First Tee of Connecticut Is First Statewide Champion

First Tee of Connecticut raised $19,242 during the finals in just three days to advance past Community Mental Health Affiliates (CMHA) in the 2018 Brackets For Good Connecticut tournament, to be crowned this year’s champion.

2018 marks the inaugural year for Brackets For Good as a statewide tournament in Connecticut, with 58 nonprofits participating in the head-to-head competitive fundraising tournament. In total, Connecticut nonprofits in the tournament raised awareness for their organizations, attracted new donors, and raised $157,785 from 1,938 individual donations.

In Brackets For Good, participating nonprofits rally enthusiastic donors to out-fundraise their opponents in order to advance. Competing nonprofits keep donations received during tournament play, no matter how many rounds they advance. The field narrowed each week.

In the Championship Round, which began on Tuesday night and concluded Friday night, First Tee raised $19,242 and Community Mental Health Affiliates raised $4,005. As the 2018 Brackets For Good Connecticut champion, First Tee of Connecticut will receive an additional $10,000 donation from title sponsor, Stanley Black & Decker, on top of the $36,982 it raised throughout the five-week tournament.

The First Tee of Connecticut impacts the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices. Through programs at 20 outdoor locations, in 162 schools and in partnership with local youth service agencies, The First Tee helps shape the lives of 74,000 young people from all walks of life, reinforcing values like integrity, respect and perseverance through the game of golf.

A total of five local nonprofit organizations have each raised more than $10,000 in the tournament, including one that raised more than$15,000 one that raised more than $20,000 and one that exceeded $30,000. The Connecticut tournament had the sixth largest total amount raised, out of the 13 city or state tournaments that are running this year.

Overall, The First Tee of Connecticut raised $36,982, and Community Mental Health Affiliates raised $21,266. They are the tournament’s top two fundraisers.

Among the other Connecticut nonprofits raising the most funds are Hartford City Mission, $15,001; Cove Center for Grieving Children, $10,370; The Mark Twain House & Museum, $10,232; Connecticut Humane Society, $6,507; The Children’s Law Center of Connecticut, $5,348; CT Council for Interreligious Understanding, $5,282; Capital City Education Alliance $5,194; Hartford Food System, $5,182; and Community Partners in Action, $4,701.

“Partnering with Brackets For Good in Connecticut is a fun and impactful way we can support numerous organizations that are serving the communities, where many of our employees call home," said Tim Perra, Stanley Black & Decker Senior VP of Public Affairs.

Community Mental Health Affiliates won last year’s Hartford-area tournament. Based on the success in Hartford in its first year in 2017, the local charitable fundraising tournament has expanded to statewide this year. Thirty-three percent of the donations received in 2017 came from first-time donors to the participating organizations.

Thirteen cities and states across the country are conducting Brackets For Good tournaments this year, with the support of local businesses. In addition to Connecticut, states with Brackets for Good nonprofits fundraising tournaments in 2018 are Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, and Minnesota. City tournaments are being held in Atlanta and Dallas, both for the first time this year, as well as in Cincinnati, Denver, Nashville, Indianapolis, Miami and St. Louis.

"Brackets For Good exists because we believe that communities are strengthened when more people learn about and support local organizations that operate in service to the community," said Reid McDowell, Partnerships & Marketing Director of Brackets For Good. “It's clear that Hartford organizations are dedicated to the strength and health of their community. The 2018 tournament is a testament to the power of sport to generate social good."

Brackets For Good, a 501(c)3 charitable organization based in Indianapolis, hosts online, bracket-style fundraising tournaments every March in communities around the United States. To date, Brackets For Good has raised more than $6.4 million for charitable nonprofits since 2012 with an average of 30 percent of donations coming from first-time donors to the participating organizations.