Who We Are
We are a group of volunteers, board members, staff, and community leaders who bring diverse experiences, perspectives, and community connections to one shared objective: building and sustaining a strong, engaged community of people who believe in and support the mission of First Tee – Sandhills.
The committee serves primarily in an advisory and strategic role, working collaboratively with First Tee – Sandhills staff to create meaningful pathways for engagement, strengthen community relationships, and help ensure the organization is positioned to meet both current and future opportunities.
Committee Purpose
The Community Engagement & Growth Committee provides strategic leadership and oversight for building, engaging, developing, recognizing, and sustaining the community of people who support the mission of First Tee – Sandhills.
Working collaboratively with First Tee – Sandhills staff, the committee helps create meaningful pathways for individuals to connect with the organization, deepen their involvement, and grow as volunteers, coaches, mentors, partners, ambassadors, and leaders.
The committee’s role is to help ensure a sustainable and intentional approach to community engagement that supports both current needs and future opportunities for First Tee – Sandhills.
The Questions We're Here to Explore
As First Tee – Sandhills grows, we want to be intentional about how we build and sustain the community of people who help make our mission possible. The Community Engagement & Growth Committee helps us think strategically about questions like:
How do we build the community we will need for tomorrow?
- Where will tomorrow’s volunteer coaches, mentors, ambassadors, and community partners come from?
- What new communities, organizations, and networks could help us expand our reach?
- What will our volunteer and community workforce need to look like as The Community Hub and our programs grow?
How do we create an experience that keeps people connected?
- How can we create an exceptional experience for the people who give their time, talent, and expertise?
- What does meaningful engagement look like at different points along someone’s journey with First Tee – Sandhills?
- How do we recognize, develop, and retain people in ways that make them feel valued and connected to our mission?
How do we build meaningful community partnerships?
- What untapped relationships and partnerships could strengthen our mission and expand our reach?
- How can we connect with businesses, educational institutions, civic organizations, golf communities, the military community, and others in meaningful ways?
How do we use what we learn to get better?
- What can data, trends, and community insight tell us about recruitment, engagement, retention, and future needs?
- How can we use that information to make smarter decisions and prepare for future opportunities?
Our Strategic Focus
These questions guide our work across five interconnected areas:
Recruitment – Develop sustainable sources of new volunteers, coaches, mentors, and community partners while identifying opportunities to reach new communities.
Engagement & Retention – Help create experiences that keep people connected, valued, and excited about making a difference.
Recognition & Development – Explore meaningful ways to recognize contributions, encourage continued learning, and create pathways toward deeper involvement and leadership.
Community Partnerships – Build relationships with businesses, educational institutions, civic organizations, golf communities, the military community, and others who can help expand our reach and strengthen our mission.
Workforce & Community Planning – Use data, trends, forecasting, and community insight to help First Tee – Sandhills prepare for current needs and future growth.
What We're Building
We’re building more than a volunteer workforce. We’re building meaningful pathways for people to connect with First Tee – Sandhills, deepen their involvement, and grow into coaches, mentors, ambassadors, and leaders.
Meaningful Pathways
A person’s journey with First Tee – Sandhills may look different from one individual to another, but the goal is to create opportunities for that relationship to grow:
Discover → Express Interest → Get Involved → Learn & Develop → Coach → Grow → Lead & Mentor → Inspire Others
Our goal is to strengthen the entire experience, not simply recruit the next coach. When people have a meaningful experience, they become engaged coaches. Engaged coaches can become mentors and leaders—and often help us inspire the next generation of people to join us.
Building for Tomorrow
As The Community Hub and our programs grow, we’re thinking strategically about the community of people we’ll need to support them.
Our current areas of focus include:
- Preparing for growth – Building the volunteer coach workforce and broader community support needed for expanded programs and opportunities.
- Strengthening engagement and retention – Developing long-term strategies for recognition, connection, development, and continued involvement.
- Building sustainable pipelines – Expanding relationships and partnerships that create consistent sources of future volunteers, coaches, mentors, and community leaders.
- Planning for the future – Understanding current and future needs so we can anticipate where and when additional support will be needed.
- Using data to guide decisions – Strengthening volunteer metrics, trends, forecasting, and reporting to help us make informed decisions.
Turning Strategy Into Action
This work is already underway. Recent efforts include:
- Establishing consistent volunteer coach metrics and Board reporting
- Developing sustainable recruitment pipeline strategies
- Evaluating how new coaches first become connected with First Tee – Sandhills
- Developing volunteer recognition and tenure concepts
- Forecasting future volunteer coach requirements
- Planning for volunteer needs associated with The Community Hub and program growth
Could This Be a Good Fit for You?
We believe the strength of this committee comes from bringing together people with different experiences, perspectives, skills, and connections. You don’t need to be a golfer, a current volunteer, or an expert in volunteer management. What matters most is a willingness to contribute, collaborate, and help First Tee – Sandhills build meaningful connections with our community.
You might be a great fit if you enjoy:
- Building Relationships – Connecting people, organizations, and opportunities.
- Thinking Strategically – Looking beyond today’s needs to help shape what comes next.
- Engaging the Community – Identifying new ways to connect First Tee – Sandhills with people and organizations we haven’t reached.
- Creating Connections – Bringing relationships, networks, and perspectives that can expand our reach.
- Developing People & Opportunities – Helping create meaningful pathways for volunteers, coaches, mentors, and community leaders to become more deeply engaged.
- Using Data & Insight – Helping us understand trends, identify opportunities, and make informed decisions.
- Supporting Young People – Believing in the power of First Tee – Sandhills to help young people grow through golf and beyond.
What You’ll Bring
You may contribute by:
- Sharing your professional and personal experience
- Bringing new ideas, perspectives, and questions to the table
- Identifying potential community partnerships and connections
- Introducing First Tee – Sandhills to people and organizations we haven’t reached
- Helping identify new approaches to recruitment, engagement, recognition, and retention
- Providing strategic guidance and insight
- Helping shape long-term initiatives
- Serving as an ambassador for First Tee – Sandhills
Most importantly, we’re looking for people who bring something we don’t already have.
That might be a perspective, a professional skill, a community connection, a relationship, an idea or simply a different way of looking at an opportunity.
The Commitment
We value your time and want this committee to be a meaningful and manageable way to contribute to First Tee – Sandhills.
The core commitment includes:
- Meeting every 6–8 weeks for approximately 60–90 minutes
- Collaborating with staff and fellow committee members on strategic questions, opportunities, and priorities
- Sharing your perspective, experience, and community connections to help inform the organization’s work
- Helping develop recommendations and strategic guidance for the Board of Directors
- Participating primarily in an advisory and strategic capacity rather than a day-to-day operational role
From time to time, members may be invited to contribute to a specific project, make a connection, or lend their expertise between meetings. The committee is designed to be a focused, collaborative, and manageable commitment.