Sixteen years ago, RSM—the leading assurance, tax, and consulting firm serving global middle market companies—invested in the PGA Tour in a big way, becoming the title sponsor of the tournament held at Sea Island Resort each fall. While the brand exposure and significant hosting opportunities for clients during the weeklong RSM Classic are valuable, the firm’s financial support of the tournament has always been rooted in charity, with ROI measured not only by the benefits sponsorship affords but by the differences made through giving back.

The tournament’s host organization, The Davis Love Foundation, was founded by professional golfer Davis Love III, whom RSM sponsors (along with his wife, Robin). Each year, RSM and Love’s foundation raise significant funds through the tournament, which they allocate to improving the lives of children in need—both in the local Golden Isles community and in the communities where RSM operates.

According to Donna Sciarappa, RSM’s enterprise client experience leader and chair of the RSM US Foundation, such a synergy makes for an easy working relationship. “The values Davis and Robin hold are very much aligned to those we have at RSM: respect and integrity; collaboration and teamwork; excellence; and, of course, stewardship,” she says. “Davis deeply cares about people, and his foundation has done incredible work over the years to help the Golden Isles area and to bring attention to causes that may not have otherwise been recognized.”

Since its inception, The RSM Classic has raised nearly $50 million for children- and family-focused charities, with a large percentage of the funds generated by RSM’s annual employee-led stewardship campaign, The Power of Love. All told, more than 800 charities across the United States, as well as in Canada, India, and El Salvador, have received financial support through The Power of Love. Moreover, the proceeds from the tournament, distributed annually by The Davis Love Foundation, provide additional support to deserving children and families. As Sciarappa points out, Sea Island is the smallest market to annually host a PGA Tour event, which adds greater significance to the event’s charitable impact.

The way RSM’s leadership sees it, professional golf serves as an outstanding platform for the company’s charitable endeavors—and as a vehicle to raise awareness about the firm, its services, and its values. In fact, the company has often described its client engagements as a caddie-player relationship. “Like a caddie,” says Sciarappa, “our RSM professionals know their client’s business and act as an advisor to help guide them through changing conditions to achieve success.”

Similarly, Sciarappa and all of the firm’s employees engage around the charitable mission of The RSM Classic and drive its success each year. “Our goal with the tournament has always been to create an intimate experience that captures the southern hospitality that coastal Georgia is known for,” she says. “It’s about giving attendees the best experience while on-site, but, most importantly, it’s an opportunity to give back to those who need it most.”

This article was created in partnership with RSM.