As a decision maker or passionate member of your charity, you know this better than anyone: fundraising is vital. In fact, the UK Civil Society Almanac shows that for every £1 spent on fundraising, on average a charity receives over £4 in return! Meaning that effective fundraising can essentially quadruple the money you’re able to spend on your charity’s mission and services.
So, let’s help you get the greatest possible return on investment for your next fundraising campaign! A proven approach can be summed up in one word: merchandise. When done right, fundraising merchandise can be a highly affordable—yet highly impactful—component of your next campaign. We also understand that no matter the size or age of your charity, investing in merchandise can sometimes be a challenge, especially when you’re working with a fixed or limited budget. But good news: there are ways to overcome this challenge.
In this post, we highlight several strategies to help you maximise your next fundraising campaign with thoughtful merchandise—and minimum resources.
Strategy 1: Start smart. Choose cost-effective merchandise.
For an effective fundraising campaign on a budget, focus on the right merchandise. How do you determine what’s right? First, consider the cost. Seek high impact yet low-cost items. You might select branded badges, wristbands, and keyrings—all items are inexpensive to produce yet popular (and even collectible) among supporters. Items like these are also visible, meaning that they act as eye-catching beacons to broadcast important messages about your charity, which is another strategy to maximise the impact of your campaign with limited resources. You might also consider affordable yet functional items like reusable shoppers or t-shirts, which are sure to be appreciated and used (or worn) by your supporters. For more, see this article on designing eye-catching charity fundraising merchandise.
Lastly, keep diversity in mind. Your supporters include people of all ages, as well as people of all means and motivations. When you offer a range of merchandise, you appeal to the unique interests and incomes of your diverse supporters. Offering merchandise in a range of price points enables your supporters to purchase what they can, when they can.
Strategy 2: Move your merchandise with minimal upfront investment.
If you’re new to charitable merchandise, welcome! You might be wondering what types of merchandise will appeal to your unique supporters. You’re probably also not sure what quantities to order. If there’s high demand, you don’t want to run out and miss potential sales. If you’re creating limited edition merchandise, you also don’t want to be stuck with leftover merchandise that is difficult to move. Consider offering pre-orders on your products, meaning that your supporters can sign up to receive a special product at a predetermined date, holiday, or event.
Deciding what and how much to create shouldn’t be stressful. Have some fun with this, too! You might engage your community through social media, newsletters, and your website with a poll about what products they like best. Position the poll as a race between a branded t-shirt, hat, badge, or tote bag, and see what comes out on top. The results will help you pick the perfect products and get a better sense of demand and quantity. It will also help build buzz and anticipation for your forthcoming merchandise!
Another way to ensure a solid return on your merchandise investment is to offer your special products as a donation-based reward or prize. For example, people who donate at a certain level, or who raise a certain amount of money as part of an upcoming fundraising challenge, might receive a special item as a thank you. This way, you can offset the cost to produce your products with the funds that come in through large or recurring donations or via fundraising campaigns.
Strategy 3: Go multi-modal. Maximise your online and offline sales channels.
Think about your supporters. While you might have strong appeal to a particular demographic or interest group (e.g., women, young people, environmentalists), chances are, your supporters are incredibly diverse in terms of gender, age, interests, income, and location. Your supporters also have varied preferences for how they engage with the causes they care about. Some supporters are best reached through the latest social media platforms and viral content. Some are regular readers of your newsletter, be it digital or print. And some people look forward to in-person connections like events or volunteer opportunities.
Your merchandise sales channels should be as diverse as your supporters. Consider how you might sell your merchandise on free or low-cost e-commerce platforms like Shopify for nonprofits, Etsy, or in charity-specific stores. Think about how you could leverage social media and email marketing to drive sales. For example, you might raffle off prizes to supporters who participate in a social media photo-sharing contest or who encourage five of their own friends to sign up for your newsletter. And lastly, don’t forget about the power of in-person interactions. Consider adding a custom display box at your next fundraising event, and ask local businesses if they might display your products for sale. Or consider hosting a pop-up shop like the British Heart Foundation to sell special, limited edition merchandise during holidays or gatherings. For more, see this article on promoting your charity fundraising merchandise.
Strategy 4: Pick the perfect partner. Make the most of your marketing budget.
The right partner can help you keep costs down to maximise your fundraising investment. At Rocket Charities, we offer free design services to help you create professional, perfect products. Our friendly experts listen to you—to your ideas and visions, to your budget, to your timeline—to create merchandise that will boost your upcoming campaigns, even if you have limited resources or need things in a hurry.
Another perk to consider in your partner is whether they offer discounts on bulk ordering to reduce your per-unit costs. At Rocket Charities, we’re proud to offer bulk discounts—and we’re also proud to be a Climate Positive Business with Carbon Positive Freighting!
We hope this post illuminates the truth that fundraising merchandise doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective. The key is to pick the right products and partner, and to engage your supporters wherever they are. Start small, experiment with different approaches, and, of course, be creative and have fun! We’d love to hear more about your upcoming fundraising campaigns and financial goals. We’re certain that we can help make this a successful year ahead. Please get in touch with us any time for a chat.