions or by viewing our free, informational webinar at www.ctnonprofits.org.”
"J.H. Cohn LLP is proud to continue our partnership of this great community event. Our firm is committed to supporting Birdies for Charity by providing all administrative support and continuing to provide the $15,000 Birdies Bonus Bucks incentive program again in 2011” said Frank Longobardi, managing partner for J.H. Cohn LLP Connecticut office.
To help start the 2011 Birdies for Charity season, Connecticut Association of Nonprofits and J.H. Cohn have offered to support the tournament’s initiative to hold a kickoff breakfast. The event will be held on Thursday, March 10th at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell. All Connecticut nonprofits are encouraged to consider the Birdies for Charity program and to attend to learn more. The breakfast will include an informational session about Birdies for Charity, a panel discussion with past participants and a seminar on fundraising, sponsored by Connecticut Association of Nonprofits.
“With the generous support from J.H. Cohn LLP and the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits, the Birdies for Charity program continues to be the primary driver for the Travelers Championship fundraising efforts and enables us to provide unique fundraising tools and programming for our participating nonprofits each year,” said Caitlin Champ, sponsorship manager at the Travelers Championship.
To complement the Birdies for Charity program, Connecticut Association of Nonprofits is also proud to sponsor the Guess the Birdies Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes provides donors the opportunity to guess the number of birdies made during tournament week for a chance to win the Grand Prize, a $500 Visa gift card from the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits. The Connecticut Association of Nonprofits will also provide the winner’s designated nonprofit with a $500 donation, one year membership and four training sessions with their organization.
In addition to the kickoff breakfast, Connecticut nonprofits are welcome to view a free, informational webinar (www.ctnonprofits.org) on the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits’ website. Additional information is also available on the Travelers Championship website, www.travelerschampionship.com/fundraisers.htm.
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Connecticut Association of Nonprofits (CT Nonprofits) is the largest membership organization in the state dedicated exclusively to working with nonprofits in Connecticut. As the voice of nonprofits, the association has advanced the social and economic impact of nonprofits for over 30 years. CT Nonprofits helps members focus their energy on the people and communities they serve by connecting organizations with information, education, advocacy and collaboration. For more information, please visit www.ctnonprofits.org.
About J.H. Cohn
J.H. Cohn LLP is among the leading accounting and business consulting firms in the United States. Since 1919, the professionals at J.H. Cohn have faithfully served clients, employees, and the community with integrity and honesty. For more than 90 years, the Firm’s philosophy has remained constant: A highly personalized approach to each client, with intelligent guidance and solutions that positively affect profitability and growth. The Firm is a member of Nexia International, a global association of independent accountancy, tax, and business advisors and the ninth largest provider of audit and advisory services worldwide. For more information about J.H. Cohn, visit www.jhcohn.com.
About the Travelers Championship
The Travelers Championship will be held June 20 - 26, 2011, at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. As the only PGA TOUR event in the Northeast in early summer, the Travelers Championship is one of the region's premier sporting events. The tournament proudly supports the PGA TOUR Tradition of Giving Back by donating 100 percent of net proceeds to charities including The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, serving children facing serious illness; the Greater Hartford Jaycees, a leadership development and community service organization; and more than 130 other nonprofit organizations throughout New England. The event is sponsored by Travelers, a leading provider of property casualty insurance for home, auto and business. Travelers has been doing business in the community for nearly a century and a half, and today has more than 6,000 employees in the Greater Hartford area. The Official Property Casualty Insurer of the PGA TOUR, Travelers has been a sponsor of this event each year since its inception in 1952, becoming title sponsor in 2007. Complete details are available on www.TravelersChampionship.com.
