For a considerable portion of its 99 years of existence, the CGA existed for one primary purpose — to conduct state amateur championships.
The CGA didn’t have an official employee until 1963, when Wilford Woody was hired as executive secretary at the princely salary of $100 per month, plus expenses.
To say that the scope and reach of the CGA’s work have grown by leaps and bounds would be a grand understatement. For a partial rundown on what the CGA and CWGA do, CLICK HERE.
Which brings us to the CGA’s latest effort to maximize what the game of golf can be in Colorado. Recently, the association hired its first director of development, who will be responsible for raising money for the Colorado Golf Foundation, which was launched in January 2013. The foundation in turn provides funding support for Colorado-based youth-development programs and organizations which use golf to build important life skills and character, emphasizing instilling hard work and self-reliance in young people in the process.
Though the Colorado Golf Foundation is a separate entity from the CGA, the CGA runs it on a day-to-day basis. And many of the key association-supported programs, most notably at CommonGround Golf Course — including the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program, and the course’s community and outreach partnerships — are funded through the foundation. CommonGround is owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA.
So when Colorado native Ryan Smith started as the CGA’s director of development last month, he took on a very important role.
“The mission of the Foundation — youth development and character-building and (youngsters) developing skills to be future leaders — is one I really believe in,” Smith said recently. “The mission really resonates with me.”
Smith (pictured above) calls himself a career fundraiser and a golf advocate. The 37-year-old most recently worked as director of development and communications at Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver. Over the six years he held that position, he said his resource development team raised a little over $25 million in private contributions for Habitat for Humanity.
“He’s a passionate golfer and a native of Colorado, but most importantly he’s spent a career in development,” CGA executive director Ed Mate said. “We’re golf administrators; we don’t know how to raise money. He’ll cultivate donors and our programming will get better as a result. Everything comes back to that programming, and he’ll shed light on that.”
Smith’s first major public event in his new job was the Colorado Golf Foundation Tournament fundraiser at CommonGround on May 29. That event raised $44,750 for the Foundation.
One of the first priorities for Smith is to create a strategic plan for fundraising for the foundation, which was launched thanks to a seven-figure lead gift from businessman and philanthropist George Solich. The Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy was named for George and brother Geoff (Duffy) Solich, both of whom caddied as youngsters and attended CU on an Evans Scholarship.
“We want to get a plan in place to meet our objectives for 2014,” Smith said. “Another priority is to recognize the (2015) centennial of the CGA — how to tell the story of the history of golf in the state, and what the next 100 years could look like and how the foundation plays a part in that.”
Smith also plans to take part in the BMW Championship’s community partner program leading up to the PGA Tour event being held at Cherry Hills Country Club Sept. 4-7. “That’s a neat opportunity early on — to build a base of relationships,” he said.
Smith has been meeting with Colorado golf leaders and foundation board members, and will continue to do so in the near future.
“I think there will be a learning curve,” he said. “I’ll be spending the first couple of months being a sponge, getting to know the golf community and leaders of all the peer organizations. I have a lot of work to do to familiarize myself with everything, but I’m so excited to be working with the foundation.
“I’m used to working with a lot of different people. There are many opportunities to build a lot of goodwill — and build a culture of philanthropy.”
Smith, who was born in Fort Collins, is a fourth-generation Coloradan and has spent all but six years of his life as a resident of the state. He graduated from Colorado State University with a business administration degree, with an emphasis on entrepreneurship. He was also once a tennis coach for the city of Fort Collins’ CARA program.
“Early on, I realized the value of competition,” Smith said. “Professionally, that lent itself to (the position with the CGA).”
At the CGA, Smith can be reached at ryansmith@cogolf.org, or at 303-974-2109.
