The Charity Fundraising Blog

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7 Ways to Drive Fundraising through Wearables

21 June, 2018

With the British Heart Foundation’s “Wear It. Beat It.” campaign this month, you’ve probably seen a lot of people wearing red to drive awareness of coronary heart disease. BHF gives people an easy way to participate – just wear red – and the freedom to do so individually or as a group, perhaps with other students, family or colleagues.  The charity also provides creative ideas to take the campaign further through activities like a red bake sale. With so many fun and visible ways to participate, it’s no surprise that many charities are launching their own “wear it” campaigns to build awareness and drive donations. Your charity can tap into this trend, too! This post presents seven creative and “wearable” items to support your charity, from classic pin badges to fashionable silicon watches.

Collectable Charity Pin Badges

Pin badges are a tried-and-true way to build awareness while driving fundraising efforts. Your charity could create collectible pin badges and sell them on your website or at retail locations and special events. Here’s an example from the RSPB. The wildlife charity is known for its stunning and highly collectible set of bird-related pin badges, which it sells at more than 8,000 shops as well as on its eBay site. With more than 1 million badges sold every year, it’s clear that they are incredibly popular and effective fundraising tools.

collectable badges

 Awareness Ribbons

The popularity of awareness ribbons began with the red ribbon in support of World AIDS Day. Today, numerous charities have launched their own successful awareness ribbon campaigns. These wearables are a great option for charities because of their low cost and high donation value. They also come in an almost endless range of colours and styles. At Rocket Charities, for example, we can print your charity message directly on the ribbon material or on a small sticker on the front, and we hold it all in place with a small polished safety pin for pinning it to clothes or bags.  Or we can turn your ribbon into a stunning die cast badge that supporters will be proud to wear, like this glittery badge that we created for Childhood Cancer Awareness.

Silicon Watches

Silicon bracelets are a popular choice, so why not take it to the next level with a unique silicon watch? These wearable items are practical, functional and stylish and will appeal to a wide range of supporters. Watches have a high perceived value compared with other popular items, and thus may inspire a higher donation level and the potential for your charity to generate even more money. Silicon watches come in a flexible range of options, including both child and adult sizes, print or embossed design and pantone colour matching. And think about this – every time someone checks the time, they’ll be reminded of the important work your charity does!

Charity Bracelets

Appeal to your fashionable supporters with a trendy charity bracelet, a Rocket Charities exclusive! Our expert designers (whom are also very fashion-forward) will help you design a unique bracelet that people will covet as an accessory. Your charity could even make a collection of bracelets each tied to a holiday or season, like green for summer and white or gold for winter. Raising money with charity bracelets will come easy: many of our charitable partners have told us that these items sell very well in shops and online stores.

charity bracelets

Bags for Life

Bags are wearables, too! Reusable bags are a popular and practical way for your supporters to broadcast your charity while shopping at the grocery store, running errands or travelling.  Supporters will appreciate your product because it reduces plastic waste and is stylish, functional and environmentally friendly. In general, bags are durable and offer a low cost for a large print area for your clever and compelling charity message.

T-Shirts

The ultimate wearable item? A charity t-shirt! T-shirts can be designed in a variety of colours and styles to appeal to every one of your diverse supporters. During the summer, t-shirts are a perfect choice for fun-runs and outdoor events. We pride ourselves in using a variety of high-quality brands for our shirts, including Gildan, Fruit of the Loom and Stedman. Which means that your supporters will continue to wear your comfortable shirts long into the future to keep your campaign top of mind.

Cufflinks

Lastly, don’t count out customised cufflinks. You may think of branded cufflinks as a corporate gift, but these handsome wearables are a great way for your charity to reward your biggest supporters or VIP donors. Hosting a charity dinner or a more formal fundraising event? Cufflinks that feature your charity logo are a great addition. Or try including custom cufflinks as a high-value auction item to raise money for your charity. Charity cufflinks have real lasting visibility, too – supporters will cherish these items as a keepsake reminder of the important causes they support.

From watches to t-shirts, wearables are an effective way to help your charity raise awareness and funds. Perhaps you’ve heard of some of the inspiring stories yourself. For example, earlier this year, a dedicated young woman hosted a “Sock It” campaign to support Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity. She wore the boldest socks possible for 125 days and took photos of her Sock It tour of London that she posted online to raise money. We hope this post inspires you to consider wearables for your charity, too!

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