Member for a Day, the innovative golf fundraising platform that auctions exclusive, bucket-list golf experiences for charity, is set to surpass $10 million in lifetime fundraising this week.

The milestone coincides with #GivingTuesday, not to mention the platform’s auction benefiting First Tee Savannah, one of its original nonprofit partners when founder Eric Sedransk launched the platform during the pandemic in 2020.

“It’s crazy. I’ve been doing this now for over four years, you’d think I would kind of become numb to it, but every time an auction ends I’m just so blown away by this sort of ecosystem that’s been created at the intersection of charity and golf and how much money it raises,” said Sedransk. “It’s the ultimate win-win.”

The platform has facilitated nearly 3,000 golf experiences benefiting more than 200 nonprofits, with exponential growth continuing.

“We are growing rapidly. We’re growing about 300% this year,” says Sedransk. “It’s network effects, right? Success begets success. The more people we reach, the more successful auctions we have, the more people see it, and the more people reach out.”

$10 Million in Fundraising

The journey to $10 million in fundraising started modestly in 2020 when Sedransk, after losing his finance job during the pandemic, organized a fundraiser for New York City hospital frontline workers while staying at his parents’ home in Hilton Head, South Carolina. That initial success inspired him to build a broader platform leveraging golf’s deep charitable ties.

“My life since college, all of my experiences, led me to start Member for a Day,” says Sedransk, who previously worked at Bear Stearns and spent a decade in business development for venture capital-backed technology companies. His background in tech, passion for golf, and experience with hurricane recovery work in the Virgin Islands created what he calls “the perfect overlap” for launching the platform.

The most successful auctions typically feature top courses that have hosted major championships, thanks to broad public awareness and, often, exclusivity.

Among the highest-grossing auctions have been rounds at Michael Jordan’s private Grove XXIII club (Florida), Secession Golf Club (South Carolina), Alotian Golf Club (Arkansas), The Country Club (Massachusetts), and clubs like Friar’s Head, Fishers Island and Sleepy Hollow (New York).

An Evolving Platform

However, the platform has evolved to include unique experiences with celebrities and athletes. Recent auctions have featured rounds with former UNC basketball coach Matt Doherty, past and current NFL quarterbacks Rich Gannon and Sam Darnold, U.S. soccer star Landon Donovan, and Hall of Fame MLB pitcher Greg Maddux.

Looking ahead to 2025, Sedransk plans to expand celebrity offerings through both auctions and sweepstakes, mentioning wish-list names like Peyton Manning, Steph Curry, Tom Brady, Charles Barkley, and Mark Wahlberg.

“I think where we’re ultimately going to go is probably a lot of the sweepstakes will involve celebrities, actors, musicians, pro athletes,” he says, noting that some of these types of experiences open the giving pool beyond those golfers who can afford to spend the most.

The platform’s success stems from its efficiency as well as the philanthropic nature of a select subset of passionate golfers.

“We’ve just created a very efficient fundraising mechanism for a certain set of nonprofits who normally are used to running maybe a golf tournament — it’s a lot of work, and the margins are really small,” says Sedransk. “Whereas with us they might be able to raise $50,000 to $100,000 in a week by just making 20 to 25 calls to some of their donors.”

Golf as a Charitable Vehicle

For Sedransk, who grew up in Westchester County driving past exclusive courses like Winged Foot and Sleepy Hollow, the platform also fulfills a personal mission.

“It’s important to me, from a personal perspective, to just allow the average Joe a chance to play these courses,” he said.

Golf has long been a powerful charitable vehicle, generating more than $4 billion annually for various causes in the U.S. Now, through Member for a Day’s innovative approach combining technology, social media, and golf’s enduring allure, that impact continues to grow.

It’s that impact that Sedransk reflects on as Member for a Day hits the $10 million milestone.

“The consumer is thrilled because they get to play a golf course they would never otherwise play, and the nonprofit is blown away by the amount of money that the community is willing to pay for these experiences.”