Everybody loves a cool t-shirt, and people especially enjoy statement tees that showcase their values. This makes t-shirt fundraisers a creative way to get people excited by your cause and raise money. Plus, having people walk around with your cause and branding is a great way to market your nonprofit.
This guide outlines everything you need to know to plan an influential t-shirt fundraiser. We include the various ways to approach this fundraising type and steps to organizing one for your nonprofit company.
A t-shirt fundraiser is an approach to raising money centered around selling t-shirts.
They’re a popular way to increase revenue for your nonprofit while getting your supporters excited with something tangible and functional. If the t-shirt you design spotlights your cause, supporters can also see it as a way to promote your cause and share their values and involvement with others.
In addition to enhancing engagement with your network, merchandise like t-shirts, hoodies, keyrings, stickers, and more help spread brand awareness. People can wear these products or attach them to everyday items where others will see them. That’s free advertising for your NPO that can last long after your fundraiser ends.
These unique benefits make them an excellent way to boost your income.
Once you have a t-shirt design, you can use it in four primary ways to make money for your NPO. You can:
Community events are an opportunity to sell fundraising merchandise. Set up a stall at your local market or sporting event with your t-shirts or other items you want to sell.
When you host your own events, you can also have a booth available and encourage guests to support you by buying a T-shirt. Selling T-shirts at your nonprofit events means you reach your target audience as guests are supporters already interested in your cause.
Online websites are the most popular way to approach t-shirt fundraising, and many platforms help manage this process. T-shirt fundraising sites can design, manufacture and deliver products to buyers. They can also streamline your payments and allow you to track income. Most platforms have a minimum quantity you must sell for the process, and they will handle the entire process for you.
Include your t-shirts as raffle prizes. This is an affordable option for your nonprofit, and you can profit from the raffle tickets.
Like a door-to-door cookie fundraiser, you can encourage your network to sell to their friends, family, and community. This approach leverages the principles of peer-to-peer fundraisers by asking volunteers and other nonprofit supporters to get involved in raising money. You can give individuals a set quantity of t-shirts and a buyer list and collect each at the end of the sales period.
Organize effective t-shirt fundraisers with the following steps:
Before you design your t-shirt, pick a platform to run your fundraiser. Sites dedicated to t-shirt fundraising can help you handle the different stages of your t-shirt manufacturing.
For example, CLOZTALK is a sustainable merchandise manufacturer that partners with ethical businesses and nonprofits. They value organizations with a cause and pride themselves in supporting NPOs with sustainable products.
Alternatively, you can organize the t-shirts yourself by contacting custom apparel manufacturers and getting quotes and samples.
When you create your design, ensure it clearly states your cause. A clean, straightforward design without too much detail will center your brand's message effectively. You can also do this with a distinct graphic or bold statement.
With CLOZTALK, you can send your desired graphic to their team, and they will manage your printing. Before they go to print, they’ll run the look past your team.
When pricing your merchandise, consider a number of aspects. Factor in your design and production costs, packaging and shipping, and site fees. Although you don’t want to overprice the tees and alienate buyers, you also want to ensure you still make a profit.
CLOZTALK makes price and budget management that much simpler with no-cost services. They handle production, order fulfillment, inventory tracking, and customer care. And they don’t charge you at all!
The more people that know about your fundraiser, the more purchases you stand to gain. A good fundraiser marketing strategy can increase sales and make your campaign successful. Promote it through email marketing, social media and digital platforms like your nonprofit website. Ask your staff and volunteers to share the fundraiser with their networks, too.
To make sharing fundraiser information easy, create a handy link or QR code to the sales website or an information page. Buyers prioritize convenience on their shopping journey, so you want to make it as simple as possible for them to access your products.
As your fundraiser progresses, update your supporters. Share images of buyers in their t-shirts and inform them how their contributions help your company. Updates keep people engaged and remind them they can still support your cause by buying t-shirts whether for themselves or for their friends and family.
Merchandise sales are an effective way to raise money for your nonprofit organization. With custom designs that promote your brand, cause or both, merchandise provides tangible and useful items to your supporters.
T-shirts are a great example of how to introduce sales to your fundraising strategy. For a well-rounded sales effort, you can also consider adding various t-shirt designs or additional items for sale. Tote bags, coffee mugs, stationery—the choice is yours. View your t-shirt fundraiser as a gateway to a new revenue stream, and you could raise significant funds for your cause.
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