The TOUR Championship, an annual professional golf tournament organized by the PGA, announced that it raised a record total in support of Atlanta nonprofits during its 2024 event.
During last year’s tournament, the TOUR Championship raised $7.2 million for local community organizations, marking an increase over the previous year’s event that accumulated $6.96 million back in 2023.
Since moving to Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club in 1998, the TOUR Championship has raised more than $63 million for nonprofits throughout the city’s metro area.
Among the nonprofits that the yearly PGA tournament supports include the East Lake Foundation, First Tee – Metro Atlanta, Focused Community Strategies, Grove Park Foundation and Purpose Built Schools Atlanta.
“We’re incredibly proud to announce a record $7.2 million in community impact funds this year,” said Alex Urban, executive director of the TOUR Championship. “This achievement reflects the unwavering support we receive from our partners, fans and the Atlanta community. It’s because of that support that we’re able to continue investing in initiatives that make a real difference in the lives of those who call Atlanta home.”
One such initiative that has benefited from the TOUR Championship is Start:ME, a program run by Goizueta Business School (Atlanta private school).
Since 2013, Start:ME has helped over 500 entrepreneurs in underserved communities by providing mentorship, training and access to capital, according to a press release.
Additionally, in East Lake alone, Start:ME has reportedly provided support to more than 170 microbusinesses, helping to generate over $9.5 million in collective annual revenue and nearly 400 jobs.
The TOUR Championship’s record contribution was announced during this year’s Start:ME Accelerator Program graduation at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, an annual event that commemorates local entrepreneurs and “and highlights the program’s role in creating opportunities” for Metro Atlanta microbusinesses.
“Supporting local entrepreneurs is essential to building a stronger, more vibrant community,” said Erin Igleheart, program director of Start:ME. “It’s great to celebrate the success of these entrepreneurs alongside the TOUR Championship’s record $7.2 million contribution to many of our wonderful partners, which helps make initiatives like ours thrive.”
