The new year can be a new you. Every January, people around the world participate in Dry January and commit to stop drinking alcohol for the month. In the UK, one in six adults plan to take a break from alcohol, which equates to more than 8 million people! Motivations to participate in Dry January include better physical and mental health, improved social relationships, financial savings, the feel-good feeling of setting and achieving a challenging goal, and more.
It’s clear that Dry January is growing in popularity. However, here’s something that might come as a surprise: as more people commit to giving up alcohol at the start of the year, your charity can leverage this important moment to engage your supporters and raise critical funds for your own cause. In this post, we highlight a few ways your charity can tap into Dry January with merchandise that aligns with your supporter’s Dry January goals.
The Dry January Trend
Finland is often credited with the first instance of something like Dry January. In 1943, the country enacted “Sober January” to conserve resources and aid in wartime efforts. Organised campaigns continued around the world and in 2013, the charity Alcohol Change UK made “Dry January” an official campaign (and trademark).
Alcohol Change UK credits a runner, Emily Robinson, with the idea behind Dry January. Robinson gave up drinking in January 2011 to help her prepare for a half marathon. She later joined Alcohol Change UK and shared her experiences giving up alcohol for a month. This led to the official launch of the Dry January campaign in 2013 with around 4,000 participants. Today, more than 200,000 people participate every year.
The growing popularity of Dry January tracks with broader societal shifts toward wellness and purpose-driven living. The point of the campaign is not to disappear for a month but, rather, to continue to socialise without the need for drinking. It’s also about realising the myriad benefits of a sober month. People who give up drinking for a period of time may experience increased energy and concentration, better sleep, weight loss, improved skin, stronger immunity, and so much more. It also feels really good to achieve a challenging goal!
Fundraising Merchandise that Resonates
Whether or not you, personally, give up alcohol this month, Dry January provides the perfect backdrop for your charity to introduce fundraising merchandise that aligns with your supporters’ goals of health, mindfulness, and social responsibility.
It’s not an easy goal, especially if your routines and activities typically involve imbibing in an occasional drink. Recognising this, Alcohol Change UK offers a little extra motivation with a “go dry for charity” campaign in which people give up alcohol while raising money for a cause they care about. Your own charity could put together a “challenge pack” for participants who elect to raise money for your charity. You could also incorporate Dry January themed items into your everyday merchandise line and campaigns.
Here’s a few ideas for merchandise that will resonate during Dry January—and beyond!
- Reusable water bottles: During Dry January, we focus not just on personal wellness and social responsibility, but also on sustainability and environmental consciousness. Appeal to these motivations with a branded water bottle. It encourages hydration and healthy routines, and it reduces the need for single-use plastic bottles. Look for BPA-free water bottles that are made from recycled materials and consider adding a motivational message that connects to your charity’s mission!
- Tumblers and drinkware: Similarly, consider offering branded tumblers, pint glasses, or mugs. Encourage your supporters to use the special drinkware for non-alcoholic beverages during Dry January.
- Apparel with empowering messages: Giving up alcohol for a month can be challenging for many people. Help your supporters make it with motivational and empowering messages. Your charity can create t-shirts, hoodies, or caps that feature your charity logo along with motivational slogans like “Dry January Warrior” or “Stronger Together.”
- Wellness journals: One of the benefits of giving up alcohol is improved concentration and feelings of wellbeing. For many people, this can lead to inspired creativity. Design a charity-branded journal that helps people capture their creativity through writing or drawing. The journal could also include a tracker for charting daily progress during Dry January and throughout the year.
- Mocktail kit: During Dry January, we can still cheers with fancy mocktails! (In fact, the global mocktail industry is valued at more than six billion dollars.) Tap into the trend all year long and bundle special charity-branded shakers, glassware, and recipe cards into a mocktail-making kit for your supporters. You could update the kit throughout the year to reflect seasonal shifts or flavor trends.
We hope this post inspires you to tap into the sober movement this month. Encourage your supporters to participate and provide the little extra motivation they might need with special charity-branded merchandise. And remember, wellness is not limited to a single month: you can continue to leverage the products all year long. Cheers to that (with a mocktail, of course)!